Destinations · Spain
Spain family holidays
Spain is the UK's default family holiday, and 'Spain' really means five different products: the mainland Costas, Majorca and Menorca, and the year-round Canaries. Which one you want depends on when you're going more than who you're going with.
The five Spains
Costa del Sol
The busiest, best-connected family coast. Family strongholds are Fuengirola, Torrox and La Cala de Mijas. Málaga airport handles serious volume and transfers are 20 to 60 minutes.
Costa Brava and Costa Dorada
Northerly, cooler in shoulder season, home to PortAventura (a genuine European theme park with Ferrari Land bolted on) and quieter family bays around Roses and Cambrils.
Majorca
The best all-round family island in the Mediterranean. Alcúdia and Playa de Muro for young children (a five-mile flat beach), Cala d'Or for older ones, and Palma itself as a proper city break option.
Menorca
Quieter and smaller than Majorca. Son Bou for the big-beach families, Cala Galdana for cove and cliff. Best for under-10s and holidays where the beach is the point.
Canaries (Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria)
The only European family destination worth flying to between November and March. Costa Adeje, Playa Blanca and Corralejo are the three family capitals.
When to go where
Costas and Balearics for May, June, September and October. Peak July and August are hot in the south (35+) but temperate in Menorca. Canaries for late October to Easter: everywhere else is cool for beach at that point. The two half terms carry a 20 to 40 per cent surcharge, so shift dates a week either side if school lets you.
Flight times
Roughly two hours 20 to Málaga and Alicante, two hours 30 to Palma, two hours 45 to Menorca, four hours to the Canaries. All major UK regional airports fly at least four Spanish destinations year-round.
Rough costs
Half-board four-star for a family of four for a week: £1,800 to £2,800 in June or September, £2,600 to £4,000 in August. Costa del Sol and Costa Brava run £200 to £400 cheaper than the Balearics on the same week. The Canaries jump 30 per cent for February half term versus January or March.
What each age gets out of it
Under-fives: Menorca coves and Playa de Muro flatness. 5 to 11: Costa Brava with a day at PortAventura, or Majorca's Alcúdia. 12 plus: Palma or Barcelona-plus-Costa Brava as a two-centre trip.