Should you’re searching for a household weekend getaway within the UK in a gorgeous pure location with lots to do for the youngsters, I truthfully can’t advocate the Bluestone Nationwide Park Resort sufficient.
Wales’ primary vacation park, as named by Which?, Bluestone sits inside 500 acres of Nationwide Park within the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside – it’s essentially the most picturesque spot, which instantly made me really feel as if I had been transported to the breathtaking panorama of The Hobbit. I immediately felt relaxed and at dwelling.
I’ve at all times adored Wales for its pure environment, so I used to be excited to strive a household minibreak there. The five-star Bluestone resort is tailor-made to multigenerational stays, and so they actually have considered all the things, from in-resort golf buggies to get round to ready-fitted stair gates for little friends.
You’re additionally not removed from the fabulous Pembrokeshire shoreline; Tenby is a household favorite of ours, so we needed to embrace a visit to the seashore in our keep and fortunately the solar got here out. Cue sandcastles, ice lotions and paddling within the sea.
There are a number of award-winning sights close to Bluestone, together with Oakwood Theme Park, Folly Farm Zoo, Manor Wildlife Park, and Dinosaur Park Tenby, so there’s lots to select from for a day journey.
The lodging
We have been blown away by our lodge at Bluestone. Company can select from lodges and cottages that accommodate between two and fourteen friends to go well with a variety of budgets.
We stayed within the wonderful Platinum Carningli Lodge, a two-story home that has an open-plan dwelling space upstairs and a beautiful sunroom with doorways that confide in benefit from the view. The kitchen was totally outfitted, and two of the 4 bedrooms had en-suite loos.
A giant plus was the 2 gold buggies that got here with our lodge – tremendous useful for getting across the resort. We additionally liked the surface space the place you possibly can barbecue and watch the youngsters play on the grassy space by the lodge.
The amenities
There’s a lot to maintain you busy at Bluestone. The primary cease was the massive Blue Lagoon swimming pool with its nice waterslides and wave pool. All of us had a ball and spent a very good few hours taking place the slides.
The Serendrome is unimaginable for each kids and adults. Located beneath an enormous clear roof with bushes, vegetation, outside terraces, and play areas, the adults can seize a espresso whereas the youngsters benefit from the skywalk, water play and sand play areas.
© Emyr YoungerThen there’s the indoor Hive Centre – an excellent spot the place the youngsters can go within the tender play, strive the facility leap, glow zone bowling and ping pong. Over on the event subject, they provide archery and axe throwing – which we tried, and I can verify it is nice enjoyable though tougher than it appears!
The actions
There are many actions to entertain the entire household at Bluestone and we determined to strive just a few throughout our keep.
The boys in our group went kayaking for the morning on the resort lake, which they loved, whereas my daughter and I had a go at panning for gold. It was such a giggle, and I positively advocate this exercise for youthful kids because the idiot’s gold is amongst stones in a trough so appropriate for all ages.
One in every of our highlights was doing the zip wire within the resort’s forest. They have been critically excessive and we bought such a buzz from zooming alongside them over the woodland valley.
The woods even have plenty of paths that are nice for walks and biking; we employed mountain bikes from Bluestone which have been the right method to get round.
The Spa
The Bluestone Spa is a must-go for somewhat enjoyable me-time. I booked in for the Celtic Thermal Suite Expertise and I used to be so impressed. I’ve been to a couple spas however this was the primary time a spa had an easy-to-follow information advising which order to expertise every ‘pod’.
© Richard WaiteThe award-winning ESPA spa has a number of heated and cooling rooms to calm down and rejuvenate. The resort web site says: “Providing six distinctive pods, every with its personal therapeutic profit targeted on the rebalance of thoughts, physique, and soul. Natural steams will calm down, salts will cleanse, and the warmth of a standard brick sauna will penetrate floor muscular tensions.”
I liked the natural steam room which is fantastic for clearing congested sinuses and the outside hydrotherapy pool goals to assist ease joint and muscle rigidity. There’s even a Celtic sauna which is the room with the best warmth depth and makes use of a Pembrokeshire bracken scent.
The eating places
We have been spoiled for alternative when it got here to eating choices. On our first evening, we went large and visited the resort’s beautiful Black Pool Mill for supper.
The gorgeous Georgian Black Pool Mill was inbuilt 1813 to grind flour for Pembrokeshire and has undergone a restoration, efficiently combining its historic attraction with a contemporary really feel. I ordered cauliflower pakora to begin, adopted by seabass for the primary with celeriac puree and candy shallots – completely scrumptious.
Different restaurant choices embrace the cosy Oak Tree restaurant located within the charming Bluestone village which serves conventional Italian dishes, and the Farmhouse Grill which serves up meals straight from the grill.
Don’t miss a night within the wonderful Camp Smokey, discovered on the backside of the Steep Ravine within the forest by a brook. Guide your self in for Smokey Joe’s Shindig the place you’ll eat a scrumptious barbecue-style dinner with a vigorous band offering the leisure.
The resort additionally has a standard pub, the Knights Tafarn, the place we loved just a few drinks (there’s a playground proper subsequent door for the youngsters), and your ice cream and cake wants are catered for on the on-site espresso store Ty Coffi.
Should you select to eat at your lodge, there’s a village retailer for all of your necessities. We had a beautiful barbecue one night whereas the solar set and our youngsters performed outdoors. One of many issues we liked about Bluestone was the chilled-out tempo of life and pleasant environment. We might simply have stayed longer – till subsequent 12 months Bluestone!
A midweek spring break in 2025, staying in a 6-bed platinum lodge begins from £600 (primarily based on a four-night break Monday to Friday in St Govan’s lodge, arriving 28/04/25). This contains free entry to plenty of on-site actions such because the Blue Lagoon water park.
Go to bluestonewales.com
