Hi there - I am planning a trip to Italy, France, and Spain for June if this year. I am still trying to decide on the beach portion of our vacation and can't decide between Nice or Mallorca. Which do you think would be more fun for my 13 year old DD? I've been to Nice and loved it! I've never been to Spain and we are planning a few nights in Barcelona and would like to then fly to a beautiful beach town either in France or Spain. Is Mallorca worth the trouble? What is there to do other than relax on the beach? Thanks so much?
Nice, France or Mallorca, Spain with teen?
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No matter where you select will be crowded this summer. And if you haven't already made your reservations, then your options on lodging will be limited, depending on your budget. Not knowing what your 13 yo is interested in makes it difficult to point you in the right direction.
If it were me, then I would head to the Basque coast in June, or maybe Biarritz, where your 13 can at least go surfing.
It won't be totally crowded in June, just busy. Given a choice for a 13 year old, I think that Mallorca will be a better choice. Depending on how you like your beach holiday, head to the East Coast at Cala d'Or, the North Coast at Puerto Pollensa or lastly the Bay of Palma in the Iletas area. Avoid Palma Nova, Magaluf etc. which are hell on wheels.
What is there to do for fun besides swim in the sea?
What is there to do for fun in Mallorca besides swim in the sea?
See the old towns of Alcudia & Pollensa. Visit the Caves of Drach or one of the other sites over on the East coast near Porto Christo. Visit Palma for churches, the Cathedral and shopping. See Andratx for an upmarket resort. Visit Sant Elm near Andratx for the views and the food at Los Caracoles.
There are water parks dotted about and the night life is good. Although it wouldn't be my choice, the resorts of Palma Nova and Magaluf ofer lots of people her age and older teens and twenties.
See Cala d'Or & the Monastery at Lluc. Visit Valdemossa and take the old train from Palma to Soller. See Denia and the North coast of the island for great beaches.
Another option: When our kids were in their teens, we took the train from Barcelona to Sitges, about a 30 minute ride. There are at least two wonderful beaches right in town. One stretches along a seafront promenade that borders town.
Sitges draws a lot of artists, so there are some very interesting galleries and boutiques to explore. Town is full of tiny restaurants, and there are hotels available in all price ranges. For a few days on the beach, it was a great choice for us.
Another option: When our kids were in their teens, we took the train from Barcelona to Sitges, about a 30 minute ride. There are at least two wonderful beaches right in town. One stretches along a seafront promenade that borders town.
Sitges draws a lot of artists, so there are some very interesting galleries and boutiques to explore. Town is full of tiny restaurants, and there are hotels available in all price ranges. It was a nice break from touring for a few days.