It’s the first morning of our holiday in Devon and it strikes me, as I do the dishes and gaze out of the window of our luxury caravan, that I have one of the finest washing up views in England.

In front of me is the tastefully-designed holiday complex which houses the main holiday park facilities, and beyond, the majestic sweep of Woolacombe Bay.

To the left is Baggy Point at the southern end of the Bay, and above that, in the distance is Hartland Point, at the western tip of the North Devon coastline. It’s a splendid view and makes a mundane chore such as washing up such a pleasure.

It feels a complete contrast to the scenery of home, but in fact we’re only in the next county.

We’ve been at Woolacombe Bay Holiday Village less than 24 hours and already I’m settled, enjoying the comforts of our large and spacious caravan, and eager to explore and see what’s on offer.

The site we’re on is part of a family-owned business – Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks – comprising four sites, all in the same area of the ‘Gold Coast’ of North Devon.

As well as offering a variety of self-catering accommodation and family-orientated entertainment, each site is said to have its own ‘unique style and personality.’

A bonus is that if you’ve paid to be a guest at one of them, you’re a guest at all as you are free to visit each site and take advantage of facilities and activities.

They’re all within a short distance of each other in the Woolacombe area and guests can hop on the internal bus which connects them and runs frequently throughout the day.

Helpfully, the service also picks up/drops off at the beach at Woolacombe which although is a pleasant walk on the way down the hill, can be a struggle on the return journey with bags and children in tow.

We selected the Woolacombe Bay Holiday Village, the second largest of the four parks, the one closest to the beach and a site which has received £4 million investment this year.

Like the other sites it has a mix of caravans, holiday homes and camping and touring pitches, however the facilities on offer do vary.

Situated on a sloping hillside, it has great views although it’s probably not the best site for the elderly and those with mobility problems.

Visitors can enjoy a certain amount of activities for free including the swimming pools (the indoor facility with its water jets is brilliant), steam room and sauna, family golf, sports and soft play area, but will have to pay for other things such as spa, surf lessons, gym, climbing wall, bungee trampoline and cinema.

There is also a programme of entertainment catering for young children and teenagers throughout the day, led by park mascots Billy and Betty Beachball, with more adult entertainment in the evening including discos, comedians and singers.

There is also a well-stocked convenience store, bars and a kitchen offering takeaway meals.

A visit to a traditional pub in the grounds of the nearby Golden Coast Holiday Park, the Old Mill Inn, is also worth a visit. It offers reasonably priced good pub grub and has a great outdoor play area.

We chose to stay in a caravan, the quintessential English holiday, and by forking out a few quid you can opt to have a few extras.

Caravan options range from bronze (perfectly reasonable with basics including TV) to exclusive (luxurious, spacious, early check-in, extra mod-cons).

The new model exclusive we were in was very flash, very comfortable and bigger than some bedsits I’ve been in.

Chilling out with a glass of wine on the patio outside at the end of the day with dinner cooking in the oven was a magic feeling – although the sight of seagulls forced a retreat inside when we ate!

Visiting during a sunny yet fresh week in April, meant a dip in the sea wasn’t on the cards but we did manage to explore the vast sandy beach on shore, including the rock pools.

The park is designed to keep families on site but it you get a chance to venture out, you'll find there's plenty to do.

Woolacombe is a 10 minute drive from the seaside resort and harbour town of Ilfracombe – where you can get a ferry to Lundy in the Bristol Channel – and is also on the edge of Exmoor.

There are plenty of family attractions in the area including Coombe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park which is a strange but entertaining mix of exotic animals including, sea lions and wolves, plus some animatronic dinosaurs hidden in the undergrowth.

We also managed a trip to Exmoor Zoo which specialises in the conservation of small animals but also has some big cats including cheetahs, and leopards aka the Exmoor Beast!

It has recently been voted the best small attraction in the region and does some invaluable conservation work to ensure the survival of certain species.

Whatever we did it was always a pleasure to return to the caravan and its comforts.

Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks in Devon offer a wealth of self-catering accommodation – ranging from caravan holiday homes to luxurious lodges – with online prices in 2016 starting from as little as £89 for a four-night midweek break for a family of four in a two-bedroom caravan holiday home. 0843 208 0368, www.woolacombe.co.uk