What do we think are the Best Holiday Destinations for Kids?
You know that feeling of responsibility when you arrive at the beach with your family for the first time. You need to have found sand that’s soft enough for your partner’s delicate toes and yet strong enough to form the foundations of the kids’ mightiest sand castle. The sea needs to be wavy enough for your children to become bodyboarding kings but not so wavy that their second demonstration is in the middle of the local shipping lane!
Fear not though, we have beachcombed the best family beaches from around the world and are happy to present them to you. This means you can now stride with pride on to the beach holding your ice cream aloft and claiming the outstretched golden sand as your own…
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Algarve, Portugal
Renowned for its sandy beaches and turquoise water, the Algarve is a perfect choice for your family break, suitable for kids of all ages.The Algarve manages to maintain that traditional Portuguese way of life and has the perfect balance between the tranquility of rural life and the excitement of holidaymakers.
We think you’ll love the Conrad Algarve – a family-friendly hotel that offers holidays designed with children in mind. The children’s club – the Little ‘C’ Palace offers daycare and many fun activities to keep your little ones busy. They even have a full or half day Kids Watersports programme. Apart from this, there are heated outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a wonderful infinity pool, luxurious spa and rooms. It’s conveniently situated near shops, bars and restaurants. For golf lovers, there are also excellent golf courses in the near vicinity.
Sardinia, Italy
If you’re after a great beach holiday, then what better place to pick than Sardinia, a huge Italian island located in the Mediterranean sea? With over 1200 miles of sandy coastlines and a rocky inland crossed with trekking path, this spectacular location simply cannot disappoint. Veiled in a mysterious past, it’s filled with Bronze-age stone ruins that look like beehives. Other interesting tourist spots are the Giant’s Grave or Neptune’s Grotto, belonging to the ancient Nuragic civilization. Unlike the rest of Italy, the beaches in Sardinia aren’t all concessed and you’ll still be able to find many wild, beautiful white sand beaches if you’re prepared to bring your own supplies.
As a choice of accommodation, we suggest the Perdepera Beach Resort, a wonderful Mark Warner club with 120 rooms with daytime and evening childcare (over 4 months old) and large swimming pools. It offers a varied choice of activities, like sailing, water polo, dive school, free sailing, windsurfing, volleyball, tennis and other entertaining activities for you and your family. The excellent Italian cuisine and style, together with the long sandy beach, surrounded by the crystal clear sea will surely win you over.
Halkidiki, Greece
Packed with endless golden beaches and emerald water, Halkidiki will work its charm on every family member. Aside from lounging in the sun, there are many traditional villages that can be visited while in Halkidiki, such as Taxiarhis and Arnea. You can go exploring Sithonia (also known as Longos) – a beautiful part of the Halkidiki peninsula, go exploring the Petralona Cave or opt for a culture trip at the Thessaloniki’s museums. Boat trips to nearby islands are also available and can be a great way to spend some family time.
Our travel experts recommend Danai Beach Resort and Villas, a marvellous beachfront boutique hotel, as your choice of accommodation. The family-friendly hotel comprises just 60 rooms and has an excellent kids’ club, managed by UK founded Worldwide Kids. Fun activities for the whole families are also available, such as watersports (including scuba diving, canoeing, sailing, snorkeling), playing tennis, bike hire and others. Apart from the private beach area, the hotel has and indoor and outdoor pool, excellent facilities and customer service and a golf course only 20 minutes away.
Rhodes, Greece
The beautiful island of Rhodes in Greece is considered a great location for families as it combines history and fun in the sun. There are plenty of locations to visit, like the Colossus of Rhodes, the Palace of The Grand Master of Knights, Acropolis and many others. It’s also boasting endless golden fine beaches, water parks, watersports, nightlife and excellent local cuisine.
Stay at the Levante Beach Resort, a luxurious 5 star Mark Warner resort that has a 4 months+ creche and childcare facility, 5 swimming pools, free sailing and mountain bike tours and over 100 twin and double rooms, 100 family suites and 10 larger suites, 7 of which have their own swimming pool.
Antigua, The Caribbean
The West Indies paradisiac island of Antigua is the typical Caribbean island – sunny, decked with glittery fine sand and surrounded by a warm emerald sea. There are plenty of excellent hotels and villas available and fun, relaxing activities for everyone.
Stay at Blue Waters Resort – a family-owned luxury hotel surrounded by splendid gardens, where the friendly, well-trained staff will offer you a unique experience. Indulge yourself at the spa or cove pools, relax at the family beach pool or go for a swim in the adults’ only pool. For the little ones, there is a children’s club as well as a crèche for over 14 month-olds. The hotel offers complimentary watersports such as snorkelling, kayaks, pedalos or you can opt for sailing or windsurfing at extra cost. There are 3 excellent restaurants available, as well as a gym to keep in shape.
NB: This post is in collaboration with The Family Holidays Company
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Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.