Days Out: Scarborough's £14m Alpamare pool park makes a splash

The mixture of indoor and outdoor pools cover off all eventualities so even in the rain, the 35 degree outdoor pools were fabulously relaxing. The steaming, bubbling pools come complete with whirlpools and bubble recliners.

The kids loved climbing on the bubble recliners and swimming through the bubbles but even more of a hit was the giant splash zone inside. A giant bucket towers above the area which fills up and sends water cascading down on the little people below every so often. There’s water jets and sprays, a mini slide and my four-year-old and 22-month-old loved every minute. Meanwhile, the four state-of-the-art slides kept the other half entertained. There’s also the double-tube Olympic Run and the Cresta Run mat racer. There’s something for all ages, all tastes and all weathers. There are great little additions like the wristbands issued on arrival which are used for lockers and buying food and drink from the restaurant so there’s no need for money to change hands once you’re in. The bill is settled on departure.

The entrance fee allows you four hours in the pool with each additional half an hour charged at £1 per person, but if you eat in the restaurant you get 30 minutes for no extra charge. We made a full day of it, rounding off our visit with a walk by the beach and dinner in the evening. Perfect.

FACTFILE

Address: North Bay, 28 Burniston Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO12 6PH

TEL: 0172 386 1431

PRICES: Adults (16 and over) £19; children (6-15) £15; children (0-5) free; family (2 adults, 2 children) £60

OPENING HOURS: Open 365 days a year, Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9pm

MORE: For more places to visit in Yorkshire visit www.yorkshire.com