It completed above Middle Parcs in a revered rating of UK vacation parks.
Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort Evaluate
This distant nook of the UK is enchanting, wealthy in historical past and blessed with a few of the most breathtaking landscapes conceivable. Encircling all of it is among the most dramatic coastlines discovered wherever on earth, the place sheer cliff faces are interspersed at common intervals with world-class sandy seashores.
Proper on the coronary heart of all of it sits Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort, nestled inside 500 acres of unspoilt Welsh countryside and so seamlessly blended into its environment that, regardless of its appreciable dimension and tons of of lodges, you’d barely realize it existed till you had been nicely inside.
That is to not counsel it falls quick as a contemporary and splendid vacation vacation spot, notably concerning its latest lodges. They had been actually beautiful. Bluestone is in Pembrokeshire so it is a prolonged drive from just about in all places — however it’s completely well worth the journey, notably when you incorporate it right into a broader vacation exploring this nook of Wales. In case you’re trying to find a vacation vacation spot nearer to residence, particularly when you’d quite keep away from the present uncertainty surrounding flights, it comes extremely beneficial — although keep in mind it is in Wales, so count on unpredictable climate!
Bluestone in a nutshell
An aerial view throughout Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort exhibits how naturally it is included into its environment (Picture: Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort)
Bluestone includes roughly 300 beautiful timber lodges of various sizes, nestled throughout rolling hills near the charming city of Narberth. On the coronary heart of the resort lies its purpose-built village, residence to a few dozen pleasant, vibrant stone cottages, a handful of eating places, a number of retailers (stocking a formidable choice of Welsh produce, beers, spirits and toys), a spa, a pub and a playground (conveniently permitting dad and mom to maintain watch over their youngsters from the beer backyard).
An aerial view of the village at Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort (Picture: Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort)
Additionally inside the resort is a sizeable indoor play space often known as The Hive, the Blue Lagoon — a beneficiant swimming facility boasting each indoor and out of doors slides and a wave machine — and the Serendome, a lined indoor-outdoor journey play space providing all the pieces from a theatre to an intensive aerial journey course. On the entire, the resort is arguably higher suited to youthful youngsters quite than youngsters (mine are aged 10 and below), although guests can decide for themselves. Having holidayed right here for a decade, the attraction exhibits no indicators of fading.
My keep was in one in every of Bluestone’s new Platinum Assortment lodges — immaculate and exquisitely designed all through. The St Govan Lodge (named after a placing stretch of the close by shoreline) featured three bedrooms sleeping six friends and two bogs, together with a shocking en suite full with rain bathe, freestanding tub, twin sinks and a soothing starlight ceiling impact.
There was a beneficiant upstairs open-plan residing area that includes a eating room, a “cwtch” (a comfy room with two chairs and a tv for unwinding, working or offering the kids some peaceable time) and a solar room, a powerful new addition for Bluestone lodges with two absolutely retractable glass partitions. Regardless of the chilly circumstances, we opened them fully to inhale the Pembrokeshire air and take up these views. In summer time, it could be blissful sipping prosecco or a relaxing beer alongside having fun with the surroundings.
A tree towers over one in every of Bluestone’s lodges (Picture: Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort)
The lodges arrive fully-equipped with an oven, microwave, fridge freezer, dishwasher and even an air fryer, which we utilised extensively for breakfasts and a night meal across the six-seater eating desk. Following a home-cooked meal on our first night, we relaxed into the big u-shaped couch earlier than a heat electrical fireplace.
The Platinum Lodges additionally embrace their very own electrical buggy to help you in navigating the resort. This proved the spotlight of my five-year-old’s vacation as we trundled alongside in our six-seater at 6mph enjoying the “beep the horn at everybody you go” sport. The lodges additionally function their very own buggy charging level.
I stayed on the UK vacation park ‘higher than Middle Parcs’ — I would return tomorrow (Picture: Steffan Rhys)
All Bluestone’s lodges, accommodating between two and 14 individuals, embrace kitchen and open plan residing areas, whereas the cottages within the village comprise one or two bedrooms. They don’t seem to be all as much as the usual of the Platinum Lodges however stay however charming locations to spend per week or lengthy weekend.
The checking-in course of
Checking in is a breeze. For almost all of the park’s guests, it is a drive-through affair: pull up on the welcome lodge, observe the one-way system round to your personal lodge, unload your car, then go away it within the automotive park on the resort’s perimeter and neglect all about it till departure time. Outdoors of check-in and check-out hours, Bluestone operates as a car-free resort, which means you possibly can wander the roads or cruise your buggy in full peace and security.
For Platinum Assortment friends, the method is much more seamless. We had our very personal unique entrance, check-in lodge, automotive park and buggy pick-up level. Not more than 5 minutes might have handed between checking in and heading off to the lodge by buggy.
Issues to do
An indication displayed in Bluestone’s village reads “there is no dangerous climate in Pembrokeshire, simply the fallacious garments”. As somebody who visited throughout a weekend when circumstances swung dramatically from wonderful blue skies and brilliant sunshine to howling winds and torrential rain, I could not agree extra.
The Blue Lagoon Water Park (Picture: Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort)
An outside slide on the Blue Lagoon Water Park (Picture: Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort)
Bluestone boasts a wealth of out of doors pursuits for the entire household, starting from stand-up paddleboarding on its lakes to biking, archery, exploring woodland trails, zip-lining, and rustic alfresco eating and marshmallow-toasting at Steep Ravine and Camp Smokey (each of which reopen in June following storm injury that compelled their closure). The whole lot of Pembrokeshire and its award-winning seashores are additionally proper in your doorstep.
The Serendome is an indoor-outdoor journey play area housed beneath an unlimited clear dome (Picture: Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort)
If the climate turns, there’s a lot to maintain everybody occupied indoors. My youngsters had been captivated all through your complete day. Start with a dip on the Blue Lagoon Water Park, an indoor pool warmed to perfection (utilising domestically sourced biomass) that includes 4 flumes, a wave machine, toddler splash zones and a lazy river. Whereas it is exhibiting indicators of age in locations and would possibly profit from some refurbishment within the pretty close to future because it nears its twentieth anniversary, this does not diminish the sheer enjoyment on provide.
Strolling into the Serendome (Picture: Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort)
The Hive indoor exercise centre boasts delicate play, an infinite bouncy citadel, climbing partitions, messy play, and a cafe-bar upstairs the place dad and mom can unwind whereas the kids exhaust themselves. Nonetheless, the standout second of my go to this time was witnessing my two youngsters try Adrenaline, a round zipline suspended from the ceiling which noticed them hovering excessive above the play space. They emerged beaming with delight.
The Serendome is an indoor-outdoor journey play area housed beneath an unlimited clear dome containing all the pieces from a multi-level aerial journey course the place youngsters (and adults) can cycle throughout a zipwire three storeys up, to an amphitheatre-style theatre the place we loved an area male voice choir efficiency on St David’s Day and joined in with a silent disco. There’s additionally a bar and a number of other pop-up meals stalls. There’s additionally The Nicely Spa, a peaceable, adults-only sanctuary that includes thermal experiences, hydrotherapy, saunas, steam rooms and an array of indulgent therapies. The youngsters’s mom retreated right here for 2 hours of tranquillity whereas the kids burned off power on the Serendome’s aerial journey course.
Consuming and consuming
One of many best pleasures of Bluestone is the power to organize and revel in a meal in your upstairs open-plan eating space with panoramic countryside views surrounding you. Whether or not it is breakfast bathed in morning daylight or an intimate night dinner with a glass of pink wine whereas the wind and rain batter outdoors, we at all times guarantee at the least one household meal takes place within the lodge.
Having fun with a cooked breakfast on the desk within the open-plan upstairs residing space in our lodge (Picture: Steffan Rhys)
Nonetheless, there are quite a few dining-out alternate options obtainable. Our favorite is the Farmhouse Grill, a relaxed and rustic eatery serving steaks, burgers, fish and kids’s meals.
Sitting at a raised picket desk within the Farmhouse Grill restaurant (Picture: Steffan Rhys)
The Oak Tree presents pizza and different Italian delicacies, there’s conventional pub fare on the Knights Tafarn (the place a crackling log fireplace gives heat on chilly winter days and a beer backyard lets you bask in the summertime solar), fast bites on the NRG Lab in The Hive and alfresco eating at Camp Smokey. Do not count on award-winning meals, however it’s completely pleasurable.
A salmon meal from the Kinghts Tafarn in Bluestone (Picture: Steffan Rhys)
There’s extra subtle eating on the beautiful Black Pool Mill, a latest addition to Bluestone’s culinary choices which sits off-site and is a 20-minute stroll alongside a clearly-signposted path or temporary drive away.
Round Pembrokeshire
We did not enterprise outdoors Bluestone for a single second throughout our three-night keep. We by no means do. Nonetheless, must you fancy a change of surroundings, Bluestone is the one UK vacation resort located inside a nationwide park, which means you are surrounded by protected landscapes with simple entry to each coast and countryside. You’re actually spoilt for selection in each course, nestled in one in every of Britain’s most naturally beautiful areas. Simply 5 minutes down the highway lies the charming city of Narberth, brimming with impartial retailers, distinctive eating places and repeatedly named amongst the best locations to dwell within the nation.
Narberth is a ‘life-style’ as a lot as a spot to dwell and is simply down the highway from Bluestone (Picture: Crown Copyright Go to Wales 2025)
Additionally inside simple attain are Britain’s smallest metropolis of St David’s, with its magnificent cathedral, the picturesque harbour village of Solva, and the completely breathtaking St Govan’s Head, the place a tiny chapel is constructed into the cliff face simply above thundering waves under. A stroll right here is actually unrivalled. World-class seashores within the space embrace Barafundle, Whitesands, Freshwater West and East and Marloes Sands.
Marloes Sands (Picture: Getty Pictures)
The coastal city of Tenby is a mere 25 minutes away, rating amongst the UK’s most beloved seaside locations, boasting 4 seashores inside a brief stroll of the city centre. Enterprise a little bit additional and you will uncover the harbour village of Porthgain, which, regardless of its modest dimension, is residence to one in every of Wales’s most interesting eating institutions and one in every of its most celebrated pubs.
‘Higher than Middle Parcs’
I like Middle Parcs — however I choose staying in Bluestone. And do not merely take my phrase for it. For the third consecutive yr, it has been topped the best vacation park in Wales — and third finest throughout the UK — by holidaymakers and Which? readers, seeing off heavyweights similar to Middle Parcs, Haven, Warner, Butlins, Parkdean and lots of extra.
How a lot does it value?
Bluestone’s costs fluctuate by lodging kind and time of yr. Listed below are examples of prices for the upcoming season:
- Three nights in June in a lodge sleeping 4 individuals begin from £495.
- Three nights in the summertime holidays in July and August in a lodge sleeping 4 individuals begin from £885.
- For another prices, please get in contact or go to https://bookings.bluestonewales.com/search-rates
- All breaks embrace limitless entry to the Blue Lagoon water park, free indoor and out of doors play areas in The Hive, Serendome and village. A number of actions do value further and should be booked upfront (I like to recommend the 90-minute Sky Stroll aerial journey course (from £30, there’s additionally a Sky Stroll Mini for smaller children at £12.95), the Adrenaline round zipline (£18 for 2 rounds) and the silent disco (from £5).
- A meal for 4 together with drinks on the Knights Tafarn pub value £73 whereas a meal for seven together with drinks and a bottle of wine at Farmhouse Grill got here in at £220.
- Entry to the Celtic Thermal Suite to take pleasure in its steam rooms, sauna, ice pod and hydrotherapy pool prices from £20 and a Signature Therapeutic massage prices from £75.
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