Our four-night stay at Sandford Holiday Park was all about spending quality time together as a family while giving Faith and Kieran plenty to keep them entertained. Situated amongst the pine woodland near Poole, Sandford Holiday Park is one of Dorset’s largest family holiday parks and offers a huge range of facilities for both touring caravans and holiday accommodation.
With swimming pools, adventure play areas, entertainment venues and Dorset’s stunning coastline all within easy reach, we were looking forward to seeing whether it lived up to its reputation. Here’s how our long weekend unfolded.
Thursday – Arriving at Sandford Holiday Park
After an easy journey into Dorset, we arrived at Sandford Holiday Park on Thursday afternoon and checked in without any problems. The park is enormous, so it took a few minutes to navigate the roads before reaching our touring pitch at the far end of the site.
Our pitch itself was one of the positives. It was spacious, level and easy to access, making it straightforward to position the caravan and put the awning up. Water was close by and the electric hook-up was conveniently positioned, so we were soon settled in.
Unfortunately, our first impressions weren’t entirely positive. Our pitch was directly beside the refuse bins, which felt like an odd place to position touring guests. A simple fence or wooden screen would have hidden them completely and made a huge difference to the overall appearance.
We also found ourselves battling a constant stream of ants while setting everything up. They seemed to be everywhere around the pitch and became an unexpected annoyance throughout the first afternoon.
Despite those frustrations, we were pleased to finally be away and spent the evening exploring the park before relaxing outside the caravan.
Friday – Exploring the Facilities
Friday was dedicated to making the most of everything Sandford Holiday Park has to offer.
Our first stop was the swimming complex, where Faith and Kieran happily spent hours enjoying themselves. The pools are one of the biggest attractions on the park and it’s easy to understand why they remain so popular with families.
After swimming, we wandered around the rest of the entertainment complex. There is certainly no shortage of things to do, with amusement arcades, children’s play areas, restaurants, bars and plenty of places to sit and relax.
We also visited the on-site supermarket to pick up a few essentials. It stocked everything we needed, although, as expected, prices were noticeably higher than local supermarkets.
The biggest disappointment of the day came when using the toilet and shower facilities. Throughout our stay we found the cleanliness to be below the standard we expected. On several occasions we had to check multiple cubicles before finding one that was clean enough to use.
Interestingly, the rest of the holiday park appeared tidy and well maintained. It was only the washroom facilities that really let the site down.
Saturday – Discovering Dorset
Although Sandford Holiday Park offers plenty of entertainment, we wanted to spend some time exploring the surrounding area.
One of the park’s biggest advantages is its location. Within a short drive you can reach Poole Harbour, Bournemouth’s beaches, Corfe Castle and many of the spectacular viewpoints along the Jurassic Coast.
Spending time away from the busy holiday park atmosphere gave us the opportunity to appreciate just how well positioned Sandford is for exploring Dorset. Whether you prefer beaches, countryside or historic attractions, there’s something nearby for everyone.
After returning to the site later in the day, we enjoyed a much quieter evening outside the caravan surrounded by the tall pine trees that give this part of the park its distinctive character.
Sunday – Family Time
Our final full day was all about relaxing together.
The children spent more time in the outdoor pool before tackling the tree climbing activities, while we simply enjoyed watching them have fun. Seeing them entertained without constantly needing to leave the site was exactly why we’d chosen Sandford Holiday Park for this trip.
As the afternoon went on, we reflected on the overall value of our stay. There is no doubt that families who use all of the facilities every day will get plenty from the park. However, once extra costs are added and the issues we experienced are taken into account, we felt the overall value wasn’t quite as strong as we’d hoped.
We finished our final evening with another walk around the park before sitting outside the caravan and making the most of our last night in Dorset.
Monday – Time to Head Home
Monday morning arrived far too quickly. Before long, the awning was packed away, the caravan was hitched up and we were ready to begin the journey home.
Looking back, we all enjoyed spending quality time together and the children certainly made the most of everything available on-site. The excellent facilities and convenient Dorset location are undoubtedly Sandford Holiday Park’s greatest strengths.
However, the poorly positioned bins beside our pitch, the constant problem with ants and the disappointing cleanliness of the toilet and shower blocks meant the holiday never quite reached the standard we had hoped for.
Would we return? Probably not. While we can understand why many families enjoy staying here, there are other touring parks that better suit the type of caravan holidays we enjoy.
Even so, every trip creates new memories, and this four-night family adventure gave us another enjoyable opportunity to explore beautiful Dorset together.
Planning Your Visit to Sandford Holiday Park
If you’re considering staying at Sandford Holiday Park, it’s worth checking the latest information on touring pitches, facilities and entertainment before booking.
You can find full details on the official website here:
Official Sandford Holiday Park Website
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sandford Holiday Park?
Sandford Holiday Park is located near Poole in Dorset, surrounded by woodland and within easy driving distance of Bournemouth, Corfe Castle and the Jurassic Coast.
Is Sandford Holiday Park suitable for families?
Yes. The park is aimed firmly at families and offers swimming pools, adventure play areas, entertainment, restaurants and plenty of activities for children.
Are the touring pitches spacious?
Our touring pitch was spacious, level and easy to access, making it straightforward to set up both the caravan and awning.
What were the downsides during our stay?
Our biggest issues were the pitch being located beside the refuse bins, a large number of ants around the pitch and the disappointing cleanliness of the communal toilet and shower facilities.
Would we stay at Sandford Holiday Park again?
Although we enjoyed spending time together as a family and the children loved the facilities, the negatives outweighed the positives for us personally, so we wouldn’t rush back.
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