Best child friendly beaches for your holiday

Mums Tips

Travel with kids

Published on Thursday, 25 April 2019 11:11

Last Updated on 25 April 2019

Monica Costa

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When it comes to taking the kids on holiday, every parent knows a beach can make or break it. If it’s a good’un, a beach will keep kids of all ages occupied for hours. If the beach you’ve lugged all your bags, buckets and spades, and 11 bottles of sun cream down to isn’t so good, forget it – you’ve probably got about 30 minutes until the whining kicks in. So, if you’re planning a family holiday and you want to make sure you’ve got a great beach close at hand, we’ve pulled out some of the best beaches in family-friendly holiday destinations from all around the world.

Menorca

With a flight time of around two hours, a holiday in Menorca is doable with even the youngest of kids in tow. It’s the third-smallest of the four Balearic Islands and has a family-friendly vibe from start to finish. Pretty fishing villages with just enough to keep you occupied, all inclusive resorts that burst at the seams with kids’ facilities, and beaches the whole family could happily spend all day at make this place a no-brainer. Check out Es Grau Beach on the east coast for great paddling (the water here is lovely and shallow for around 40 metres), golden sand great for digging, building, and burying, and waters that are clear, calm and ideal for snorkelling. Want to track down more great family-friendly beaches? There’s Binibeca Nou, Cala en Porter, and Son Bou. But this is just a handful – your choice of beaches that are great for kids in Menorca goes on and on.

Tenerife

If your kids can handle a longer flight time (just over four hours), then Tenerife makes a top choice for a family holiday. Boasting one of the world’s best water parks (Siam Park), the epic scenery of Teide National Park, and plenty of beautiful beaches, Tenerife will keep the whole family entertained. But let’s talk sand. First up, it’s Las Vistas in Los Cristianos.

Las Vistas is a Blue Flag beach and shows off a crescent shape of soft sand that dips gently into clear, shallow waters. Playa de las Teresitas outside Santa Cruz, meanwhile, always enjoys calm waters – and that’s thanks to a breakwater. This manmade lagoon is a top spot for a bit of snorkelling.

Lastly, check out Playa la Pinta – this beach is smaller than others so kids will be easier to keep an eye on and the sea here is practically enclosed so the water is kept calm.

Mexico

If you’re holidaying with kids in Mexico, chances are with a 12-hour flight time they’re going to be the sort of kids who can keep themselves occupied with screens, headphones, books, and the odd conversational titbit. OK, so the flight may be testing, but Mexico is well and truly worth it. And there are stacks of fantastic beaches here.

From beaches such as Tulum with its 13^th-century Mayan ruins to the 20km stretch of dazzling white sand at the famous Cancun Beach, you are seriously spoilt for choice. If you’ve made it to Mexico with smaller kids, head to Playa Norte. This blissful beach boasts clear waters perfect for swimming, soft white sand for castle-building, and bars and restaurants when energy levels dip.

Croatia

These days, Croatia is well and truly up there on the holiday radar, and with a flight time of under two hours and 30 minutes from the UK, it’s totally doable for families, too. Croatia’s beaches are a mix of pebble and sand so make sure you know which type you’re heading to before promising endless sandcastle-building opportunities.

First up, try out the Blue Flag-rated Bavice Beach in Split. This is a busy spot but has plenty of facilities such as showers, toilets, and changing rooms so it makes life a little easier for families. For a Blue Flag beach a little off the beaten track, head to Rajska Plaza on the island of Rab. This place is a geopark so it’s protected by Unesco. Expect shallow waters, azure waters and pine-clad hills.

Spain

Mainland Spain isn’t short of a sandy beach or two, and with a flight time of about 2.5hrs from the UK, it will always be a firm favourite with families. As its name suggests, the Costa Del Sol makes a wise choice for families seeking sun, and the resort of Torremolinos is a safe bet for beach time.

Check out Playa de Bajondillo for golden sand, a kids’ play area, and plenty of sunbeds and parasols for hire. Over in Costa Brava, you’ve got the Blue Flag beach of Tossa de Mar. Here you’ll find water sports for older kids, golden sand for the younger ones and an old town with a mediaeval vibe in case you fancy a stroll.

 

More often than not, the best family holidays involve a beach. Mums and dads can lounge with a book and soak up the rays, while kids can busy themselves with sandcastles, shell collecting, and paddling. You’ll find more information here about great places to stay with brilliant beaches. Time to get planning!

 

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