Family trips: Barcelona coast, Canary and Balearic Islands

By Loren in Family holidays

To travel with family you need to choose a good destination in order to satisfy tastes of every member of the group. Children, grandparents, teenagers, parents… Beach is the most convenient option when you travel with children, since they can have fun freely and adults have always the possibility to relax without worries. Today we are going to analyse the advantages of 3 beach areas traditionally recommended to make the most of summer with family.

Barcelona Coast

Also called Maresme, the coast of Barcelona is one of the best alternatives for a family holiday. Easy to arrive by car from any point of the peninsula and Europe, it represents a historical destination with good services, quiet atmosphere and complete family accommodations.

It boasts comfortable beaches with easy accesses, quiet waters, all kind of attractions to complement a fun day with the little ones, bars, restaurants and clubs in the centre and surroundings. Calella, Santa Susanna, Pineda de Mar… Villages of this Catalonian coast are friendly places offering a range of possibilities in terms of culture, sport and children’s leisure.

Among the accommodations in Maresme, it is worth mentioning historic hotels in Calella, dedicated to families during decades, hotels in Pineda de Mar, shaping a top level tourist centre, and apartments, which are always an interesting options especially if you travel during a longer period (more than 10 days).

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands, headed by Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, are the ideal destinations if, besides a fun place for children, you want to take advantage of the quietness, relaxation and magic of this wonderful archipelago.  Good aerial connections from almost any airport of the peninsula make them, despite of its distance, one of the most comfortable options: flight prices are really affordable, with many charter offers and low cost companies; there is good public transportation service in all the areas connecting to the airport and tourist centres, and most of the family hotels in Tenerife, Lanzarote or Fuerteventura provide direct transfers.

The number of leisure, cultural and sport plans are so many that choosing and organising a holiday plenty of activities, without giving up rest is really difficult. Theme parks and zoos, surfing, scuba diving, boat trips, hiking tours, wine tasting, local gastronomy…

Accommodations are complete and affordable, even those with higher category (4-5 stars). Among them, family hotel in Costa Adeje stand out, as well as spa hotel in Tenerife and family hotels in Jandía, Fuerteventura which are perfect for those in search of relaxation and entertainment.  4-star resorts in Lanzarote stand out for their services and prices.

Majorca

It has been, is and will be the favourite one of families. Its nature, capacity of providing different leisure activities specially conceived for those who travel with children have turned it into a reference during decade and have kept it as the family holidays’ capital in Spain. With one of the best connected airports in Europe, and infrastructures designed to make the tourist’s life easier, enjoying Majorca is simple, although it is not as affordable as in other destinations of the peninsula.

Nevertheless, those who travel to this island, return and claims that it is worth it. Attractions in theme parks, as well as in nature, gastronomy, heritage and culture, make up a holiday plan hard to match: in Majorca we find some of the best Mediterranean beaches, amusement parks for children, varied and healthy gastronomy, a wide range of events, popular celebrations, museums, clubbing areas, bicycle, sailing, climbing and hiking routes which have attracted the most famous sportsmen in the world…

Hotels in Majorca are also some of the most innovative family hotels that you can find. It is worth mentioning some accommodations in Magaluf of Sol Hotels, such as Sol Katmandú, which is an authentic amusement park with hotel beside the sea.  All inclusive hotels in Alcudia are also very renowned because, besides being located in an enviable environment, they offer complete services specialised in children. The area of family hotels in Playa de Palmais the most convenient if you look for an accommodation close to everything, well connected to the airport and to the centre of the island’s capital.

Ibiza

Despite what people might think, Ibiza is not only for young people in search of party or for couples wanting to relax in front of the sea.  Ibiza is a peaceful and fun destination for families too. Villages such as Santa Eulária des Riu or Port de Sant Miquel are wonderful option to have a good time with children: nature, beaches and activities for all ages combine perfectly in these areas.

Connections to Ibiza are better and more complete: there are more trips to the main cities of the peninsula, flight prices are more affordable than ever, and it is really easy to mover around the island if you rent a car.

Family accommodations in Ibiza have been also growing, adapting and specialising to offer a more complete service, allowing families to take advantage of attractions of the island for children and adults, with original and careful leisure plans. Resorts in Port de Sant Miquel, as well as hotels in Santa Eulària –which are the areas more focused on families–, are the most recommended ones, although it is truth that nowadays you can find family hotels in almost any place in Ibiza, from Playa den Bossa to Sant Antoni.

 

The best hotel areas in Majorca

By Loren in Majorca

Suddenly, you decide that this year you will spend your holiday in Majorca… and you don’t even know where to stay!  Don’t worry, this island has a huge range of accommodations and it is truth that it is better to rule out some areas, especially if you look for sun, beach and quietness. Here you have some clues:

North: beaches and nature

The north is the best area to book a hotel in Majorca if you are thinking of some relaxing days, huge fine sand beaches, beach bars, and games for children and nature. It is one of the best preserved areas in the island, along with Serra de Tramuntana, but there is a largest number of accommodations, so prices are more affordable and competitive. Hotels in Playa de Muro are one of the most complete options: they are not just specialised and high quality hotels, but they are also located right in front of one of the biggest beaches in Majorca, surrounded by beach clubs for sport lovers… and for those who love to have a beer on the seaside.

Hotels in Alcudia are also a very attractive alternative. They are situated in the north western, close to Pollensa and Formentor. They have the advantage of being located one step away from the centre of Alcudia, which is one of the most beautiful villages in the northern coast, and they have better connections to the centre of Palma. In a bit more than an hour you will be directly in the airport, in 2 minutes you will arrive to the mountain range or go to lively villages such as Sa Pobla.

East: Mediterranean dawn

From Cala Millor to Artà, the Eastern coast of Majorca is an authentic paradise to rest and forget from it all. Instead of big beaches, here you will find coves and inlets with rocks and sand, some of them even boast pine forests and outdoor bars where you can enjoy a relaxing afternoon beside the sea… and in the shade (which is a real luxury in Majorca in August).  The coves of Mondragó Natural Park are two paradises and are situated very close to picturesque villages such as Portocristo and Portocolom. As for accommodation, the most recommended is to look for hotel offers in Cala Millor, Sa Coma, Canyamel and Son Servera or, directly, a hotel in Cala Ratjada, one of the coastal villages in Majorca that preserves a fishing essence, where you will always have everything within reach.

Close to Palma: beach and urban leisure

The centre of Palma is an option where you need not combine certain elements to really enjoy it. You may think that spending the summer in this city is not precisely the most idyllic plan, especially for the high temperatures in Majorca in August… But Palma has many to offer and, if you rent a car, you can move easily around the island, visit all the places you want and return to enjoy the parties, shops and culture the capital has to offer. A very attractive alternative is opting for a hotel in Playa de Palma, just 2 minutes away from the airport, in front of the sea and 10 minutes away from the Cathedral. The closest area to Can Pastilla is the most recommended ones to avoid crowds of German tourists that come to spend their summer in the surroundings of Balneario 6, in the areas of Llucmajor known as S’Arenal. You can also choose a hotel in S’Arenal, but at the end, next to the yacht club: hotels are very affordable, there are less tourists and you can enjoy the Son Verí coves, Cala Blava y Bellavista, which are delightful.

Illetas, from the promenade towards Cala Major and Calvià, is another recommended place to stay in Majorca. Hotel rates are a bit higher, but quality and landscape beauty really worth it. Besides, it is very close to areas such as Puerto Portals, Portals Vells, Portals Nous and Cala del Mago.

Western: Relaxation and fun

Calvià is one of the classic British tourism areas, specially concentrated in Magaluf and Palmanova, which has had bad press in the last years. Nevertheless, apart from a couple of streets in Magaluf, Calvià, Santa Ponsa and Peguera are an exceptional destination to stay in Majorca and enjoy a really quiet holiday with your couple of family. In fact, here we have one of our favourite places: the area of hotels in Costa de la Calma, at the foot of Cala Blanca. Even in Magaluf people is changing their philosophy, and leaving behind the party concept for a more modern, amusing, relaxing and fresh hotel style. An example of this is the old Barracuda hotel that now is part of the innovative complex FERGUS Magaluf Resort, designed for young people, families and groups of friends in search of beach and relaxation, but without giving up the summer fun in Majorca.

Tramuntana: the pure essence of Majorca

Deià, Banyalbufar, Estellencs, Esporles, Valldemossa… They are nice villages in the island, authentic natural treasures that preserves to the perfection the lifelong Mediterranean charm, quietness and good taste of traditions. Perfect for those who want to get away from it all, lo live in the middle of nature, enjoy the Mediterranean in small coves, hike, contemplate beautiful sunsets and make part of the exclusive atmosphere of this area. It is exclusive because there is a smaller number of accommodations and higher prices.

Destinations for sport lovers

By Loren in Majorca

Sports have turned in one of the main trip motivations in the whole world. It is not really new, since many have visited coastal areas in order to find the best waves and to surf, or have gone to the Perynees or the Alps to enjoy the snow sports.  Nevertheless, now it is not just about this type of sport disciplines related to specific geographical conditions, but also about a growing number of people taking advantage of their holiday to enjoy their favourite sport (which they also practice in their places of residence) in a different scene and without the pressure of the routine and the everyday life.

Majorca stands out as cradle of the bicycle touring. This type of cycling is one of the main motivations of hundreds of tourists who every year, especially in spring and autumn, book hotels in Alcudia, Majorca, which is considered one of the most related municipalities to this discipline, where we can find hotels with specific services for cyclists that cannot be provided, for example, by a hotel in the centre of Palma. Actually, some hotels for children in Playa de Muro have started to reinforce this aspect by offering a complete plan of active holidays for families.

For running, undoubtedly one of the fashionable sports, destinations such as the Catalonian coast, specifically Barcelona coast, are some of the most visited ones due to its nearness to the city of Barcelona and to the excellent weather conditions for doing this sport.  Hotels in Santa Susanna or rooms in Calella and other near towns are usually very popular, especially in weekend getaways.

If we talk about windsurfing, we cannot forget to mention the Fuerteventura beaches.  The island is one of the most important surfing centres of the international circuits.  Actually, one of the most important worldwide competitions is celebrated here. Many resorts in Playa de Jandia and hotels in Corralejo offer from discounts in schools for those wanting to make the most of the holidays to start this sport, to spaces for putting the equipment away.

For practising motorcycling or just for enjoying one of the most important events of this sport in Spain, the destination par excellence is Jerez. Booking an accommodation near to the MotoGP circuit could be a real odyssey if you do not do it long in advance since, year after year, this Andalusian city receives hundreds of bikers wanting to enjoy this important event. The region’s streets, besides, are perfect for organising and enjoying a group trip.

Golf is another of the trip motivations in any time of the year. Majorca and its hotels in Santa Ponsa or the golf resorts near to Palma are leading again, after Malaga and the big golf valley, in whose surroundings the best spa hotels in Marbella are located, flawlessly combining sport and relax at affordable price.