Our Dorset Life

ad A family stay at Parkdean Challaborough Bay, with beautiful beaches, the South West Coast Path, a trip across to Burgh Island and plenty to keep the kids entertained.

We recently spent a few days exploring this little corner of South Devon, staying at Parkdean Resorts Challaborough Bay, and I really think the location is what makes this holiday park so special.

Challaborough Bay sits almost directly behind a beautiful sandy beach, with the South West Coast Path running alongside it and Bigbury-on-Sea and Burgh Island close enough to make exploring incredibly easy.

So rather than writing a traditional holiday park review, I thought it would be more useful to share how we spent our time here, what we did both on and off the park, and the things I’d recommend if you’re planning your own family break in South Devon.

Where we stayed: Challaborough Bay Holiday Park

We used Parkdean Resorts Challaborough Bay as our base for the trip.

One of the things that struck me most when I saw the park from the drone was just how close everything is to the beach. You have the holiday park tucked immediately behind the bay, so a beach day doesn’t require packing the car, finding somewhere to park and carrying everything half a mile with three children in tow.

You can simply walk down from the park.

And the beach itself was a huge part of our stay. It’s sandy, the water was lovely and shallow when we visited, and it meant we could dip between exploring, activities at the park and spontaneous trips down to the sea.

For a family holiday, that location is difficult to beat.

Day 1: Arrive, explore Challaborough and head straight to the beach

For me, the first day of a UK break should always be fairly easy.

After arriving and getting settled into our accommodation, we explored the park and, of course, headed down to Challaborough Beach.

The children could play on the sand and paddle in the sea, and because the beach is so close to the park, there was none of the usual pressure of making a whole day of it.

Back at Challaborough there’s also a playground, entertainment and plenty going on for children, so you can very easily spend that first afternoon finding your bearings.

Then it was back to our accommodation to properly settle in and have dinner. I’d planned ahead and had everything we needed, so we ate outside together and then played some games! My children absolutely love Guess Who, Rummikub and for Ellis Dobble.

Day 2: Bigbury-on-Sea and Burgh Island

If you do one thing while staying at Challaborough, I’d make it a trip to Bigbury-on-Sea and Burgh Island.

This was probably the highlight of the trip for the children.

Burgh Island sits just off Bigbury-on-Sea and at low tide you can walk straight across the sand to reach it. When the tide comes in, however, the sea covers the crossing and the island becomes separated from the mainland.

And this is where one of South Devon’s most unusual modes of transport comes in: the Burgh Island sea tractor.

The sea tractor has been carrying passengers between Bigbury and Burgh Island for generations, travelling high above the water on enormous wheels.

We timed our visit so that we could explore the island and climb up to the top to see the amazing views before taking the sea tractor back across, and the children absolutely loved it. There is a wonderful pub The Pilchard Inn with outdoor seating, a little beach below and views to Bigbury and if you’re lucky the tractor coming in and out. We stopped for a drink here and the children played on the sandy beach below, it’s a lovely spot!

In fact, they loved Burgh Island so much that we ended up going back again.

The second time, rather than taking the tractor, we waded back through the water as the tide allowed which seemed like an excellent idea until I remembered I was wearing a maxi dress. 😂

Definitely one of those holiday memories we’ll remember.

A tip before you go

Check the tide times before visiting Burgh Island.

The experience is completely different depending on the tide. At low tide you can walk across the sand, whereas once the tide covers the causeway you’ll need to use the sea tractor to cross.

If you can plan your visit so the tide changes while you’re there, even better walking across one way and taking the sea tractor the other made it feel like much more of an adventure for the children.

Day 3: Stay at Challaborough and make the most of the park

After a day exploring, I’d deliberately leave a day where you don’t need to explore too much.

There was plenty at Challaborough to keep our children occupied.

The park has an indoor swimming pool alongside bookable activities, and we also made time for some of the creative activities during our stay, including bear-making and pottery painting.

These were actually a nice contrast to all the beach time and exploring. The children had something completely different to do and something to take home afterwards too.

There’s also the playground and organised entertainment, including children’s discos, so you can make the day as busy or as relaxed as you want.

Swim in the morning. Head to the beach. Come back for an activity. Have dinner. Go to the disco.

Day 4: Walk the South West Coast Path

Another reason I loved the location of Challaborough Bay is that you’re right on the South West Coast Path.

We headed out to explore part of the path and the coastal scenery around Challaborough, and it’s such an easy way of adding a bit of adventure to the holiday without needing to plan another big attraction.

With children, I’d simply walk for as long as everyone is enjoying it, stop to take in the views and then head back towards the park and beach.

Where we ate

We mixed eating out with spending time back at the caravan, which is one of the reasons this style of family holiday works so well for us.

At Challaborough, having somewhere to eat right beside the beach with views out towards the sea was particularly lovely.

It meant we could spend the afternoon on the beach and then head for food without needing to get everyone changed, bundle them into the car and drive somewhere else.

And then on other evenings we could simply retreat back to the caravan.

How I’d plan a Challaborough Bay break

If I were planning this trip again, I wouldn’t fill every day with attractions further afield.

The real benefit of staying here is that you’ve already got the beach, the coast path and the facilities at Challaborough, with Bigbury and Burgh Island nearby.

For a shorter break, my priorities would be:

1. A Challaborough day – beach, swimming, activities and time enjoying the park.
2. Bigbury & Burgh Island – check the tides and try to include a journey on the sea tractor.
3. A South West Coast Path morning – explore on foot before heading back for an afternoon at the beach or pool.

If you’re staying longer, I’d deliberately leave some empty space in the itinerary too.

Some of our favourite parts were the simple ones: heading back down to the beach, playing games in the caravan and letting the children choose what they wanted to do next.

Is Challaborough Bay good for families?

For us, the big attraction is the combination of holiday park and location.

If your children love having swimming pools, activities, playgrounds and entertainment on tap, you have all of that.

But you also don’t feel like you need to stay within the holiday park for the entire trip.

You have a sandy beach on your doorstep, the South West Coast Path running past you and places like Bigbury-on-Sea and Burgh Island to explore nearby.

It gives you the best of both types of holiday.

Our Challaborough Bay recommendations

Best for: Families who want a traditional seaside holiday with plenty of activities but also want to explore.

Don’t miss: Burgh Island. Check the tide times and, if you can, experience the sea tractor.

Pack: Swimming things, beach gear and comfortable shoes for exploring the coast path.

My biggest tip: Don’t over-plan it. There’s enough on your doorstep that some of the best days can be the ones where you decide what you’re doing that morning.

Sarah x