A Night’s Stay at Welcome Family Holiday Park in Dawlish Warren

On a glorious sunny week in June we were invited to stay the night at Welcome Family Holiday Park in Dawlish Warren.  

Upon arrival we were greeted by the friendly and enthusiastic reception staff who gave us a quick tour of the park before letting us settle into our home for the night. One wonderful thing about this holiday park is that it’s a family-run business so it had a very laid back but still professional vibe, we instantly felt welcomed and knew we’d be in for a good time! All the staff were incredibly friendly and were eager to help us in any way they could to ensure we had the best time away. 

We were checked into one of their static Premier Caravans which was perfect for just the two of us. We had a roomy living area with a kitchen plus a master bedroom with an en-suite toilet and a twin room which was opposite the bathroom with a shower. The caravan was complete with all the fittings you might need – oven, hob, microwave, kettle, toaster, fridge freezer and TV, plus we also had a table outside on a small patio which was perfect for enjoying the sun. Had there been more than just the two of us, we may have been given one of the larger lodges, apartments or bungalows which are perfect for family getaways and larger groups, sleeping 4 – 7 people. 

After a nosy around the complex we decided to head for the beach as it was a particularly warm day. From Welcome Family Holiday Park the centre of Dawlish Warren is roughly a 5 minute walk and an additional 5 minutes to get to the beach making it incredibly convenient in terms of location. We stopped to grab a portion of chips from a fish and chip shop called Deans Plaice which was owned by one of the staff who also worked at Welcome Family Holiday Park and was named as such in memory of his dad. A short meander through the resort, past the clothing shops, pub and amusement arcade we plonked ourselves down on a bench on the sea wall. It overlooked the entire beach and provided excellent views of Exmouth across the water – the perfect backdrop to enjoy our chips!  

With bellies full of food, we basked in the atmosphere of the beach for a short while, watching families enjoying making sandcastles on the golden sand or dipping into the sparkling sea before making our way back to the holiday park. As it was still so hot, a trip to the pool seemed like the perfect way to cool down. Welcome Family Holiday Park has a wonderful indoor pool complex complete with a tropical pool with waterfalls, jets, fountains and bubbles, a sports pool for those looking to enjoy some exercise, a toddler pool and a bubble pool. The pool was heated so it wasn’t too cold that you have to fuss around with acclimatising to the water, but also cool enough that it was refreshing to dive in after spending a few hours in the sun.  

If you’ve read some of our other blog posts, you’ll know that we absolutely love crazy golf so when we discovered that Welcome Family Holiday Park had a course we had to get competitive and challenge each other to a round. As per usual, Sydney won but it was definitely a lot closer so Tia’s skills are certainly improving! Keep an eye out on our TikTok or Instagram page to see this rematch alongside our first game at Babbacombe Model Village and second one at Beverley Holidays.  

We had worked up a bit of an appetite after swimming and golfing so we headed to the Diner for dinner at the Clubhouse. Serving up some tasty grub, this eatery was very reminiscent of an American Diner but also had elements of a traditional tuck shop. Hot dogs, burgers and pizzas were all on offer and very reasonably priced too. If you fancied something sweet after dinner their deserts looked incredibly tasty too! We took our food to go as we wanted to enjoy the rest of the sun before it set so we ate our food outside our caravan on our patio.  

One thing that Welcome Family Holiday Park do well is their entertainment. Each day something different is on offer, from bingo to live shows and quiz nights to fancy dress competitions, you could attend each evening of the week and see something different! Their entertainment is held in the Starlight Club, a large club house with a bar and plenty of tables. Considering it wasn’t during the typical ‘peak’ time of the year we were surprised at how many people were here so we knew the entertainment would be good! On Tuesdays they have some great activities for the kids during the day; scavenger hunts and penalty shootout are just some of the pastimes. In the evening, the children’s fancy dress competition started at 6:30, followed by Mr Poodlebum, a show for the little ones, and then bingo at 8pm with some cash prizes if you’re lucky! From 9pm the grown-ups get their time to shine with the adult fancy dress competition, a family fun time quiz game show before the live show Seymour’s Little Shop started – a fantastic rendition of the hit musical The Little Shop of Horrors. If you’re a family of night owls then you’ll be glad to hear that the entertainment doesn’t stop after the show, you can dance the night away at the disco until midnight. 

The next day was just as warm as the previous so back to the beach we went for a dip in the sea. We walked from the holiday park through the nature reserve to reach a quieter part of the long stretch of golden sand. Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve is a huge 500 acres of grassland, sand dunes, mudflats and marshland at the mouth of the Exe Estuary. It’s a significantly important place for wildfowl and wading birds, as well as being home to over 600 species of plants. As such it’s protected by both national and international law! You can find out more about this nature reserve here.  

After a refreshing swim in the sea we returned to the Holiday Park for breakfast in which the Diner has plenty of options. Go all out with a full English Welcome Breakfast complete with sausages, bacon, eggs, hash browns, mushrooms and more, or if you’d prefer something a bit lighter, you could enjoy a breakfast bap or eggs on toast. They also have veggie and vegan options available for those who don’t eat meat!  

On the park there’s plenty of things for the kids and grown-ups to do. There’s a play park and sports ground so your little tykes can let off some steam, a sweet shop for those sugary treats, not to mention their own amusement arcade and games room! On site is also a pottery painting café, perfect for those who want to embrace their creative side.  

As you can see, Welcome Family Holiday Park is a wonderful place to stay with the whole family whether you have little ones or older children, and there’s so much to do that you’ll never get bored! This accommodation is situated a short walk from Dawlish Warren train station so if you do fancy exploring the rest of South Devon it’s just a train ride away! It’s also great if you’re hoping to embark on a car-free holiday as the train station has connections to Exeter and Newton Abbot which trains from across the country stop at.  

Have we piqued your interest? Why not find out more about Welcome Family Holiday Park and book your South Devon getaway by visiting their website here.  

Stay up to date with all the latest Visit South Devon blog posts, competitions and more by following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You could also sign up to our e-newsletter here.