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Original poster

What holiday destination meets the following criteria?

28 replies

Squelchsquerch · 04/02/2019 11:14

Looking for recommendations for somewhere that satisfies the following:

Short haul flight
Warm enough for outdoor swimming in may-june
Family friendly hotel (1 and 4 year olds)
Both a beach and town/city in walking distance to the hotel (will not be hiring a car)
Lovely outdoor pool

I'm particularly after specific hotel recommendations but also general destinations would be useful. For example considering Tel Aviv or Alicante to satisfy the city-beach requirement but very much open to ideas. Any budget.

Thanks mumsnetters.

OP posts:
QforCucumber · 04/02/2019 11:15

Salou, warm enough but mainland - walk into Salou town, train to Barcelona is 40 mins ish. Fly into either Salou or Barcelona, can't remember the hotel name but will have a look when I have my phone.

OneStepMoreFun · 04/02/2019 11:17

Barcelona.
Venice Lido di Jessolo

Kazzyhoward · 04/02/2019 11:20

Cyprus would meet your May/June swimming temperature. Flight time is longer than most of the med but still shorter than TelAviv

Resorts like Pathos are quaint have historical places to visit by foot/bus, beaches, a good town, a water park and some excellent hotels.

Protaras is a more modern resort, excellent beach for snorkelling, modern hotels, but no history. But, they do have trips across the border to Turkish occupied area of Famagusta which is fascinating and easy by bus to Ayia Napa for water park and night life.

Easy enough to get a coach trip to the capital city, Nicosia to see the history and the UN blue line border across to the Turkish occupied side of the city.

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Holidays
juneau · 04/02/2019 11:21

Puerto Pollensa, Majorca
Playa Blanca, Lanzarote (4-hour flight - don't know if that's too long?)
Paphos, Cyprus (again, 4-hour flight, but reliably warm. Check out Annabelle and Almyra hotels)

Wherever you go I'd choose somewhere with a heated pool. Unheated is, IMO, too cold unless the air temp has been very high for some time and it won't have been in Europe in May/June.

LoniceraJaponica · 04/02/2019 11:24

Cefalu, Sicily

purpleboy · 04/02/2019 11:24

Www.altalomacosta.com

It's near Malaga, not a hotel but it has on site bars, restaurants, evening entertainment, kids club, kids playground, beachfront, shops.
Kids pools, heated pools, spa, gym. Everything you need. We've stayed a couple of times before and it's perfect for a family.

Original poster
Squelchsquerch · 04/02/2019 11:25

4 hour is fine. I went to Paphos as a kid! It was quite package holidayish back then, is it still like that? That's not necessarily a bad thing for us no, not sure at the moment

OP posts:
BonnesVacances · 04/02/2019 11:25

Malaga would also meet those requirements. You could stay in the city centre in a hotel with rooftop pool and/or go to the beach, or be further out towards Fuengirola within walking distance from the beach and town, but in easy train distance from Malaga city.

juneau · 04/02/2019 11:40

Paphos is still a bit package-holidayish, but those hotels are lovely.

Lanzarote is also a great destination for families - we had one of our best family holidays there - but we had a car and explored. If you stay in Playa Blanca though you could get away with not doing so if you're a family who prefers to lie by the pool or just potter in the local town.

MadMadMad · 04/02/2019 11:48

What about Malta - lovely weather, nice beaches and lots to see/do with a good bus network for exploring the rest of the island.

Fazackerley · 04/02/2019 11:52

anywhere in Europe will nred a heated pool in may.

Fazackerley · 04/02/2019 11:52

mallorca is fab fab in may but you will definitely need a heated pool

PlainVanilla · 04/02/2019 11:55

Greece, possibly Austria, definitely somewhere with a heated pool. Canary Islands, Sardinia, Corsica.

Kazzyhoward · 04/02/2019 11:59

anywhere in Europe will nred a heated pool in may

I've been to Cyprus in May and outdoor pools and even the sea have been fine to swim in. A little on the chilly side perhaps, but hardly cold enough not to bother. Many of the more modern hotels have heated indoor pools anyway as Cyprus has a very long season, some being open all year.

Original poster
Squelchsquerch · 04/02/2019 12:09

Great suggestions. Can I go to them all please now rather than shivering away in the UK? Would really appreciate some names of specific hotels that are well located and great for young kids. Ta

OP posts:
Lucisky · 04/02/2019 13:09

Croatia or the canary islands. But even in the canary islands I have found pools chilly in may (but then I have a phobia of cold water).

CottonSock · 04/02/2019 13:14

Agree you need a heated pool. I've never found an unheated one warm enough

Nunyabusiness · 04/02/2019 13:27

Check out the Mestral and Llebeig Apartments in Menorca, lovely kids pool, a little soft play and good evening entertainment for the little ones

WinterHeatWave · 04/02/2019 13:31

Given the ages of the kids, I think you need a heated pool.

Seville?
Somewhere in Italy? Tho it would be towns rather than cities, I think.

WinterHeatWave · 04/02/2019 13:32

Actually, scrap the Seville. It's not as close to the coast as I remember.

Fairenuff · 04/02/2019 13:49

What budget, what board?

Original poster
Squelchsquerch · 04/02/2019 16:27

Any really. Just drawing up a shortlist of possibilities.thanks

OP posts:
Fairenuff · 04/02/2019 17:04

There's a lovely little place just south of Benidorm called La Cala de Finestrat. It's a super beach for kids as it's small and the water is shallow and it's fringed with shops and bars so plenty of places to eat, etc. The bus to Benidorm is every half an hour or something if you want to go to a big town and there's a lovely animal park a five minute taxi ride away.

Hotel

Charley50 · 04/02/2019 17:07

Palma, Mallorca?

MillieMoodle · 04/02/2019 17:12

Playa blanca, Lanzarote. We've been twice with the DC when they were 1 & 6, and 2 & 7. Can't afford it this year but saving for next year!