Normally we go to Cornwall for our Easter break, but this year we decided to go to Devon instead. Although we have previously visited Ruda Holiday Park I haven’t shared a review before so I thought I would now. The last time we came here Smallest Child was tiny, and still in a baby sling, so there have been a few changes. I wasn’t even running the blog then!
We have been staying at Parkdean sites across the UK for the past 12+ years and I’ve recently become an affiliate for them because I genuinely think they offer great value for money family holidays. This review of Ruda Holiday Park is based on a self-funded stay we had. Any bookings that you make via one of my affiliate links will earn me a small commission, at no cost to you, which goes towards the running costs of the site.
The caravan
Ruda Holiday Park isn’t the biggest Parkdean site and there are four main areas to it. The static caravans, where we stayed, the camping/glamping area, touring pitches and the Croyde Burrows (aka the posh bit where all the lodges are). I do think the caravans were closer together than they are at Looe Bay Holiday Park but it is such a quiet site that actually we didn’t hear anything at all from any of our neighbours. We also had the most stunning view from our caravan across the ocean. Sitting out on the veranda, or even from the breakfast table, and looking at that was pretty special.
There’s a good range of accommodation available to suit different budgets. We’ve found quite often that you’ll be upgraded for free if there’s space on the site as well which is always nice. For instance, we hadn’t actually booked a caravan with a veranda this time, but got one anyway. Personally I always go for extra wide with central heating because, well, it’s England!
We went and had a look around the lodges on Croyde Burrows and WOW! Those are nice. Some of them even have hot tubs on their own (semi)private veranda. I say semi because I could see it through the bushes. They’re also much more spaced out than the main static caravans. I’ve told Hubby we’re getting one of those next time!
The location
The most important thing about Ruda Holiday Park is its location. Parkdean actually own Croyde Bay beach and it’s right next to the park. In fact, the sand dunes are immediately behind the posh bit! From our caravan to the sand was a shorter walk than it is from most car parks to the beach! And you have the convenience of being able to nip back to your accommodation if you’ve forgotten anything. The beach itself is stunning and has great surf. I’ve written a separate review of the beach and you can read that here.
From the site you cannot help but notice the MASSIVE hill called Middleborough Hill which is part of Baggy Point. This is a cliff-top walk that is either a circular path or you can follow it down to Woolacombe beach. In the opposite direction there’s also the famous Saunton Sands.
Nearby are plenty of attractions, even though the village of Croyde itself is small. We visited The Big Sheep, Arlington Court and Dunster Castle.
The swimming pool
I do think each of the Parkdean locations has its own personality or theme, and Ruda is all about water. As well as the beach and multiple places to hire or buy surf gear or book surfing lessons there’s also the cascades pool, which is one of the best Parkdean pools I’ve seen. I really wanted to get a photo of the swimming pool at Ruda Holiday Park for this review but obviously you can’t take photos in the pool or when people are in there. So I had to make do with a photo through the window early in the morning! Not the best photo but they have a slide, rapids, jacuzzi, jets, toddler area and an area of several smaller slides for the little ones. There’s also a water slide that has to be one of the slowest I’ve ever seen. It just doesn’t have enough water running down it quickly enough to flow. Pretty much everyone, including Smallest Child, had to scooch themselves down it. Which for some reason she still found fun!
Unfortunately the big slide is out of action for 2024. I didn’t know that until I got an email the day before we arrived. I’ve had a look and I cannot see anything on their website about it either, which is a shame. Sessions are pre-bookable in advance and there are lockers (£1, refundable). We booked in for two evening sessions whilst we were there.
The other facilities
There’s plenty of take away options at Ruda. If you fancy an ice cream then wander down to scoops on the beach. There’s a chippie, pizzeria and chicken shop, as well as their restaurant. If you’re self catering then there’s a shop on-site (hideously priced of course) that sells essentials.
Parkdean always have plenty of things to entertain the whole family, and Ruda Holiday Park is no different. There’s a small, and busy, arcade with plenty of 2p machines. There’s kids clubs, cabaret shows and discos etc. During the day there are plenty of activities for the kids as well such as craft activities, sports, water activities and even the chance to meet their favourite characters. You can pre-book most things in advance via the website so you can pre-plan your itinerary and the costs are quite reasonable.
There are two playgrounds here (plus a small playground near the restaurant). Neither is particularly big but they’re surrounded by large green spaces so there’s plenty of space to play ball games or run around. TBH the playgrounds could use a bit of attention, and one of the pieces of equipment was out of order due to damage.
Camping, glamping and touring
On this visit to Ruda Holiday Park we weren’t camping, glamping or touring but that didn’t stop me being nosey and having a look around the facilities. I didn’t get to look inside any of the glamping tents but they look nice enough from the outside. The washing-up facilities were clearly regularly cleaned. They’re outside but covered. I still prefer inside ones like they have at Town Farm Camping. I couldn’t see any facilities to change ice packs etc, but I didn’t ask. They did have plenty of electric hook ups on the main camping field.
The shower block that I went into was clean enough, but it is a bit tatty around the edges. One of the window frames was broken etc. It could do with a bit of a refresh but I would be perfectly happy using the facilities and wouldn’t feel gross afterwards like we did at Billing Aquadrome!
The touring field seemed very cramped together. I was actually surprised how close the vans all were. I know they’re always closer together than tents because the noise doesn’t travel as much but they did feel a bit squished.
The bit I haven’t mentioned
The year that I visited Ruda Holiday Park to do this review we have had rain pretty much solidly for the past 100 months. It. Just. Hasn’t. Stopped. Raining. The reason I mention this is because the ground is muddy around the caravans. Everyone has a paved path to their caravan so that’s fine, but you’re also parking your car on the grass next to your caravan. Normally this is great – no lugging heavy bags around – but when that grass is totally waterlogged it’s not so great. Most of us didn’t risk parking on it and so the roads were full of cars. I saw one car being towed out. I’m confident this will improve once it finally stops raining, and it isn’t Parkdean’s fault, but I cannot really do a fair review of the site without mentioning it.
This review of Ruda Holiday Park is based on our experiences at the time of our visit. Things can change over time, including the facilities available. If you have any specific requirements such as access it’s always best to check with the site directly before visiting. If anything I’ve said in this review is no longer accurate then please do let me know. Thank you.
Our Ruda Holiday Park review
We’ve stayed at Ruda Holiday Park a couple of times now and really enjoyed ourselves. This place really is about the great outdoors, particularly that beach. We do tend to use the site mainly as a base camp during the day and then come back for a swim in the evenings. And nothing beats being able to wander down to the beach for a sunrise walk! Yes, there are a couple of things that need some work, but overall I think it’s a lovely site.
Latest offers and book
Parkdean quite often have deals on so it’s always worth checking. You can search the current availability on their website.
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook