Nestled in the heart of Pembrokeshire, Wales, Bluestone National Park Resort offers an idyllic retreat for families, couples, and nature lovers seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. With its breathtaking setting in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Bluestone provides the perfect blend of luxury and adventure, surrounded by rolling hills, pristine woodlands, and tranquil lakes.
This unique family holiday park prides itself on being a haven for relaxation, while also offering a wide range of activities to satisfy adventure seekers. Whether you're interested in exploring the rugged Welsh landscape, trying your hand at water sports, or simply indulging in a spa day, Bluestone has something for everyone. Its eco-friendly lodges and cottages, constructed with sustainability in mind, create a warm, inviting atmosphere where guests can reconnect with nature without sacrificing modern comforts.
For families, the resort is a playground of fun, with indoor and outdoor activities that cater to children of all ages, from the Blue Lagoon waterpark to the tree-top climbing experiences. nature walks, cycling trails, and wildlife encounters add to the allure, ensuring that everyone stays entertained, no matter the weather.
Features and Reviews Editor Emily visited the resort with her family and in this review she delves into the full Bluestone experience, exploring its accommodations, amenities, dining options, and activities.
Whether you're planning a weekend retreat or a family adventure, Bluestone's blend of natural beauty, adventure, and relaxation might just be the perfect destination.
Accommodation
Bluestone offers a variety of accommodation options designed to suit different group sizes, preferences and budgets, all set within the scenic Pembrokeshire landscape. The resort features eco-friendly lodges, cottages, and studio apartments, each offering modern amenities and comfortable living spaces.
For families and larger groups, Bluestone’s lodges come in various sizes, ranging from cosy two-bedroom units to spacious four-bedroom homes. These lodges are perfect for extended stays, offering open-plan living areas, kitchens, and outdoor spaces. The cottages, located in the village, are designed for smaller groups or couples and provide a charming, traditional Welsh atmosphere with easy access to the resort’s amenities. For those seeking a simpler stay, the studio apartments are compact but comfortable, ideal for short breaks.
Part of the newer Platinum Lodges in Merlins Crest, my family stayed at the Carningli Lodge, a spacious and versatile accommodation option, perfect for families or groups seeking comfort and privacy during their stay. This two-story lodge has a thoughtful design that maximises both communal and private spaces, making it ideal for up to eight guests.
In the Carnigli Lodge, we loved that the living areas are upstairs, making use of large windows and natural lighting.
It features a large, open-plan living area, which includes a well-equipped kitchen, dining space, and a comfortable lounge. The modern kitchen is fitted with essential appliances, making self-catering easy and convenient. As a group of six (plus an infant), we did feel that a double oven would have been more suitable as we struggled for room in the single oven when cooking certain meals during our stay, I imagine this would be even harder for a party of eight people.
The living area, with its soft furnishings and ample seating (there’s plenty of room on the snuggly huge sofa) has a 43" TV and a AGA electric fire, making it the perfect place for relaxing after a day of exploring the resort. We felt a nice touch would have been having access to streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime on the TVs or even being able to rent films on those cosy nights or rainy days during the colder months for those who fancy it.
There’s also a lovely sunroom with balcony which my family enjoyed spending time in with a few drinks, folding back the bifold doors on sunny days to make the most of the view.
While we didn’t use it ourselves during our stay, there’s a little ‘cwtch’ (Welsh for cuddle) room with sofa, tv and desk, ideal if you’ve got younger guests who might want to watch their own programmes.
Downstairs, the Carningli Lodge has four well-appointed bedrooms, with a mixture of double and twin configurations, allowing flexibility for different group types. The two double bedrooms include en-suite bathrooms which bizarrely don’t have doors, something our group wasn’t particularly fond of for privacy purposes. The en-suites themselves were huge and well designed with his and hers sinks, large showers and the most gorgeous roll-top baths were many a bubble bath was enjoyed during our stay. The two twin bedrooms share a modern bathroom and toilet, also downstairs.
Each bedroom is designed with comfort in mind, featuring soft linens and tasteful décor. While there was space to hang our clothes, it would have been great to have a set of drawers available too.
You are required to leave your car in the car park after unloading your luggage at your accommodation so Bluestone offers electric buggies and bikes to rent to help you get around the vast resort. Our lodge was provided with two four-seater buggies and as you’d expect, while these don’t go particularly fast, we loved pootling about the resort in them. There were always plenty of buggie parks to leave (and charge) your buggy while you headed off for an activity or food.
The resort
There’s a wide range of attractions at Bluestone that cater to all ages, blending adventure, relaxation, and family-friendly entertainment.
The Blue Lagoon is the resort's indoor water park, featuring thrilling water slides, a lazy river, wave pool, and a separate area for young children. Heated year-round, the Blue Lagoon is perfect for both energetic play and relaxation, making it a highlight for families visiting the resort. While we had great fun taking our son to his very first swimming pool and gliding round the lazy river, the changing rooms although large and clean, are fairly tired with a lot of the lockers too small and many broken. I was however impressed to see Bluestone offered free swim nappies.
The Serendome is an all-weather, open-air playground offering a variety of exciting activities under a unique transparent roof. Here, guests can enjoy high ropes courses, climbing walls, water play areas, and imaginative spaces designed to stimulate creativity and adventure for children and adults alike. The Serendome also features a bar and food stalls such as a waffle hut, ensuring that you can recharge between activities.
For a more immersive indoor experience especially for younger guests, The Hive is an entertainment hub which is home to climbing walls, a play tower, a multi-court arena for ball games and much more. Here you can also head to Glowzone Bowling. You can book a lane for either 30 or 45 minutes however we felt there was possibly a better way to time this as between the six of us, we didn’t get a chance to finish our game within the 30 minutes which was a shame.
At the heart of the resort, The Village provides a charming, pedestrian-friendly space where guests can explore shops, cafes, and restaurants. It’s a central gathering point with a relaxed, community vibe, offering everything from local produce at the grocery store to leisurely dining at the coffee shop and restaurants. The village also has a well equipped playground to help little ones burn some energies.
While there’s plenty of ways to exercise while at Bluestone, one addition we thought would be a great asset to the resort would be an on-site gym for guests to fit in a workout and was sorely missed by the regular gym goers in my family.
Activities
Whatever you feel like doing during your stay, Bluestone has a huge amount of activities both on-site and off.
A few members of my family took part in kayaking (from £15) and stand-up paddleboarding (from £15) in the serene Bluestone lake, both guided by instructor Ricky who was clearly passionate about life on the water. Both activities were beginner-friendly, with opportunities to explore the tranquil waters while taking in the stunning natural surroundings.
Paddleboarding is a great way to challenge your balance and coordination, while kayaking allows for a more relaxed exploration of the water.
For those looking for high-flying adventures, Bluestone offers the exhilarating Sky Walk and Sky Wires. The Sky Walk (from £30) is an outdoor high ropes course that tests agility and nerve as participants navigate various obstacles suspended high above the ground. It’s an ideal activity for those looking for a physical challenge combined with adrenaline-pumping fun.
The Sky Wires (from £32), a thrilling zip line experience, allows guests to soar through the air and take in breathtaking views of the resort from above. One of the activities I took part in personally along with instructors Ross and Jess, the Sky Wires offer a fast-paced, heart-racing ride.
As you’d expect, there’s a lot of choice for children at Bluestone with activities ranging from archery to panning for gold, wacky racers to nature art and messy play.
My 3-month-old son took part in Bubbles swimming lesson (£16) at the Blue Lagoon Water park, an activity myself and my husband were delighted in joining in with. There were a wide range of ages during the lesson but every child was catered for and it was really helpful in learning from the swim instructor how we could play with him in the water.
The spa
The on-site spa, The Well Spa provides a tranquil escape for those seeking relaxation and rejuvenation. It provides a serene environment where visitors can unwind and recharge. My husband and I were lucky enough to bag some baby-free time courtesy of grandparents so we could check it out.
One of the key highlights is the Thermal Suite, which we started our experience in and which includes a series of thermal rooms such as saunas, steam rooms, and an ice room, each offering unique benefits for detoxification, skin health, and relaxation. There’s also a calming hydrotherapy pool, which uses water jets to relieve tension and soothe muscles.
The spa features a range of luxurious treatments, including massages, facials, and body therapies, all designed to promote well-being and relaxation. My husband had a Gentle Tonic massage while I had a signature massage with therapist Hollie who started the treatment by offering me ESPA scents and asking which I felt drawn to, so she could personalise my massage. What followed was an incredible massage where Hollie worked her magic, ridding me of all the many knots acquired from poor posture during parenting. Afterwards she provided a list of recommended ESPA products that I would benefit from, should I wish to purchase from the spa shop.
Food and drink
If you fancy a night (or three!) off cooking, Bluestone has a diverse range of dining options that cater to various tastes and preferences, ensuring that you can enjoy everything from quick bites to full-course meals.
The Oak Tree Restaurant is the resort’s fine dining option, serving Mediterranean-inspired dishes made with locally sourced ingredients.
For those craving hearty, home-style meals, The Farmhouse Grill has a selection of grilled meats and family-friendly fare in a rustic, relaxed etting. Our group stopped by for a meal on our first night and tucked into loaded burgers, succulent steak and juicy pork. For dessert we finished with huge portions of brownie, creamy cheesecake and sundaes. All meals were enjoyed from start to finish and everything catered for including the coeliac member of the group. Our attentive server Johnathon was fantastic throughout and kindly advised us on attractions out of the resort.
If you're looking for something more casual, The Knights Tafarn is a traditional Welsh pub offering a menu of comforting classics, perfect for a laid-back meal or a pint. The pub also hosts live music and quiz nights, the latter of which we joined for our last night. For those after an alcoholic beverage while at Bluestone, the drinkers in our group found all bars to be well stocked.
For a quick stop, Ty Coffi provides coffee, snacks, breakfast and light lunches, making it an ideal place to recharge during a busy day of activities.
In addition to these options, Bluestone caters to guests who prefer to self-cater, with Newton Stores offering local produce and essentials.
Final thoughts
For my family of mixed ages, Bluestone Resort provided the perfect multi-generational break where everyone was catered to. There’s a great choice of accommodation depending on your needs and a wide range of activities means that no member of your group will be bored, all led by warm, friendly and knowledgeable instructors. While Pembrokeshire of course has lots to do, we found you really didn’t need to leave the resort if you didn’t want to and could happily remain in the Bluestone bubble throughout your stay as everything you need is in easy reach.
As a dog-loving family, we would have loved to have been able to bring our furry friends but could appreciate why Bluestone has opted to be dog-free. The absence of cars and the option to rent buggies and bikes to get around adds a really nice feel to the resort.
We had a fantastic stay on our first trip to Bluestone and have recommended it to other families, friends and couples. I’d love to see more Bluestone resorts pop up around the UK in the future.
A midweek spring break, staying in a 6-bed lodge (St Govan’s) starts from £600. Based on a 4-night break (Monday to Friday). Find out more about a break at Bluestone.
A journalist since 2015, Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby and has written for the website and previously the magazine for seven years. First-time mum to Theodore, Emily writes about everything from the top baby products to pregnancy, fertility and maternal mental health. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases in the parenting industry.