3 Multigenerational Holiday Destinations All Ages Will Love

We don’t know when travel restrictions will be lifted, but we do know there’s a world of pleasure out there awaiting us when that day comes. And who better to share it with than family? 

Will Multigenerational Holidays Be on the Rise Once the Travel Ban Lifts?

The coronavirus has seriously displaced our usual family relationships. Some people we love we’ve not been able to see for months because of social distancing. We weren’t prepared for how much we’d miss Dad’s smile, Nana’s homemade biscuits. Even Uncle Nigel’s irritating practical jokes are starting to look amusing in retrospect.

But then other people we love we’ve seen rather too much of. The children for starters. We love them to bits, of course, but let’s face it – when children have no outlets for all that energy, they can become a bit… trying. A few rainy days are fun – bring out the board games, the art supplies, the Disney DVDs! – but now it feels like it’s been pitching it down for months with no end in sight. Sometimes you fear that one more game of Snakes and Ladders will send you quite, quite mad. And don’t get us started on how annoying those adorable dalmatians have become – and there are 101 of them.

Then there’s your significant other, your perfect partner, the love of your life. If he does that thing with his foot one more time…

Hit the reset button

And that’s why when all this is over we’re going to need to press the reset button with both categories of family members. We need to reconnect with loved ones we haven’t seen in a while - and we need to remember how much fun we can have with our fellow prisoners.

So plan to pack up your kids and your parents and maybe Uncle Nigel (if he promises to behave) and head for the sun. Travelling with family is a great way to spend quality time. Together on the beach you’ll find a renewed connection and commitment.

The Best Family Holiday Destinations in the World for All Ages

1) Marmaris

Situated along the Turkish Riviera where the Aegean blends into the Mediterranean you will find Marmaris, one of the stars of Turkish holiday destinations. Here the sun shines 300 days of the year on a leisurely coastline offering beautiful beaches, intriguing bays and inlets, a stunning surrounding landscape of hills and pine trees and sea, sea, sea. They don’t call this the Turquoise Coast for nothing. 

Among the array of child-friendly activities are fishing trips, go karts, quad and buggy safari vehicles, scuba diving, water parks and the Marmaris Dolphin Park.

And what child will not adore the mud baths of Dalyan? Plus the hot springs here are meant to have health benefits, so that can be Grandma and Grandad’s excuse for frolicking in the mud. The whole family can clean off afterwards with a Turkish bath. 

Slip in a little education and culture in Marmaris Old Town, which features narrow cobblestone streets and traditional stone houses. The highlight is Marmaris Castle, whose exotic history will make history lovers’ heads spin: believed to be originally built by the Ionians circa 1044 BCE, the castle was rebuilt and enlarged in 1522 by Suleiman the Magnificent, whose hat is even more magnificent than his name. He was invading Rhodes at the time and the castle made an excellent military base.

2) Benidorm

Located on the eastern coast of Spain, Benidorm offers several beaches suitable for young children and Uncle Nigel, who cherishes the inaccurate notion that he can swim. Equipment for beach volleyball and football is available, as are toboggans, inflatable slides and pedal boats.

Away from the water, you can choose from numerous theme parks, water parks and nature parks. Oh, what the heck – visit them all. You’ve been locked down too long. 

Mundomar has over 80 different kinds of animals in a park of 60,000 square metres. Here you can swim with sea lions and dolphins, have your photo taken with a lemur (it’ll be cuter than your children), hang out with exotic parrots and much, much more.

Terra Natura is a zoo, yes, but it doesn’t stop there. It offers ‘Zooimmersion’ adventures such as ‘elephant discovery’, in which the children can be junior zookeepers for half an hour. Or there’s a longer (four-hour) version that allows the whole family to experience what it’s like to work with and care for the animals. The youngest (or most dramatic) of your family will love ‘fairies and elves school’, in which you get to dress up and perform magical spells to protect wildlife. Plus there’s ‘night safari’, a guided walk giving you the opportunity to see nocturnal beasts when they’re actually awake.

Terra Mítica offers rides under the headings of ‘Exciting’ (perfect for Great Aunt Molly, who was a trapeze artist in her youth), ‘For Family’ and ‘For Children’. The very names of the rides will entice you: the Fury of Triton, the Labyrinth of the Minotaur (unlike the original Greek adventure, this one involves laser guns; why didn’t Theseus think of that?) and the Ride over the Falls of the Nile, which fulfills every child’s dream of piloting a sarcophagus.  

Got a baby with you? You don’t need to lug all your baby paraphernalia overseas because you can hire it all upon arrival from Easy Baby Trip, which operates in Benidorm. They supply everything but the baby.

3) Calas de Mallorca

This modern resort on the east coast of Majorca is your most relaxed and relaxing choice. The nightlife is limited – on purpose, because this is meant to be a quiet, calm holiday destination.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. Aside from the three small beaches perfect for families, there is a playground and funfair in the commercial centre. The fun stuff includes go karts, trampolines, climbing frames, crazy golf and bouncy castles. 

Calas de Mallorca has great amenities if your family party includes people with mobility issues, such as toddlers or Grandad after the hip replacement. There’s a little road train for tourists, the Calas Express, which will take you to all the places you want to go. 

Multigenerational Holiday Destinations: Honorary Mentions

On the southern coast of Tenerife you’ll find Costa Adeje, and in finding Costa Adeje, you’ve also located beaches, jet skiing, windsurfing, whale and dolphin watching, golf and water parks.

Hurghada, on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, offers snorkelling (with dolphins, but the dolphins don’t need the equipment), numerous water parks, scuba diving and the Grand Aquarium, which really is grand: you can see some 1,200 species in 24 different galleries. An unusual offering in Hurghada not generally included in seaside holidays is quad biking in the desert!  

Albufeira, on the southern Portugal-Algarve coastline, has great beaches and a charming historic centre. Very sensibly, it separates its family-friendly aspects from its party-hearty ones, so you don’t even have to think about it. (You’re on holiday – thinking is not what you came for, thank you.)

Simple equation: Old Town is for family and The Strip (or New Town) is for partiers. Family-friendly adventures include theme parks, water parks, the ever-popular dolphins (don’t you think dolphins should get paid more?), go karting, horse riding, crazy golf… the list goes on.

Honour Thy Father and Mother... and Thy Kids and Thy Uncle Nigel

When we can finally get out again and head to deliciously fun places, let’s take the whole famn damily. We’ve survived being apart and we’ve survived being together, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that ultimately family matters most of all. And that’s something to celebrate.