need somewhere warm and sunny in late july/august - maybe spain or greece - not too expensive [ha!] - laid back - but with stuff for kids to do...

[peanutbrittle]

the title says it all really

me'n'DH
2 DDs (7 and 4)
want to be near a sandy beach
nothing too busy-resorty-high touristy
need some cafes/bars/restuarants nearby but nothing too fancy required
self-catering
low key activities for kids fine but otherwise happy to rely on beach and felt tips/books etc

please tell me where to go/look...

money is NOT not an obstacle so reasonably priced (whatever that means - I dunno, never done this before!)

thanks

oh, direct flight from London too please

hoping this would have the perfect answer

ha ha - I'm sure someone will be along soon with the answer to all our needs

Message withdrawn

The Algarve in Portugal. Fly to Faro airport. Go to somewhere in central Algarve - about a 45-minute drive from the airport. Carvoeiro or somewhere nearby. Check out Quinta do Rosal resort - you can find it in the Hoseasons brochure but search online for them too. We had an amazing holiday there last year with our kids; self-catering but with a restaurant on site, pool, near the beaches, lots of restaurants a short drive away etc etc. Climate, food and scenery are all brilliant.

You can also camp/mobile home if money is a bit tight - probably worth getting the Rough Guide to the Algarve and going through it.

I can't rate Portugal highly enough!!

thanks mummy dragon will check out algarve - the quinta do rosal makes me think that maybe we want somewhere a bit less custom built - maybe a bit more ...I don't know how to describe it...anyway, will check out the rest of the algarve...thank you

misssunny - I get your drift, and it's a good one, but my problem is I have no idea where in the world might suit us, ie where to START looking! I don't want anything very commercialised, or busy, or built up - with thoe criteria is there anywhere you might be able to suggest as a jump off point?

off to google Kos now

Something like this?

Beautiful beaches round here....

or this

When you say WARM, what temperature do you mean?

What about northern Spain? Beautiful sandy beaches in Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia. You can fly Ryanair or Clickair to Santander, Oviedo, La Coruña, Santiago de Compostela or Vigo. It's where the Spaniards come to escape the suffocating heat of Madrid. No "Brits on Holiday" atmosphere at all.

Or any of these

Le Lavandou is particularly lovely. Fly to Toulon.

oooh, lots to look at - thanks portofino

cies, I like it quite warm, high 20s but we'll have two kids so maybe mid-20s really, I mean sunny and able to get out and about, swim in sea etc

I had a google for spain's costa verde but it is prving very hard to find anywhere to rent as it is so underdeveloped from british point of view (perfect btw!) - do you have any tips?