Does this holiday exist?

[mamaduckbone]

2 older teen ds's who eat like horses and would prefer AI (in some ways so would I, but only because it takes the stress out of thinking about where the next meal is coming from and helps with budgeting) A pool is essential, but none of us are bothered about evening entertainment.

A Dh who is an anxious traveller and likes the security of a package deal where everything is sorted by the tour operator. Also won't drive abroad.

Me - desperate for somewhere that we can get out of the resort and see some of the local area, escape the AI for an occasional meal, so ideally within walking distance of a town that isn't just a tourist resort.

Looking at Greece, but open minded to other options.

I thought I had it sorted with an apartment hotel in Agios Nikolaos but having looked a bit more closely it's not quite hitting the spot, although the town looks gorgeous and I really want to go to Spinalonga.

Please help! I'm going round in circles.
Budget around 4k for a week in mid July.

@RoseJoker budget will cover 4* quite easily if she looks at TUI or Jet2 before schools break up.

Hotel Belzeki Beach, Turkey.

Majorca or Ibiza.

Crete or Rhodes.

My friend recommends Santa Napa hotel in Cyprus as they love to get out and about and do stuff.

Crikey - do you really have nothing better to do?

Thank you! As I've said, I've found plenty of options - 3 / 4 * with excellent trip advisor ratings - but just wanted to pick mumsnet brains on great locations.

Some fab tips here that I wouldn't have thought of.

Paphos could work, one of the Louis hotels and then you can walk along the promenade to the ruins, restaurants etc.

First Choice Holiday Village Ibiza - been numerous times and it ticks all those boxes.

Oops! Except price, sorry. Probably a bit over budget mid-July, though of course depends how long you decide to go for.

Costa Adeje in Tenerife is good, lots around. Go Torviscas end rather than Las Americas, bit nicer.

Depending on where you pick, I wouldn’t chance 3* - that’s likely to be v budget.

I think OP meant that her boys ate like horses, not that they liked horses. 😀

Golden coast hotel Athens, they do have entertainment on in an evening but it’s mainly in French and the resort is so big you can sit in other areas and enjoy a drink without it bothering you. Easy walk into next town and there are a few bars along the shore to pop into should you get bored of the AI x

Eden Roc, Rhodes. 50m pool, easy bus into Rhodes town or to sites. Cheap hire car for days out and really easy driving. Nice boat excursions.

EasyJet package holiday.

Look at the Rocha Brava resort in Portugal. Shuttle bus available but Uber/Bolt are cheap and readily available. Half board is an option as are apartments which is great for the kids

Check out Sensatori in Crete - there is a
land train that takes you round the island and also there is a village 5-7 minute walk away with lots of little restaurants. And you can also head
to Old town hersonisos which does a Greek night on a Tuesday night and the place come alive Greek dancers, lots of restaurants it’s really lively!
Also check out sensatori in Fethiye Turkey - there is a boat that goes over to Fethiye town,
that has a market on a Tuesday but also buzzing nightlife and lots of shop also has umbrella street which we loved!

ideally within walking distance of a town that isn't just a tourist resort.

This is going to be where something has to give. You aren't going to find an AI place on a beach next to a quaint local town where the locals sit around playing guitars/bouzoukis all day, and who for aesthetic reasons decline to in any way take advantage of the large numbers of free-spending tourists on their doorstep.

The nearest "proper" town, with decent local restaurants frequented by local people and serving local cuisine at local prices, is always going to be 10 or more kilometres from an AI resort, probably further, and generally inland. Certainly on a Greek or Spanish island where 50% of the local GDP in summer comes from tourism. AI only exists as the logical development of 50 or more years of mass package tourism catering to northern Europeans, and as far as the people at the resort are concerned, that's you and your family too.

Also, the more genteel towns often simply don't have any AI offering (e.g., Puerto Soller in Mallorca) because the local council won't licence it, fearing an influx of all-day-binge-drinking yobs. You can get reasonably close, say with Puerto Pollensa in Mallorca, but even then 80% of the people in the restaurants will be tourists, and I can only find one AI hotel within 3km of the harbour on Booking (Cabot Pollensa Park Spa).

Malta. I stayed at the hilton malta with executive lounge access for a really good rate as an honours member. Lots of food and booze but not full AI. You can get a decent AI in St Julians Bay not too £££. Its a short uber to valetta, I ubered to Mdina not too pricey There is a hop on hop off bus around the island and supposed to be easy to use normal buses. Boat trip to Gozo and the blue lagoon. Loads to do but lovely weather for chilling by the pool. Hilton had a beach club which was bliss. Not really beachy place and take care as classy places shoved on top of tacky. Lovely marina with upmarket restaurants where we stayed next to area with night clubs and lapdancing bars!

I'm going back but just careful where I go. Valetta and mdina are beautiful and there's more to see around the island. Good value too.

If you like Türkiye check out TUI blue Tropical or TUI blue Sarigerme. They're a Few minutes walk from the lovely village. There's lots of fun activities nearby like Dalyan river, Mud baths and turtle bay. You might get lucky with your budget.

They drive on the left in Cyprus if that’s likely to help you go exploring. Paphos ticks a lot of your boxes.

Have a look at Dreams Corfu.
Its superb.

Croatia will do all of that for you

I was going to recommend here! Portugal generally is good. From Rocha Brava you are on the coastal path for lots of exploring (though hard in the heat), on the doorstep of lots of restaurants (either on resort or next to it), there's also a beach restaurant at the nearest beach a short walk away and a shuttle to the town with lots more shops / cafes etc. loads of boat trips too. We got an Uber to the supermarket once. We didn't do all inclusive but treated it like it - eating out most meals apart from breakfast (though on site does a lovely breakfast too)

This looks lovely! Could be swayed to self catering as the apartments look great. Is it easy enough to get food? And if we wanted to buy food at the resort could we do the odd dinner / breakfast at the hotel? I love the idea of the caves and the coast walk to the town. Very good price as well (with a free child place for the 16 year old 😂) so we'd have plenty of budget for eating out to DIY all inclusive!

@mamaduckbone yes it's easy enough to get food. The caves are fantastic, there's a fab boat trip which includes a trip through the caves and a bbq on the beach. Lots of lovely restaurants in the area