Seaview Gorran Haven review: a 5 star family campsite in Cornwall
There’s no better cure for the post-summer holiday blues than going on another break. A couple of weeks ago we picked up Tot from her first few days of school, hitched up Tin Box and set off for a mood brightening trip to Cornwall. We love the far south west of England so were excited to have been invited to review Seaview Gorran Haven campsite (formally Seaview International) near St Austell in Cornwall.
If you’re looking for more holiday and days out inspiration check out our essential guide to family holidays in Cornwall.
Contents - jump to what you'd like to know
About Seaview Gorran Haven
Seaview Gorran Haven is one of three South West Holiday Park-owned holiday parks in Devon and Cornwall. As the name suggests, the park were we stayed at Bosinger has sea views and my, they are impressive.
This 5 star park has nearly 160 touring, camping and seasonal pitches with grass and hard standing options. There are electric hook-up and super pitches with all the amenities if you want to have a hassle free stay. We found these super pitches also came with the best sea views. If you prefer to have everything set up for you when you arrive there are also more than 30 holiday homes and a handful of luxury lodges.
The approach to Seaview Gorran Haven is down a few narrow roads, which is something to be aware of if you are towing like us. And if your Sat Nav wants to take you through the scenic fishing port of Mevagissey ignore it!
When we arrived we were given directions to our full service pitch with our own water tap, waste point and electrics. In the end we didn’t plumb in our water or waste in favour of setting up so we could face out on to the wonderful view towards Hemmrick Beach, which is 0.8 miles away.
The pitches are open but clearly marked and very level.
Family fun
One of the first things the girls wanted to check out when we arrived was the playground. Seaview has a huge play area complete with two grass tennis courts, a football pitch, wooden playground and other play equipment. There are also picnic tables and stone barbecues which I imagine make this a great communal space for families and friends in the summer months.
The girls were immediately drawn to a colourful dragon slide, which kept them amused for ages.
Another hit with the girls was the heated outdoor swimming pool. Mr Tin Box and I had our doubts about whether we’d get round to using this as the weather forecast was pretty rough. However, a lot of the rain passed us by so we thought we’d brave an alfresco dip.
The main pool and toddler paddling pool are in a large enclosed terraced area with plenty of sun beds, picnic tables and poolside games. There’s a locked gate for which you get a code from reception. This is where you also sign yourselves in and out as there’s no lifeguard on duty.
The water was warm (27 degrees) and we splashed around for about 45 minutes before taking a quick rinse in the nearby shower block and heading to the cafe for a hot drink.
Onsite facilities
The Cafe Bar was open at breakfast time through to early tea during our stay outside of the peak holiday season. It served cooked food and lighter meals. The Park Store was in the same place and had a good choice of basic essentials for very reasonable prices. We picked up a few items we’d forgotten to pack – squash, fizzy pop and essential bedtime biscuits – for under £4.
Tin Box Dog was very excited to find there was a good sized dog walking area with sea views and that we were close to a dog-friendly beach. You can get to this down a narrow country road or by taking the public footpaths signposted across some fields. Dogs must be kept on leads where there are cows and sheep grazing.
Seaview Gorran Haven has a centrally located shower block and separate toilet block with washing up sinks and a laundrette. We found these facilities mostly clean but dated, especially the family bathrooms in the shower block which could do with a makeover.
Things to do close to Seaview Gorran Haven
This is an area of Cornwall that we know well having stayed near St Austell at Christmas. If you’re visiting Seaview Gorran Haven we can recommend:
- The Lost Gardens of Heligan
- The Eden Project, St Austell
- Trelissick National Trust, Falmouth
- Pendennis Castle, Falmouth
We’d have also liked to see Caerhays Castle, which is just down the road but it was closed when we were staying in September. If you’re looking for child and dog-friendly days out in Cornwall I’ve got lots of other suggestions too.
Final thoughts on Seaview Gorran Haven in Cornwall
The views really are the show stopper at this 5 star campsite on the Cornish coast, followed closely by the on-site activities it has to offer families. It’s in a brilliant location for exploring the far south west and has plenty to do close by for holidayers with a lust for outdoor fun. We’d recommend this park to caravaners, campers and lodge lovers looking for a relaxed site where you can get up close and personal with Cornwall’s finest natural asset: it’s epic coastline.
For more information about Seaview Gorran Haven and bookings visit the holiday park’s website.
Disclosure: we were guests of Seaview Gorran Haven and were given a free weekend stay in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and those of my family.
Looking for a campsite in Cornwall by the sea? Pin this post for later.
She does enjoy swimming…even in the autumn 🙂
A wonderful place to go with family I think. Thanks a lot for sharing Claire 🙂
This looks like such a wonderful site Claire, those views are gorgeous! The play park would be a massive hit for my little ones too , closely followed by that lovely pool! #mondayescapes
It looks so great and those views I bet the sunsets are something else x
We have stayed at seaview international over the past 14 years first our honeymoon 14 years ago and over the years with our daughter’s now 11 and 13. absolutely love this site ! we last stayed in August for 2 weeks. pool is excellent and all the facilities are lovely. The staff are always around if you need them too !
Yes, they were very helpful when we managed to trip our electrics the first morning. It was out faulty microwave (we weren’t even using it!) rather than the supply. They were there sharpish to help 🙂
We stayed here to over the summer holidays it really is a fab site with great facilities. We were lucky enough to be there over the bank holiday weekend so had a couple of super hot days by the beautiful pool. You are right about the shower block though it really could do with a makeover and would also help it people could learn how to put toilet paper in the loo rather than on the floor. But the staff are lovely and the newly taken over onsite shop is great and reasonably priced. We are defiantly booking up for next year ….. fab place!!
Ooh, we’d have loved to have been there for the bank holiday. The weather was perfect! Glad to hear it’s a hit all year round 🙂
Well done on braving the outdoor pool but sounds like the water was lovely once you were in! Bet you enjoyed the hot drink after, though?! #MondayEscapes
Tania @ Larger Family Life recently posted…Driving the Distance: Our Top Road Trip Safety Tips for your Vehicle Before You Go
Yes! It was warm but the temperature outside was more autumnal! The hot tea and hot chocolates went down a treat 🙂
Sounds like a great site, the heated pool is particularly appealing! #MondayEscapes
Yes, especially in the UK 🙂
It’s good to know it’s warm enough to swim easily outdoors in Cornwall! Great pic of Tinbox Baby. This place sounds great for getting up close to Cornwall’s best attractions (the sea being one of the biggest!) #MondayEscapes
Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) recently posted…14 fabulous, fun things to do in Oslo (and some of them are free!)
What a great idea to beat off those post summer blues with a mini break, Claire! I like the way you think! I was impressed with these beautiful views from your Instagram posts and it’s always good to find a campsite near lots of great places to visit. #MondayEscapes
It sounds like it was worth persevering down those narrow tracks – that view is wonderful. Love the idea of a heated outdoor pool too – looks a good size too.
#MondayEscapes
Trish @ Mum’s Gone To recently posted…What’s it like inside a nuclear bunker?
It was a really good one. I expect it is very popular in the summer months!
How cool is that dragon slide! We love camping and I know this place would be perfect for us. Noting this for when we finally get round to doing a UK camping road trip. #MondayEscapes
It’s a great spot for exploring Cornwall. Let me know if you do pop this way and I can give you some other recommendations too!
That pool looks fab! All you need is some tropical weather 🙂
#mondayescapes
That would be lovely but sadly was not to be that weekend 🙂
Lovely review! Seaview looks a fantastic campsite with great facilities. Thank you for sharing #mondayescapes
Thank you!
I don’t camp but this camp site looks soooo family friendly #mondayescapes