starofthesea

Hello All
We have been in London for the last few months and no doubt you have all heard how wet and cool it has been, especially considering it is their summer. So our family,including 3 young children, are looking for some sun and warm waters!
We have recently visited Italy and France so were thinking of Spain. Majorca springs to my mind but we have never been, nor do I know anyone who has.
I am looking for recommendations please, not just for Majorca if you know somewhere else. My youngest, 4 year old, loves sand and my oldest, 9 yrs, loves the pool so a combination is essential to us. We don't want to travel far from an airport and prefer to not have to hire a car.
our budget is flexible given that we really want a beach holiday. We don't want a noisy, party all night resort but something calm and safe for families.
I appreciate any suggestions

Robert2533

Some idea of your dates and budget would be helpful. Having a flexible budget really doesn't tell us much, as my favorite place on Majorca is Cap Rocat, hardly for the budget minded, but not all that bad (www.caprocat.com).

kimhe

Take a look at the Parador in Nerja close to Málaga airport. Small town by the coast with all amenities that make it popular with tourists, yet it has retained much of its Andalucian small town charm. http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/para...-nerja.en.html

About Nerja: http://www.nerjatoday.com/

Photo of Nerja: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/...de6a8146_o.jpg

Old town street, 100 meters from the sea: http://www.minube.com/fotos/rincon/131879/629455

The spectacular prehistoric caves just outside town, lived people here 25 000 years ago: http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?lenguaje=en

Nerja for kids: http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerja/nerja-for-kids/

belted_galloway

Fly into Palma and get a taxi to the train statin then take the antique train to Soller/Port de Soller. These are solid middle market destinations with many good hotels and a good beach.

Your children will the love the train trip.

To be sure of very good weather you need to go further south, say Sicily. We have been to Mallorca many times, last July the weather was in the mid 20s with many cloudy days over the 2 weeks. To be sure of 30o plus you need to go to Greece, Southern Italy or Turkey.

TommieG

A very nice hotel I stayed in 2 years ago is Viva Palmanova in Palmanova, Mallorca: http://www.hotelsviva.com/en/hotel/viva-palmanova.html

Very friendly staff, good food and drinks (you can choose to go all inclusive or not), close to the beach, nice pools wioth some small slides for children, quiet location, but only 5 min walk to some action/shops/restaurants etc, and only 20 min from the airport.

Rubicund

If you want a beach holiday in Mallorca, you need to avoid Magaluf, Palma Nova etc. It's mad there in the summer. Head for the North end of the island to Puerto Pollenca which has a long stretch of sandy beach, safe bathing, lots of decent hotels and nice restaurants.

The town itself is pleasant and a lot more Spanish than the resort areas down South. If you want to get out and about, see Pollenca, Alcudia, Soller, Deia and Valldemossa.

belted_galloway

I would agree about Palma Nova, after many years of trying by the local government, it is still an awful place. Too much beer, too many bars.

kimhe

The Parador in Nerja is by the sea and has got a children's playground, large outdoor swimming pool, a large garden, tennis courts and an elevator down to the main beach (nine small and large beaches in town).

Very peaceful at the Parador (I found it almost too peaceful), but there are several great and genuine tapas bars and restaurants two minutes walk away. 5-10 mins walk to the center of town and landmark Balcón de Europa.

Lots of traditional Spanish tapas bars/restaurants in town, but there are also great and genuine Italian, Thai, Chinese, and Indian restaurants as well as a couple of gourmet places.

Cheap flights from London Stansted to Málaga with Ryanair every day in 4 hours. A taxi from the huge Málaga airport is 40 mins and 69€ when booked in advance with Nerja taxis. Excellent service (20€ more if you just jump into a taxi at the airport). https://www.nerjataxis.net/booking.php

belted_galloway

This place is lovely.

Well positioned, short journey to Soller town and the beach.

http://www.cascurial.com/uk/photos-pool-gardens.html

Very Spanish and very welcoming.

starofthesea

Many thanks for all your replies. I have checked them out and taken on board your advice, now my problem is finding Last minute availability.
Any feedback on the Playa de Muro area up north? A few of the Iberostar properties have availability

Rubicund

Have a look at:

http://www.majorca-mallorca.co.uk/playa_de_muro.htm for more info.

Not stayed there but have driven through and it looks OK.

belted_galloway

Really good beach, great views over Pollensa bay. My brother stayed wih his family at the Iberostar and loved it. Be warned, the strip behind the hotels on the front is the last place you will find a Spanish experience but if you want a great beach, sun and a good hotel look no further.

We usually stop off here for a beach day at some stage, it can get windy at times.

The hotel will arrange a coach transfer from the airport.

Sassafrass

"Looking for a nice beach and pool with kids"
None come with kids, you have to bring your own. Just kidding.

starofthesea

Haha Sassafrass, nice pick up. It may not be obvious to all but I am usually staying awake rather late trying to do my research in peace after the kids (yes, unfortunately at times, all my own!) have gone to sleep.

TommieG

In defense of Palmanova: indeed not the most picture perfect town, but a nice beach, close to the airport, good facilities etc. Plsu: Viva Palmanova really is a great hotel! And located 5 min from the beach in a quiet part of town.

belted_galloway

Tommie

I agree that awful was far too strong a word. There are places on the planet that are far, far worse and for a family it is fine.

Cowboy1968

Actually, what you (OP) have in mind is a good ole-fashioned package holiday. Nothing wrong with that, by the way. But why don't you just pop in the next travel agency in your current home base in the UK and check their last-minute offers?

Many hotels on Mallorca or any resort around the Med sell a huge chunk if not all of their rooms to tour operators, especially for high season (now).
So there can be many last-minute vacancies at Thomas Cook or similar while the same hotels show no vacancies on their websites for individual booking.
The resorts on Mallorca's east coast are also not so big and somewhat quieter than anything along the Playa de Palma.

Booking through an operator or agency will usually also get you a transfer from the airport to the hotel, so you don't have to fuss about taxis or rental cars.

If Mallorca feels a bit too busy (which it is during summer), you can also look into offers for its smaller sister Menorca.
Formentera is even quieter, but harder to reach as it has no airport.

Typical alternatives for a more family-oriented beach holiday in the Western Med could be the Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Azahar, Costa Blanca,.. and so on and on and on.
In addition, you have the neighboring tourist regions: Djerba (not Spain, I know), Algarve (again, not Spain) or Agadir (well, you guessed, not Spain).
Caveat: If you don't hold an EU passport, you should inquire about visa requirements if you think about Tunesia or Morocco.

So, there are definetely a TON of options in that region, not just two towns on the Costa del Sol or on Mallorca.

Cowboy1968

By the way.. If you are serious about sandy beaches, check out Fuerteventura.
The Canaries are also a "cooler" alternative during high season as it never gets as hot as in Southern Spain.