I stayed at the English seaside caravan park with private lido, Vegas-like cabanas and cosy pub

The Sun

31-05-2025

THE West Sussex town of ­Selsey famously has just one road in and out of it – but the seaside spot is so fun-packed, the exit lane should be scrapped.
My family and I had just spent a long weekend at the Cove's Seal Bay resort, where every lodge, caravan and holiday home sits just a short stroll from the ocean.
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We were staying in Green Lawns, the most rural of the site's four themed sections, which lives up to its name with a pond and trees that my sons were constantly scaling.
Our classic lodge was filled with mod cons, including a deep bath, huge shower, washing machine, dishwasher and classy electric fire.
For nearby food, this zone is also home to the giant Viking Bar which, despite looking like an imposing cowboy saloon from outside, is like a warm and welcoming local pub.
A little farther away, the burgers, beers and ice creams at Cafe Lido are of bafflingly good quality — yet the 'double burger' is just £9.99 and the classic hotdog not even a fiver.
We have holidayed on caravan sites for almost 40 years and having affordable restaurants and action-packed activites within walking distance of your home is a huge perk.
But only now, after all those years, do I recognise how vital holiday parks might be for little ones with special educational needs, or even younger kids who tire more easily.
When long flights, unfamiliar surroundings or sensory overloads might be too much for someone, places like Seal Bay are so important.
You can choose to have the most secluded and private break or throw yourself into eight hours of non-stop activities and entertainment.
A short stroll from our lodge was the White Horse area, offering lots of sporting action.
Then there's the Dockyard, which has a stunning lido, with a splash area and swimming pools surrounded by bright-orange cabanas that wouldn't look amiss in Vegas — these come at an extra charge.
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Indoors there is a nine-hole crazy- golf course, state-of-the-art climbing wall and a death-defying bounce- playground above your heads.
And around the corner is the vast and lush sports field where the Seal Bay Soccer Academy is run by brilliant staff with grade-A equipment — Mitre balls, goals, bibs, cones, hurdles and slalom poles.
We had a family match against new friends Taylor, Sarah, Mick and Archie, who made the hour fly by.
The largest zone in the holiday complex is West Sands, which sits right on the beach. It even has a wave simulator, Wave Rider, open May to September.
We had blistering weather so spent as much time as possible on the beach or in the ocean, but the indoor Oasis Bay pool is ideal for wetter weather.
We ventured down to this area on Saturday and found a giant TV screen, on the beach rocks, showing the FA Cup Final.
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My boys split their time between watching Crystal Palace spring a brilliant upset over Man City and diving into the waves.
Then we headed for a BBQ dinner at Smokey's Ocean Bar.
There, the lads demolished the Pitmaster's Feast of brisket, pulled pork, ribs, buffalo wings, sausage, chilli and sides and somehow had room for ice-cream sundaes.
A family of three were stuffed for just over £50.
We used our stroll back to base camp to walk off the meat sweats but there is a courtesy bus — that loops around the park, stopping at all the key areas — plus electric bikes and pedal go-karts to hire.
On Sunday we finished off with the brilliant Zorbing experience — you strap your child into a giant bubble and let them play crash-test dummies — then another swim and an archery session, before my kids slept the whole way home.
And I would love to tell you we partied all weekend into the early hours but we were shattered and asleep by 8pm every day, dreaming of the next day's adventure.
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