I visited the English holiday park with a private beach and indoor pool – it felt more like the Algarve
But no, rather than basking in Portugal, I was holidaying with the family at a caravan park on east Devon's Jurassic Coast.
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Perched on a clifftop, Ladram Bay Holiday Park was our escape for the weekend — and the place certainly exceeded every expectation.
The award-winning, family-owned site has 140 caravans, 11 lodges, three apartments, safari tents and glamping pods and — where we stayed — one recently renovated former fisherman's cottage.
We arrived on a Friday, kicking off our shoes and running down the winding footpath to the beach.
Ladram overlooks a gorgeous section of the coast and even has its own private beach — accessible only to guests, via a slipway at the bottom of the park.
By 4pm on the Friday we were happily splashing about in the sea, building sandcastles with our toddler and cracking open a beer.
Splash park
It's how I wish most weekends could start, to be honest.
And the weekend only gets better from here.
We then spend the evening enjoying a delicious feast at the site's main restaurant, Pebbles, which caters for young and old alike with an extensive menu.
My partner reckoned his 8oz Devon sirloin steak and chips, for £22.50, was among the best he's ever tasted — while I found the House Bay Burger, £16.95, delicious.
Even better when washed down with a mojito — one of the many cocktails to choose from.
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The next day, we sampled some of the local attractions.
Crealy Theme Park is a mere 20 minutes away for those seeking family fun.
Or a short drive along the coast can take you to Sidmouth, Budleigh, Salterton and Exmouth — the latter boasting a huge sandy beach and traditional seaside attractions.
We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed sunshine for our entire stay, but Ladram also caters for those rainy days.
The indoor pool is magnificent — one of the cleanest I've ever known — and offers free family playtimes as well as exercise classes.
The adjoining outdoor splash park is brilliant, too, for cooling off on a hot day, while the indoor fun slide kept us all entertained — even the grandparents.
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As well as an on-site gym, huge outdoor adventure playground, indoor soft-play centre and enormous amusement arcade, the park also boasts pottery and art classes in its new studio.
And it has its own nine-hole mini- golf course.
And all that's before you even start on the evening entertainment in Waves Bar — with bingo, a pool table, darts, kids' disco, singers and the Ladram Stars Showtime.
We stayed for the weekend but could have spent a whole week and still not have been bored.
The accommodation was immaculately kept and the wide range of caravans and lodges means there's something for every family's size and price point.
Our cottage was decked out with everything you could possibly need — a fully equipped kitchen, bathrooms well-stocked with indulgent Bramley toiletries, logs for the fire and even a welcome hamper full of treats.
I had scouted out nearby supermarkets in advance, to stock us up for the weekend.
But I needn't have worried. The on-site shop Ladram Stores stocks everything from freshly baked goods to beachwear and wine.
You could visit for the week and not have any need to leave.
Enjoy a fresh breakfast at the on-site Beach Shack cafe overlooking the sea, or kick back and cool off with an afternoon drink and ice-cream.
If you fancy fish and chips, you can order in advance via Ladram's snazzy app and go and collect it from the on-site chippy, Coast Takeaway, at your desired time.
Ladram is not like other holiday parks, it's practically a village. And you can tell every member of staff really cares.
The site caters particularly well for kids — with the fabulous amenities on offer including a huge outdoor adventure playground.
Our toddler was able to join in with everything.
We could hear the waves lapping the shore from our cottage — a literal stone's throw to the beach.
And when we visited Portugal just a few weeks later, I looked out at the coastline, from our accommodation, and realised it didn't look too different at all from that special view back at Ladram.
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