Hoburne Devon Bay
Hoburne Devon Bay is a five-star holiday park on a terraced hillside above Goodrington Sands in Paignton, on the English Riviera in South Devon. It spreads static caravans, lodges and a single thatched cottage up the slopes, many with sea views, around a heated pool complex and one entertainment venue, The Pier House. It's a self-catering park built around its pools, its Sammy Squad children's entertainment and the sandy beach a walk downhill.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who the park suits, what's on site and what to skim first.
Hoburne Devon Bay is a five-star, family-owned park that trades on its setting and its scale: sea views over Goodrington Sands from the hillside, a heated pool complex with a flume, a full children's entertainment programme and a calmer feel than the biggest chain parks. It's self-catering, so you cook in your own caravan, lodge or the cottage and eat at the one on-park venue, The Pier House, or out locally. What it doesn't have is any drop-off childcare, and the hillside means real slopes between the units, the pools and the beach. You'll get the most from it if you want a comfortable base with plenty to do on site, don't mind pushing a pram up a hill, and are happy to be with your children through the day.
Best for
You want a calm five-star park with pools, a sandy beach a walk away and a full children's programme, you're happy self-catering, and you don't need drop-off childcare.
Maybe not for
You want structured kids' clubs to leave the children at, flat ground throughout, or an all-inclusive where the food and activities are in one price.
Best ages
Babies upwards. The entertainment runs from baby sessions to older-children's activities, though there's no crèche and parents stay present.
What stands out
The hillside sea views over Goodrington Sands, the pool complex, and a Which? Recommended Provider record built on value.
What to check
The hillside gradients with a pushchair, which activities carry an extra charge, and whether the outdoor pool is open for your dates.
Where is it?
On a hillside above Goodrington Sands in Paignton, on the English Riviera in South Devon; postcode TQ4 7JP.
Quick facts for families
What the park is like
Where it sits, how the hillside site is laid out and what that means for getting around.
Devon Bay sits on a terraced hillside on the southern edge of Goodrington, part of Paignton on the English Riviera in South Devon. The caravans, lodges and the cottage are arranged up the rising ground, so a lot of units look west over Goodrington Sands and the bay. The heated pool complex and The Pier House, the park's one entertainment venue and restaurant, sit at the heart of the site, with an outdoor adventure playground, a sports area, an adventure golf course and an amusement arcade grouped around them. For more on the wider area, see our Devon guide.
The hillside is the thing to weigh with young children. Terracing means slopes and gradients between the units and the central pools, restaurant and shops, and the walk down to the beach is downhill from the park and uphill on the way back. If a pushchair is your main way of getting a baby around for the week, factor in the climb. There are no golf buggies or internal park transport here, so getting about means walking, and the park is compact enough for that. Hoburne markets it as calm and never overcrowded rather than a big, bustling park.
The park is family-owned by Hoburne, a business that goes back to 1912 and is now run by the fifth generation, with seven parks across the south of England. Devon Bay was formerly Grange Court and joined the group in 1977. On site there's parking with dedicated disability spaces and electric-vehicle charging points.
The caravans, lodges and the cottage
Every way to stay, from an entry caravan to the one thatched cottage, and which suits a family.
You stay in a static caravan, a lodge or the park's one thatched cottage, all self-catering with their own kitchen. The table below is the range; the notes after it explain what each is like for a family. Hoburne doesn't publish room sizes for its holiday-park accommodation, so the figures are bedrooms and how many each sleeps rather than floor areas.
| Accommodation | Bedrooms | Sleeps | Hot tub | Dogs | Stand-out kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic caravan | 2 or 3 | 4 or 6 | No | Yes | Kitchen, lounge and bedroom heating, beds made; en-suite in selected 3-bed units |
| Select caravan | 2 or 3 | 4 or 6 | Optional | Yes | Adds decking and patio furniture, a fridge-freezer and a master-bedroom TV |
| Premium caravan | 2 or 3 | 4 or 6 | Optional | Yes | Dishwasher, washing machine, central heating, double glazing, TVs in every bedroom |
| Deluxe lodge | 2 or 3 | 4 or 6 | No | Yes | Open-plan living, dishwasher, washing machine, allocated parking, beds made |
| Deluxe Plus lodge | 2 or 3 | 4 or 8 | Optional | Yes | As Deluxe plus a hot-tub option; the three-bedroom version sleeps up to 8 |
| The Thatched Cottage | 3 | Up to 6 | Yes, private | Not confirmed | Private courtyard, oak-beam fireplace, dishwasher, washing machine, wine cooler |
The Classic caravan is the entry option, with two or three bedrooms sleeping four or six, heating in the lounge and every bedroom, a kitchen with an oven, fridge, microwave, kettle and toaster, an iron, beds made up for arrival and towels. Most caravans don't have an en-suite; the Classic three-bedroom units are the exception, with an en-suite in selected master bedrooms. Lodges, by contrast, come with a full en-suite. A wheelchair-accessible version is available, and the Classic Plus adds decking.
The Select caravan builds on that with decking and patio furniture, a fridge-freezer and a TV in the master bedroom, and a hot tub is an option. Select Plus adds more space, and there are accessible and dog-friendly versions. The Premium caravan is the higher-specced caravan, keeping the decking and patio furniture and adding a dishwasher, a washing machine, central heating, double glazing, a parasol and 32-inch TVs in the lounge and every bedroom, again with a hot tub as an option. It's dog-friendly only, with no wheelchair-accessible version listed.
The Deluxe lodge has a large open living area, decking, a fridge-freezer, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a 32-inch lounge TV and a TV in the master bedroom, allocated parking, beds made up, towels and an iron, with no hot tub on the standard Deluxe. The Deluxe Plus lodge adds a hot-tub option and allocated parking, and its three-bedroom version sleeps up to eight.
The Thatched Cottage is exclusive to Devon Bay, a single three-bedroom cottage sleeping up to six, and the only accommodation here with its own private outdoor space: a private courtyard with a hot tub. Inside there's a lounge with an oak-beam fireplace, a family bathroom with a shower over the WC, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a wine cooler and a full kitchen.
A few points cut across the range for families. Every caravan and the cottage is single-storey, which keeps pushchair access simple, and separate bedrooms mean a baby can nap while you use the living space. Accessible caravans come in the Select and Classic Plus grades, with step-free access and wider spaces, though how easy a given unit is also depends on where it sits on the hillside, so it's worth talking to Hoburne about your needs. There are no apartments at Devon Bay. Children under four can't use the hot tubs, so a hot-tub unit booked mainly for a little one is really for the adults and older children.
Pools and water
The indoor and outdoor pools, the paid summer pool activities and the supervision rules.
The park has a heated indoor leisure pool, open all year from 9am to 6.45pm, with a flume and a shallow end for younger children. Hoburne doesn't publish the pool's dimensions or depth. There's also a heated outdoor pool with poolside loungers, open mid-May to September on the same daily hours, so outside those months the indoor pool is the one that's running.
On selected summer dates there are chargeable water activities in the pool: Wet 'n' Wild, an inflatable obstacle course over the water, along with pool kayaks and paddle boats. There's no separate paddling pool or splash pad at Devon Bay, so the indoor pool's shallow end is the area to head for with a baby or toddler, and there's no adults-only swim session listed here.
The pool rules set adult-to-child ratios in the water: one adult to one child for under-fours, one adult to two children for under-eights, who must be with an adult at all times, and non-swimmers under twelve accompanied by an adult. Work out before you travel whether you'll have enough adults for the children you're bringing into the water. Food and drink at the pool come from a poolside menu rather than a permanent pool bar.
The beach
Goodrington Sands is the nearest beach, a sandy south-facing bay on the Torbay seafront, and it's visible from the park on the hillside above. You reach it on foot down the hill; Hoburne describes it as within walking distance without publishing a distance or time, and the return is uphill, which is the part to think about with a loaded pushchair. Some families drive down and park at the seafront instead.
Goodrington Sands is wide and flat underfoot. The bay faces south and is sheltered by the Torbay headlands from the prevailing south-westerly winds, so the water is calm and shelves in gently, which suits paddling with little ones. There's seasonal RNLI lifeguard cover and the usual seafront facilities of kiosks, toilets and deckchair hire. Quaywest, a water park next to the beach, is run independently of Hoburne rather than being part of the park, if you want to look it up separately.
Eating and drinking at The Pier House
The one on-park venue, what it does for children, and how self-catering fills the gaps.
The Pier House is the only place to eat and drink on the park, a combined bar, restaurant and entertainment venue that was refurbished with a coastal look and views towards Goodrington Sands. The menu runs to classic British mains with plant-based options and children's choices, and there's a tuck-shop bar selling drinks, treats and Sammy Squad merchandise. Because the park is self-catering, the alternative is cooking in your own unit or eating out locally, with a convenience store on the park for basics. The group sources produce locally across its parks: fresh fish from Brixham, just down the coast from Devon Bay, alongside Dorset-cured bacon, free-range eggs, artisan cheeses, New Forest ice cream and Full Circle coffee.
A few things are worth knowing for families. Baby food is the one exception to the no-outside-food rule in the clubhouse, and it's explicitly welcomed. There's a Sammy Squad children's breakfast menu, and a child's breakfast from it is free when it's bought alongside a qualifying adult main breakfast. If you'll need a high chair, it's worth calling ahead on 01803 558010 to check one will be there. Full allergen information is published, and all fourteen legally recognised allergens are used in the kitchen with the usual cross-contamination caveats, which matters if you're managing a child's allergy.
The clubhouse opens 8am to 10pm Sunday to Thursday and 8am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday, with the kitchen serving until 9pm daily. There's free WiFi throughout, cash is accepted alongside cards, and club desking with charging points for anyone who needs to work during the stay. There's also a happy hour from 9pm to 10pm and midweek dining offers through the week, a dog-friendly area with its own dogs' menu, and a quieter dining area away from the live sport. The bar sits within The Pier House; there's no separate poolside bar.
Babies and toddlers
What's here for the youngest children, the baby kit that's confirmed and the bits that aren't.
Devon Bay is a self-catering park with no crèche, no babysitting and no drop-off childcare of any kind, so you're with your children throughout. The Sammy Squad entertainment below is parent-present, and children under eight have to be with a responsible adult everywhere on the park; under-12s need an adult with them in the entertainment complex after 7pm.
Baby equipment isn't something to take for granted here. Don't assume travel cots, high chairs or other baby kit come with the accommodation, and no baby-kit hire is listed on the official site; bring your own to be sure, or call the park before you travel to check what's possible rather than count on it. There's a launderette on the park, which matters for baby clothes and towels if you're in a Classic or Select caravan, since only the Premium caravans, the lodges and the cottage have their own washing machine.
Several of the entertainment sessions are aimed squarely at the youngest children. Stay and Play is a parent-and-baby session with no drop-off, Tots O'Clock is an early-evening disco for tots, and babyballet is a chargeable music-and-movement class for children up to six, run under themed names, where an adult joins in for under-threes and stays within reach for the three-to-sixes. Baby food is welcome in The Pier House, and the indoor pool's shallow end is the spot for a first paddle.
The entertainment programmeThe Sammy Squad and activities
The Sammy Squad is Hoburne's entertainment programme, built around five costumed characters, Sammy Seahorse, Larry Lobster, Tommy Turtle, Captain Smuggles and Coral Mermaid, who appear in live shows, discos and activity sessions. It runs from 13 February to 1 November, with selected dates through the autumn and winter, so a shoulder-season visit still gets the full programme. It's entertainment rather than childcare, so parents stay with their children.
The daytime activities range widely. Alongside the baby sessions there are craft sessions such as Crafternoons, Create & Glow, Create a Cuddle, D.I.Y Donuts, the Activities Den and Dinoplay, character and game sessions like Wizarding School, Ghostblasters and Hoburne Spy School, themed Hoburne Hunts around the park, and more active options including junior archery, a Nerf challenge, balance bikes for children learning to ride and axe throwing for adults and teens. There's Hoburne Sports for team games like football and basketball, and Hoburne Active classes such as Zumba, yoga and Pilates for adults. Plenty of these carry an extra charge on top of the holiday, so it's worth checking which are included and which are paid when you plan the week.
In the evening there's Squad O'Clock games, cash bingo, production shows, a late disco and live music. Activities are booked through the My Account area online, at reception or by phone.
Sport and wet-weather coverSports, leisure and wet-weather facilities
Beyond the pools and the entertainment, the park has an indoor soft-play area, which is a useful spot for babies and toddlers and on a wet day, along with the amusement arcade. Outdoors there's the chargeable nine-hole adventure golf course, with clubs and balls from reception, a multi-use games area for basketball and mini football, a football field and a tennis court, which is charged. There's a fitness suite with spin bikes, treadmills and free weights, and a sauna and steam room, with some restrictions on their use, so check the detail when you book. Table tennis isn't among the park's facilities, so don't count on it.
Holiday guests have temporary membership of the leisure complex, covering the pools, fitness suite, sauna, steam room and entertainment venue, included in the price of the stay; local residents can take out a separate membership from £17.99 a month. The soft play, fitness suite, sauna and steam room all run 9am to 6.45pm.
The area and days out
The English Riviera around the park and the family days out within a short drive.
Devon Bay sits on the English Riviera, the stretch of South Devon coast taking in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham around Tor Bay. Paignton has a traditional seafront with a pier, amusements and ice cream shops; Torquay has more in the way of restaurants and shopping; and Brixham, about twenty minutes south, is a working fishing harbour.
For days out, Paignton Zoo is the closest headline attraction, around a mile and a half from the park with more than two thousand animals across eighty acres, open every day bar Christmas Day. The Dartmouth Steam Railway runs a heritage line from Paignton down to Kingswear, with a ferry across to Dartmouth. A little further there's Woodlands Family Theme Park, billed as Devon's largest, about thirty minutes away, with watercoasters, a zoo farm and more than sixty rides including a toddler zone, and Pennywell Farm near Buckfastleigh, around fifteen minutes, for younger children. Torquay adds Babbacombe Model Village, Kents Cavern's Stone Age caves and the indoor Dinosaur World, all roughly eight to ten minutes' drive. Dartmoor's moorland and ponies are twenty to thirty minutes inland. These drive times are approximate rather than signed distances.
For supplies, Paignton town centre is a mile or two north with a Tesco and other supermarkets, on top of the convenience store on the park.
Loves and gripes
What families and reviewers rate, the likely gripes, and how the ratings stack up.
This draws on reviews and the park's own detail. The gripes below are the trade-offs that come with a park like this rather than quoted complaints.
What families love
- The views over Goodrington Sands from the hillside.
- The pool complex and the waterslide.
- The amount there is to do on the park.
- How close the beach and Paignton Zoo are.
- The Sammy Squad entertainment.
- The friendliness and the cleanliness.
- The value against bigger chain parks.
Likely gripes
- A lot of the activities carry an extra charge on top of the holiday.
- The Sammy Squad season doesn't run all year.
- The outdoor pool is open only from mid-May to September.
- The hillside gradients are hard work with a pushchair.
On the ratings, Devon Bay is a five-star VisitEngland holiday park and holds a Green Tourism Bronze award. Hoburne was named a Which? Recommended Provider in 2025, with top marks in the Which? survey for value, facilities, customer service, cleanliness and accommodation standard, and cited as the most competitively priced per night among the top five providers. An AA assessor called it a lively park with spectacular views. On the review aggregator Trustindex, which pools scores from Google, TripAdvisor and other platforms, it sits at around 4.5 out of 5 from roughly 1,600 customer reviews as of mid-2026, an aggregate customer score rather than an official Hoburne rating and a snapshot that keeps changing.
Against the other Devon parksHow it compares
Among Devon's family holiday parks, Devon Bay sits in the calmer, mid-sized bracket rather than the biggest and busiest. It positions itself as never overcrowded, and its strengths are the sea-view setting, the pool complex and its value record. Families weighing it up in the same county often look at the larger chain parks such as Haven's Devon Cliffs, Woolacombe Bay and Cofton Holidays; the trade there is broadly Devon Bay's quieter scale against the bigger parks' larger footprint and busier feel.
The bigger difference to hold in mind is childcare. If you've been to a Center Parcs or an Ikos resort expecting structured, drop-off children's clubs, Devon Bay works differently: there's no crèche or babysitting, and the entertainment is something you do alongside your children rather than a break from them. For families who'd rather run their own day that's a plus; for those wanting child-free time it's the thing to plan around.
Getting there and when to go
The drive, the rail and bus picture, and the best weeks to visit with young children.
Devon Bay is a drive-to park in practice. The postcode is TQ4 7JP: from the M5 you come off at junction 31 for Exeter, then take the A380 south towards Torquay and the A3022 into Paignton and Goodrington. The nearest airport is Exeter, roughly 33 to 35 miles north and about forty to fifty minutes by road, though it has a limited route network; Bristol, around ninety-five to a hundred miles, gives more international choice, and the London airports are three and a half to four and a half hours away. Hoburne doesn't run an airport transfer, so travel is by car.
By rail, Paignton is the end of the Great Western line from London Paddington via Exeter and the terminus of the Dartmouth Steam Railway; the park is a little over a mile from the station by taxi, bus or a twenty-to-twenty-five-minute walk. Stagecoach buses run the coastal route between Torquay, Paignton and Brixham with stops near the park. With luggage and young children, though, a car is the realistic option.
The realistic holiday season runs from late May to late September, when the outdoor pool is open and the weather is at its best, and the indoor pool and the Sammy Squad programme give the shoulder months something to fall back on. July and August are the warmest and the busiest. The gentlest weeks for young children are late spring and September, when it's warm enough for the beach and the outdoor pool is running but you miss the peak crowds.
When to goWeather
Paignton sits on the south-facing Torbay coast, one of the mildest and sunniest parts of England, sheltered by the headlands around Tor Bay. Winters are mild here, and high summer brings the warmest days and the warmest sea. December is the wettest month. The figures below are long-term monthly averages for the South Devon coast, covering spring through autumn either side of the main season; the outdoor pool is open mid-May to September and the indoor pool runs year-round.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.5° | 4° | 132 mm | 15 | 10° |
| February | 10° | 4° | 99 mm | 13 | 9° |
| March | 11° | 5° | 86 mm | 12 | 9° |
| April | 13.5° | 6° | 69 mm | 10 | 10° |
| May | 16° | 8.5° | 64 mm | 9 | 12° |
| June | 19° | 11° | 63 mm | 9 | 15° |
| July | 21° | 13° | 67 mm | 8 | 17° |
| August | 21° | 13° | 76 mm | 10 | 17° |
| September | 19° | 11.5° | 70 mm | 9 | 17° |
| October | 16° | 10° | 130 mm | 14 | 16° |
| November | 12.5° | 6.5° | 129 mm | 15 | 14° |
| December | 10.5° | 4.5° | 145 mm | 16 | 12° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer.
Practical essentials: dogs, access, health and booking
The dog rules, accessibility, the nearest medical cover and how booking works.
Dogs. Dog-friendly accommodation takes up to two dogs, and The Pier House has dog areas and a dogs' menu. Dogs need to be on a lead and under control except in designated areas, and they're not allowed in the pools, the playgrounds or on the golf course. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome in all accommodation. The Thatched Cottage's dog policy isn't confirmed, so check it if you're booking the cottage with a dog. On Goodrington Sands, dogs are allowed year-round on the North Sands but banned on the South Sands from May to September, worth knowing if you're planning beach time with the dog.
Access. The Pier House has access ramps and easy-open doors, with its facilities accessible, and there are disability parking spaces and EV charging on site. The hillside is the main accessibility consideration, with slopes between the units and the central facilities and the downhill-and-back walk to the beach, so it's worth discussing your needs with Hoburne when you book.
Health. The nearest A&E is at Torbay Hospital in Paignton, about a mile away and under five minutes by car, and there are pharmacies in Paignton town centre. There's no medical facility on the park. Beach lifeguard cover is the seasonal RNLI service at Goodrington, and pool swimming is parent-supervised to the ratios above.
Booking. Booking is direct with Hoburne. A £50 deposit holds a booking, or the full cost if that's under £50 or you're arriving within sixty days, with the balance due sixty days before arrival; check-out is by 10am. Weeks start on a Friday or a Monday, and short seasonal breaks appear to be available too, so check the booking system for your dates. The maximum stay is three consecutive weeks. Blue Light Card holders can get up to ten per cent off a holiday, booked on 01425 282358 and not combined with other codes, and groups booking five or more units get larger discounts. An optional cancellation scheme can be added for a fee that varies with the cost of the holiday.
Questions
The things families ask most, useful links and when this guide was last updated.
Is there a kids’ club we can leave the children at?
No. There's no crèche, no babysitting and no drop-off childcare anywhere on the park, and the Sammy Squad sessions are entertainment you do alongside your children rather than a break from them. If you want a child-free evening, plan to take turns or book something off-park, because there's no in-house option.
Can we hire a cot or a high chair?
Don't assume travel cots or high chairs come with the accommodation, and no baby-kit hire is listed on the official site. Bring your own to be sure, and if you can't, call the park on 01803 558010 before you travel to check what's possible rather than count on it.
How far is it down to the beach?
There's no published walk time, just 'within walking distance'. It's downhill to the sand and uphill back, so with a baby and a loaded pushchair, driving down to the Goodrington seafront car parks is often easier.
Will the outdoor pool be open when we visit?
The outdoor pool is open only from mid-May to September. Outside those months the heated indoor pool is the one that's running, so if a big outdoor swim is part of the plan, check your dates fall inside that window before you book.
Can toddlers go in the hot tubs?
Children under four aren't allowed to use the hot tubs. If you're booking a Select, Premium, Deluxe Plus or the cottage mainly for a hot tub, it's really for the adults and older children, so weigh that up if your reason for it is a little one.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes, dog-friendly accommodation takes up to two dogs, and The Pier House has dog areas and a dogs' menu. Dogs can't go in the pools, the playgrounds or on the golf course.
How many nights do we have to book?
Weeks start on a Friday or a Monday, and short seasonal breaks appear to be available too. The way to see what's bookable for your dates is the Hoburne booking system, since availability drives it.
Is there a discount for emergency-service or NHS staff?
Yes. Blue Light Card holders, meaning eligible emergency-service, NHS and social-care staff, can get up to ten per cent off a holiday. It's booked on 01425 282358 and can't be combined with other codes, so use whichever saving is larger.
See more Hoburne Devon Bay photos
Open the Hoburne Devon Bay photo gallery →
Useful links
- Hoburne Devon Bay: the park's own page for accommodation, facilities and booking.
- Devon with little ones: our guide to the wider area, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated July 2026.
