Once children are in full-time education, holidays can seem even more important than ever: this is the uninterrupted family time you all crave. What you want is easy-access fun – a house by the sea, manageable waves.

 

The children are old enough to take on myriad challenges, whether engaging with a new culture or having a go at a water sport for the first time; they’re also young enough to still think that spending time with just their family is cool. This summer, take on a challenge as a family: try a new destination, or sport, together.

 

1. Quintessential Cornwall

The charming fishing village of St Mawes is the ideal spot for a nostalgia-tinged seaside holiday: the waterfront has but one chain shop, and there is space aplenty on the docks for crabbing. Still, while it may look like the Fifties from the outside, this village has access to sophisticated food, water sports and charm that rivals the best of the rest of Britain.

 

There are two beaches to explore, and Henry VIII’s castle at the end of the Roseland Peninsula, looking across to St Anthony Head and Falmouth (don’t miss the National Maritime Museum there).

 

2. Forest fun

If you are a family that loves organised outdoor activities, Center Parcs is your best UK option. Set in Bedfordshire countryside, the Woburn Forest campus is well designed, giving a sense of rural escape while accommodating thousands of visitors. The lodges are high quality, if a little homogenous, and all feel sufficiently private and set back from the flow of bicycle traffic on the resort’s roads – and dogs are welcome, too.

 

3. Croyde under canvas

Whether it’s the prospect of marshmallows for breakfast, or hours to climb trees and explore, a bid at frugality, or even just the chance for uninterrupted family time, camping is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. It would be hard to imagine a more idyllic spot to pitch your tent than the shores of Croyde Bay.

 

4. Adventure in Wales

A blossoming of attractions in recent years has made Wales a serious contender for “adventure playground of Britain”. Given the abundance of scenery crammed between the peaks of Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire’s 200 miles of beaches along its ragged coast, this may not be surprising – within a stone’s throw of almost anywhere is a wealth of beaches, castles, woods, walks and wildlife parks.

 

But Wales also offers adventures to help you discover it in entirely new ways, from zip wires (zipworld.co.uk – note: most activities are for children aged seven and up) to surf lakes (surfsnowdonia.com).

 

5. Head to the Highlands

Explore the hills, glens, coasts, forests and marshes of the Highlands, encountering golden eagles, ospreys, otters and deer, at the Aigas Field Centre, in Inverness-shire, which specialises in themed wildlife holidays. Expect bug hunts, hikes and loch-side picnics.

Run by the nature writer Sir John Lister-Kaye and his family from their restored Victorian hunting lodge, accommodation is in seven log cabins and an African boma-style house for two adults and two children. Home-cooked food is served in the baronial hall of the main house.

 

6. Swedish safari

Ockelbo, 90 minutes north by train from Stockholm, is the perfect destination for anyone looking to get off the beaten track – and out of the blazing sun – this summer for an old-fashioned forest and lake adventure.

While mid-Sweden isn’t known for tourism, its densely forested countryside offers adventures aplenty. You may see bears and wolves, and experience a new level of family bonding when you stay overnight on your own island – perhaps even skinny-dipping like Scandinavian families do. Pair this with a bit of culture in Stockholm, and you’ll have a perfectly balanced family break.

 

7. Majestic Majorca

The largest of the Balearic Islands, Majorca is perfect for children: it’s lined with fantastic beaches and filled with a range of family-friendly hotels and villas. From exploring a 14th-century castle on Cabrera Island to having a go at water sports on the blue-flag Playa de Munro or sailing in Pollensa Bay, there is plenty to keep active children engaged.

8. The cool Costa

The word “Costa” can conjure up images of apartment blocks and cheap lager, but the Costa Brava should not be confused with these horrors. Thanks to its geography – little coves chipped out of a rugged, hilly coastline – and its popularity with film stars and artists (including Salvador Dalí) throughout the 20th century, this is a classier sort of place.

 

9. On the water in Menorca

With its unspoilt, glistening sandy beaches and turquoise water, Menorca is hard to beat. At Es Grau, on the north-east coast of the island, the Mediterranean stays at shin level for 40m out to sea, like a gigantic spa pool.

Part of the S’Albufera des Grau nature reserve, the beach is protected from overdevelopment. From the beach, the Camí de Cavalls follows the crinkly coastline northwards, leading to a string of secret coves, including Cala des Tamarells and Cala de sa Torreta.

 

10. Active Algarve

If you have an interest in golf or tennis – or are travelling with children of pretty much any age and would like on-site child care, Pine Cliffs is the spot for you.

 

The fantastic tennis academy hosts lessons from dawn until past dusk on one of the five courts (two are clay), there’s an on-site nine-hole golf course, and the Pirate Club (for children aged six months to seven years) and Junior Club (ages eight-13) offer superior activities (mini-golf, football, crossbow and aim shooting, water ball, darts and disc bowls) with fantastic staff who speak Portuguese and English.

Tags: Family travel, summer travel, travelling with kids