Shorthaul Destinations ideal for Toddlers

[Janbo25]

Hi we are looking at booking our 2008 summer holiday, ideally we are after somewhere which is no longer than a 3.5 hour flight away from the uk and somewhere which is not real bustling however somewhere which as plenty of bars and restuarants suitable for children. I like the bars where they have outdoor play areas for the kids to play whilst you have a drink??

So then any suggestions lol?

chopster and mrsspoon, exactly which area of la manga is best to stay in? ie nearest to beaches with play areas, parks etc. have heard about this area, but have never been to mainland spain before. any tips welcome . my ds is 3 and needs plenty to keep him amused!!

alibo, sorry just seen this. Obviously I'm going to recommend the area where our apartment is (15% off to MNetters ). It is on the La Manga Strip, which is in the Murcia area of Spain on the Costa Calida (which means the warm coast, it has some of the best, most consistent weather in Spain). A budget flight to Murcia or Alicante would get you there.

The strip itself is 22km long and offers a variety of accommodation. Our apartment is in an area often referred to as the "5 star" area of the strip and consists of newly built luxury apartments, this is near the Tomas Maestre Marina (our apartment has front-line views of the marina), the area has great restaurants and little bars. In the Marina area where most of the restaurants are there is a little park, at least two of the beaches on the strip have play equipment, also a few of the apartments round about have little parks in front of them/near them (I can think of two near us). At the moment it is the Spanish holiday season and they love La Manga, when I last visited in June they had put inflatables out in the Mar Menor (the little sea, largest salt water lake in Europe, it is safe, shallow and warm) for older children and more inflatables on the beach for the little ones which looked great fun (I didn't have my DSs with me but they would have loved it)! Also when we were out in Easter (another time of year the Spanish favour to visit) there were bouncy castles and little fairground type rides set up in a few locations on the strip. It is a very child friendly place. Even out of the Spanish season the little parks are still there and the staff in the restaurants always make a fuss over the children.

Here is my Small Business Ad with MN, if you have a look at our website, it should tell you a bit more about the area.

We loved the Algarve(Lagos), Majorca(Puerto Pollensa) and are planning to go to France (La Rochelle/Ile de Re) this September.

thanks, mrs spoon. Was originally considering menorca, but think the weather there can be a bit chagable towards end of sept. also fancy portugal, now cannot decide!

majorca