Hafan y Môr Haven Review (Pwllheli, North Wales)

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Welcome to my review of the fabulous Hafan y Môr Haven Holiday Park in North Wales. Venturing to Wales for the first time, we were hell-bent on climbing Mount Snowdon and (at the kids’ request for flumes!) we picked Hafan y Môr Haven, in Pwllheli North Wales, as our base for the week. (And if you’re wondering what Hafan y Môr means in English – it’s ‘Sea Haven’ which is rather lovely!) My review will cover what there is to do; how close Hafan y Môr Haven is to Snowdonia, Greenwood Family Park, the beach and other attractions; what the accommodation is like (we stayed in an apartment); swimming pool highlights; photos and lots more!

We always try to travel on a small budget, so if you’re looking to explore the UK and Europe with the kids (in an affordable way!) then have a browse around my blog for loads of money saving tips and budget family holiday reviews. And if you have any recommendations, please let me know – I’m always planning our next trip! (You can follow our travels on Instagram too!)

Holiday: September 2021 (Updated January 2025)

Hafan y Môr Holiday Park

Hafan y Môr Holiday Park is a large family-friendly holiday park located on the stunning Llyn Peninsula in North Wales, just outside Pwllheli. As one of Haven’s biggest parks, it’s packed with things for the kids to do – including a fantastic indoor waterpark with slides, an aerial adventure course, soft play and plenty of entertainment. The park is set in a beautiful coastal location making it perfect for scenic walks and days by the sea, and it’s nearby to the scenic Snowdonia National Park too. With a choice of caravans, lodges and apartments there’s something to suit every budget – Hafan y Môr is a brilliant choice for a fun-filled family holiday in North Wales!

Things to do: What activities are there at Hafan y Môr?

Haven’s Hafan y Môr site is absolutely brilliant, and there’s a lot on offer to keep the kids entertained if you want to spend some time chilling at the holiday park. Our two adored the pedalos on the little lake area, and we all cried with laughter at their terrible steering which dragged us through the surrounding bushes many times! I think this activity was £10 for an hour so not badly priced either – look at those cheeky grins!

There were lots of other activities on offer too including pedal-karts, a climbing wall, arts and crafts, bungee trampolines and lots of bookable adult led sessions focussed on nature and the local area. We were really impressed with how many children’s activities Haven had on offer at Hafan y Môr – there was plenty going on. (2025 update: The site also boasts a high ropes course, segways, a NERF training camp, inflatables, soft play and more!) Finn and Lola had a go on the bungee trampolines – they loved them! Honestly I can’t recall how much these cost, but again it wasn’t too expensive and definitely on par with other holiday parks.

The play area was really good and had quite a few sections to the keep the kids entertained. There was a lot of wooden fort-style equipment, a climbing net and slide area. It was great to get outside and enjoy what was on offer for free too – fun doesn’t have to cost a penny! Considering that we visited Wales in the last week of September, we were crazily fortunate with the weather, which was great all week, and this made it so easy for us to enjoy all of the outdoor activities.

Is Hafan y Môr holiday park on the beach?

Yes! So if you’re visiting in good weather, then you’re in for a treat – Hafan y Môr (as its name ‘Sea Haven’ suggests) is right on the coast. Set on a sandy bay, you can take buckets and spades and enjoy lots of fun at the beach which is on the doorstep!

What’s the swimming pool like at Hafan y Môr holiday park?

Let’s focus the review on the pool now – I reckon Hafan y Môr Haven might actually have the best holiday park swimming pool in Wales?! The indoor swimming pool was absolutely brilliant and total kid heaven! They have flumes, slides, normal swimming areas, a toddler pool, a lazy river and waves. It was a real highlight of the trip, the kids loved it. We visited the swimming pool a lot and Finn and Lola were entertained for hours at a time – only wanting to leave when they were starving hungry and had wrinkled skin! 😂 Of course, the pool is included in the cost of the holiday so you can swim as much as you like! I’ve popped a picture here taken from the Haven website as I was unable to photograph the pool myself…

I have to admit that I loved the flumes too! All in all, Hafan y Môr Holiday Park is a great base for a holiday – Haven have really thought about what will work for the families visiting, and it’s really easy to entertain the kids.

Is the resort dog friendly?

Hafan y Môr welcome your furry friends, so if you’re looking for a dog friendly holiday park this is a great option. With a dog-friendly beach nearby, and loads of beautiful countryside to discover on foot in the surrounding area, the location really lends itself to a walking / exploring type of holiday – perfect for bringing your pooch.

What’s the accommodation like at Haven’s Hafan y Môr?

We booked a two bedroom comfort apartment, solely based on this accommodation being the cheapest for the dates we wanted – as usual. 😂 The accommodation was basic but it was extremely clean and perfectly functional as a base for the week. The kids had a twin room, we had a double, there was a small shower room and then an open plan living space with a kitchen, seating area and lounge space. The kitchen was well equipped, the fridge was a full size under-the-counter one and the oven was great; which made it really easy to self-cater and keep costs down. The TV had a good amount of channels and was exactly what we needed when we came home exhausted from climbing Mount Snowdon!

The only negative that we found with the Hafan y Môr apartment was the beds. All three beds were really uncomfortable with metal camp bed style frames, which shook every time someone moved, and really solid mattresses. I’m not sure if these are the standard beds for all of the accommodation options but I think if we visited again we’d probably pay a little more a higher standard apartment or try one of the other options – they have lodges, caravans, yurts and chalets all at a range of different standards. Having said that, other than the bed situation, the accommodation we chose was great so it’s a shame that the bed quality let it down.

What food options are there at Hafan y Môr holiday park?

There were sit down restaurants as well as fast food outlets on site – such as Burger King, Papa Johns and fish and chips. The only hot food we bought on-site was from Burger King so I can’t comment on the others. I was really impressed with the on-site supermarkets at Hafan y Môr. They were normally priced, which isn’t always the way in holiday parks, very well stocked and they had a brilliant gluten-free section which was super handy! If you’re looking for the nearest proper supermarket – we found a big Tesco nearby so we self-catered from a main shop there and then topped up during the week in the Haven supermarkets.

Local area:

How far is Hafan y Môr from Snowdonia?

The surrounding area is absolutely stunning, near to Snowdonia National Park, and it’s every walker or nature lovers dream! As I mentioned before, we picked Hafan y Môr holiday park because it was only around a 35 minute drive to Mount Snowdon, and we wanted to do our first mountain climb. We took the Snowdon Ranger Path, starting and ending the walk at the Llyn Cwellyn Car Park, off the A4085. It was hard work, especially for Lola who struggled near the top, but we were so proud of ourselves for completing it.

We woke up at 6.20am and, by the time we’d got organised and driven there, we started our climb not long after 8am. The walk took us about 7 hours in total, up and down, and we probably had at least an hour’s worth of breaks along the way – so it’s perfectly doable in a day in a decent amount of time. Check out my guide on ‘Climbing Snowdon with Kids‘ for more info. It was absolutely worth every second of climbing and, with some of the most stunning views I’ve ever seen, it’s a memory we’ll treasure forever.

How far is it from Hafan y Môr to Greenwood Family Park?

Whilst we were in Wales we also visited Greenwood Family Park, which was about 45 minutes away from Hafan y Môr, and definitely worth the drive! This day out had so much on offer to keep the kids busy all day – we all absolutely loved it. Finn and Lola adored the Moon Karts – and spent ages on them – though I could barely pedal due to achey legs from climbing Snowdon! 😂 And the Enchanted River was lovely too. Honestly, Greenwood Family Park was one of our favourite days out to date, and it was really well-priced too compared to other similar attractions. We paid £61 for a family ticket and we were there all day – the kids didn’t want to leave! Check out my full review of Greenwood Family Park for more info.

What else is there to do near Hafan y Môr holiday park?

We also took a ride on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway, which was about a 30 minute drive from the holiday park. The kids both love trains, but we mostly used this day out as a way to see more of the local area whilst resting our legs after climbing Snowdon! 😂 Pwllheli beach was only 5 miles down the road – to get from Hafan y Môr Holiday Park to the nearest town of Pwllheli takes less than 10 minutes by car. And, Zip World Penrhyn Quarry is around a 50 minute drive away. This holiday park is really well located, and it’s a real bonus on top of everything that they have to offer on the resort itself. If you’re looking for lots of family fun – this Haven holiday park is a great option. For even more ideas for days out, check out my article: The 10 best things to do in North Wales with kids.

What’s the entertainment like at Hafan y Môr ?

We aren’t massively into the entertainment side of things when we go on holiday, as we prefer to play games and cards etc together in the evenings. We also had a really busy week and tended to need some chill time back at the apartment, so we only tried a few nights of it, but the entertainment was pretty standard for a holiday park. One night there was a magician – which the kids really enjoyed – it was very child based so not too entertaining for us adults but they had a good time. Another evening the show was a live band, but the music wasn’t our cup of tea so we didn’t stay long. It started pretty late into the evening too, around 9pm, and the earlier entertainment was for the tiny tots so our kids were past that kind of thing.

When does Hafan y Môr close for winter?

Most Haven sites are open from March to November but Hafan y Môr is available for Christmas-themed getaways if you fancy some festive fun with the kids – I can’t offer a review as we’ve not stayed there over the winter but the indoor pool would certainly be a great place to entertain the kids in the warm! For all the details on the Haven festive breaks, take a look at my article: Which Haven holiday parks offer festive Christmas breaks?

How much is a holiday at Hafan y Môr Haven – is it good value for money?

I hope that my review has been helpful – we were really impressed with our Haven holiday at Hafan y Môr and would definitely stay there again in the future for a great value UK staycation in Wales. Our 7 night break at Hafan y Môr was only £263 which was crazily good value for money! We booked the last week of September, so prices are generally cheaper then anyway, but for everything on offer at this holiday park it was so cheap. Head over the Haven website to see what deals they have at the mo – they’ve got breaks advertised from £65 for 2025! For more information, and prices for your dates, click here to check out Hafan y Môr on the Haven website. Or, for even more fabulous places to stay, take a look at my article: The 12 best holiday parks in Wales for families.