Big Sky Alpacas

The alpacas here are genuinely friendly, which is the whole point really. Big Sky Alpacas sits just outside Alford in Lincolnshire, offering a chance to get up close with these long-necked South American creatures without any pretence or corporate zoo nonsense.

You'll walk around the paddocks - it's informal and unpretentious - and the alpacas come right up to you. They're curious, gentle, and surprisingly soft. It's the sort of place where kids stop moaning about being bored because there's an actual animal wanting to interact with them. Adults tend to relax too once they realise nobody's forcing them through a gift shop every five minutes.

This works brilliantly as a morning or afternoon stop if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks around Alford or further east towards Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea. The coastal holiday parks like Haven Golden Sands or Seacroft Holiday Estate are within easy striking distance. It breaks up what can otherwise be a fairly flat and predictable stretch of the Lincolnshire coast.

Family groups get the most from it - probably allow an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're being thorough. It's genuinely low-key, which means it won't bankrupt you but also won't have you queuing for two hours in the rain. Head there mid-morning or early afternoon if possible, before the school runs swell the crowd. Worth the short drive from any of the local parks.