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Park Resorts and Parkdean Resorts Isle of Wight holiday parks (2021 guide)
One of the cheapest accommodation options we've found for an Isle of Wight holiday is caravan holiday parks. There are several caravan and holiday parks on the Isle of Wight, but four of the biggest and most popular are the Parkdean Resorts sites at Nodes Point, Thorness Bay, Landguard and Lower Hyde. Park Resorts merged with Parkdean Resorts a few years ago, but you'll still find them referred to as Park Resorts in some crusty old brochures.
Here's our comparison of the four Parkdean Resorts/Park Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight, including a price comparison for a week in early August 2021.
Here's our comparison of the four Parkdean Resorts/Park Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight, including a price comparison for a week in early August 2021.
1. Nodes Point Holiday Park, near St Helens, Isle of Wight
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Nodes Point is the Parkdean Resorts/Park Resorts holiday park with the best reviews - although there's not much in it, and it was also the most expensive in our price comparison.
On TripAdvisor and Hoseasons it scores about 4/5, whilst on Google Reviews it was scoring 4.3/5. Lower Hyde in Shanklin was getting the second-best review scores when we checked. The park is on the Isle of Wight's pretty east coast, near to St Helen's and Seaview. The nearest large town is Ryde, which is convenient for travelling via Portsmouth (see our ferry guide). The area is less busy than Sandown or Shanklin but is not as quiet as the Isle of Wight's west coast. There are gorgeous beaches which generally have pretty shallow water but not a lot of surf. St Helen's is good for a paddle and an ice cream and it's also got a watersports centre called Tackt-Isle where you can hire a kayak or a standup paddleboard. Nearby, Priory Bay is much harder to reach but it's a beautiful sandy beach which feels like a foreign island on a good day. Family-friendly Appley is a short drive away and has playgrounds on the beach as well as a splash park. You can even ride a swan shaped pedalo, if you feel inclined. See our guide to beaches. |
"Weeeeeeeeeeee!" Nodes Point has an indoor swimming pool
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The Isle of Wight is not huge (about 26 by 13 miles) so you could see the whole island from Nodes Point as a base, if you're bringing a car. You could just about rely on public transport but Landguard and Lower Hyde holiday parks are nearer to the main trainline on the Isle of Wight.
Nodes Point is near to attractions such as Ryde's bowling alley and other days out and Bembridge's lifeboat station. There are numerous facilities at Nodes Point, including an indoor swimming pool (but not an outdoor pool), an all weather sports court and an adventure playground. The beach is walking distance from the site and they offer horse riding on the beach during the summer.
Nodes Point is near to attractions such as Ryde's bowling alley and other days out and Bembridge's lifeboat station. There are numerous facilities at Nodes Point, including an indoor swimming pool (but not an outdoor pool), an all weather sports court and an adventure playground. The beach is walking distance from the site and they offer horse riding on the beach during the summer.
How much does Nodes Point Holiday Park cost?
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In our price comparison, a week in August 2021 at Nodes Point started at £1069 for 4 people. An electric pitch for touring or camping for 4 people cost from £312 for the week.
Based on the week that we looked at, Nodes Point is the most expensive of the four Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight for a caravan holiday or camping holiday. |
A couple of romantics at Nodes Point overlooking St Helens Beach
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2. Thorness Bay Holiday Park, near Cowes, Isle of Wight (CHEAPEST IN OUR PRICE COMPARISON)
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Thorness Bay has slightly lower review scores than Landguard and Lower Hyde Park Resort/Parkdean Resorts holiday parks with an average score of 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor, 7.4/10 on Hoseasons and 3.9/5 on Google Reviews (as of 2020). It came out as the overall cheapest in our price comparison of all four Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight and has done for the last few years.
The park is on the Isle of Wight's quiet north west coast, between Cowes and Yarmouth. It is a 10 - 15 minute drive from Newport and Cowes which are both decent towns for shopping (Newport is bigger and has more supermarkets). The nearest car ferry ports are Yarmouth and East Cowes (see our ferry guide). Thorness Bay is not particularly near to the most famous or popular Isle of Wight beaches (e.g. Shanklin, Ventnor and Appley at Ryde) but it is in a nice quiet location. The Isle of Wight is not huge (26 by 13 miles), so you could easily explore the whole Island if you are bringing a car. Thorness Bay may be a good option if you want to experience the turned up collars and deck shoes of Cowes Week without paying the high prices for accommodation in the town itself. The park itself has facilities including an indoor pool, adventure playground and all weather sports court. |
The caravans at Thorness Bay are a short walk from a shingly beach
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How much does Thorness Bay Holiday Park cost?
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In our price comparison, a week in early August 2021 at Thorness Bay started at £809 for 4 people. An electric pitch for touring or camping for up to 6 people cost from £210 for the week.
That means that (based on one week in August), Thorness Bay is the cheapest Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts holiday park option on the Isle of Wight for renting a caravan and is also the cheapest for camping and touring. |
Thorness Bay Holiday Park has lodges and chalets, as well as caravans for hire
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3. Landguard Holiday Park, Shanklin, Isle of Wight
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Landguard Holiday Park near Shanklin gets similar Trip Advisor ratings to Lower Hyde and Thorness Bay sites, scoring 4 out of 5. However, it gets a very slightly lower score on Google Reviews and Hoseasons.
Landguard is located near to the busy holiday towns of Shanklin and Sandown. It's a great location for children with families as there are several attractions nearby (Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, Dinosaur Isle, Sandham Gardens) as well as clean beaches with good facilities. However, it isn't a quiet area - the seafronts are more classic seaside resort rather than quiet secluded bays. Landguard itself has good-sized indoor and outdoor swimming pools as well as a children's playground. Like all the Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight, Landguard has a restaurant, bar, on-site shop, launderette and amusements such as darts and pool. It's about a 20 minute walk from the seafront at Shanklin, so it isn't as close to the beach as Nodes Point or Thorness Bay. It's worth noting that Landguard has a more 'leisurely' entertainment schedule than nearby Lower Hyde Holiday Park which is more 'lively'. Shanklin is accessible by train via Portsmouth, although a car is useful on the Isle of Wight. The nearest car ferry ports are Portsmouth and East Cowes (see our ferry guide). |
Landguard Holiday Park has an indoor swimming pool for pessimists and an outdoor swimming pool for optimists
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How much does Landguard Holiday Park cost?
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In our price comparison, a week in early August 2021 at Landguard started at £859 for a family of four. An electric pitch for touring or camping for four people cost from £292 for the week.
That means it worked out as somewhere in the middle compared to other Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts site on the Isle of Wight for camping, touring and renting a caravan. There wasn't really all that much between Thorness Bay, Lower Hyde and Landguard but Nodes Point was notably more expensive when we checked. |
Some of Landguard Holiday Park's caravans were added in 2020
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4. Lower Hyde Holiday Park, Shanklin, Isle of Wight
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Lower Hyde Holiday Park is very near to Landguard Holiday Park (also run by Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts) near the busy seaside towns of Sandown and Shanklin.
So, which is better? Lower Hyde or Landguard? Well, Lower Hyde gets marginally better reviews than Landguard but not quite as good as Nodes Point. When we checked, Lower Hyde scored 4/5 on TripAdvisor, 4.3/5 on Google reviews or 7.8/10 on Hoseasons. In our price comparison for 2021, Lower Hyde came out slightly more expensive than Landguard but in previous comparisons we've done it has been the other way round, so I wouldn't say there's a whole lot in it. They are both a pretty similar distance to the seafront at Shanklin (about 15-20 minutes walk). Landguard is on a flatter site than Lower Hyde which has its advantages for pitching a tent. Lower Hyde's indoor swimming pool is much smaller, but you can walk 15 minutes to use the pool at Landguard instead. Lower Hyde is a bit nearer to Shanklin's railway station, so is better if you aren't bringing a car. Apparently Lower Hyde's evening entertainment is a bit livelier than Landguard, which is described as 'leisurely' in the official blurb. |
Lower Hyde has a small indoor swimming pool and a larger outdoor pool...
...as well as caravans and lodges with hot tubs
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How much does Lower Hyde Holiday Park cost?
In our price comparison, a week in early August 2021 at Lower Hyde started at £889 for a family of 4. An electric pitch for touring or camping for up to 6 people cost from £293 for the week.
Which is the cheapest Parkdean Resorts/Park Resorts holiday park on the Isle of Wight?
We looked at one week in early August 2021, to get a rough idea of which is the cheapest Isle of Wight Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts holiday park (although of course there are special offers etc at different times of year and lots of upgrade options).
Cheapest price for a family of four:
Cheapest price for four people renting an electric pitch for touring or camping:
So, generally speaking there wasn't much difference in price for the cheapest caravans or chalets at Thorness Bay, Landguard and Nodes Point whilst Lower Hyde was a lot more expensive in our price comparison.
However, we searched long in advance (10 months before the holiday date) when the cheapest accommodation was still available. Nearer the time I would expect the choice to narrow, so it's worth checking more than one site to get a good deal. Over the years that we've been doing these price comparisons, I'd say that Thorness Bay is usually the cheapest Parkdean Resorts/Park Resorts Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight but it does vary.
For camping and touring, there was a bigger variation with Thorness Bay as the cheapest and the other three holiday parks all around the same price.
Price search carried out and information checked in mid-October 2020.
Cheapest price for a family of four:
- Thorness Bay - £809 (cheapest)
- Landguard - £859
- Lower Hyde - £889
- Nodes Point - £1069 (most expensive)
Cheapest price for four people renting an electric pitch for touring or camping:
- Thorness Bay - £210 (cheapest)
- Landguard - £292
- Lower Hyde - £293
- Nodes Point - £312 (most expensive)
So, generally speaking there wasn't much difference in price for the cheapest caravans or chalets at Thorness Bay, Landguard and Nodes Point whilst Lower Hyde was a lot more expensive in our price comparison.
However, we searched long in advance (10 months before the holiday date) when the cheapest accommodation was still available. Nearer the time I would expect the choice to narrow, so it's worth checking more than one site to get a good deal. Over the years that we've been doing these price comparisons, I'd say that Thorness Bay is usually the cheapest Parkdean Resorts/Park Resorts Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight but it does vary.
For camping and touring, there was a bigger variation with Thorness Bay as the cheapest and the other three holiday parks all around the same price.
Price search carried out and information checked in mid-October 2020.
Which of the Isle of Wight's Parkdean Resorts would you choose?
Personally, I would go for Nodes Point Holiday Park if it is similarly priced to the other three resorts for the dates you want to visit. You will find usually that the difference in price is less significant if you are visiting off-peak.
Nodes Point just about edges it on reviews and I think it is in the nicest location. I prefer the beaches around Nodes Point to the beach at Thorness Bay. If you want a busier beach, such as Sandown and Shanklin then it's only about 15 minutes in the car.
Lower Hyde and Landguard are better choices if you are not bringing a car, as they are near to a railway station which links up with the passenger ferry from Portsmouth Harbour. However, they are a little way inland so it isn't as easy to stroll down to the beach in an evening with kids.
Nodes Point just about edges it on reviews and I think it is in the nicest location. I prefer the beaches around Nodes Point to the beach at Thorness Bay. If you want a busier beach, such as Sandown and Shanklin then it's only about 15 minutes in the car.
Lower Hyde and Landguard are better choices if you are not bringing a car, as they are near to a railway station which links up with the passenger ferry from Portsmouth Harbour. However, they are a little way inland so it isn't as easy to stroll down to the beach in an evening with kids.
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