summer 2012 family holiday..where to go?

tamzz

We are a family of 3, child is 7 years old. Hoping to book a villa holiday this year instead of a hotel. We went to mallorca last year so would prefer somewhere different this year.

I was originally thinking about playa blanca lanzarote but if im honest the beaches in lanzarote put me off and all of the villas that caught my eye/were within budget are a 40 min+ walk from the centre of playa blanca, we won't be hiring a car so that would be a problem.

Then I began looking up Fuerteventura, Caleta de Fuste looks nice but reports say its very dead. I don't want the child to be bored completely for the whole holiday. I know she'll enjoy the villa but we are hoping for some excursions and things to do during the day.

Can anyone advise if we would be better going to lanzarote or fuerteventura..or perhaps somewhere else?

We want nice beaches, things to do during the day (boat trips, waterpark, etc.), plenty of sunshine, not full of drunks but has a bit of nightlife/family bars and preferably somewhere that you don't need a car to get around as we won't be hiring one. Hoping to book the flights via ryanair/aer lingus and a villa from owners direct when we settle on the destination!

tamzz

tamzz wrote: »

Then I began looking up Fuerteventura, Caleta de Fuste looks nice but reports say its very dead. I don't want the child to be bored completely for the whole holiday. I know she'll enjoy the villa but we are hoping for some excursions and things to do during the day.
!

She's 7. Give her a nice beach and some other English-speaking kids around and she won't be bored. Caleta de Fuste has what I call a real kids' beach. It's very flat, the water is shallow and the incoming tide gradually covers a large area of the beach, so there's plenty of opportunity for kids to muck about when the tide is coming in or going out. I don't know what your 7-year old likes, but when my fella was that age a decent beach was way more to his liking than a villa.

It's not the most exciting place for grown-ups, but I reckon it's very good for children. The long flight to the Canaries is a negative factor, but the airport transfer to Caleta de Fuste is only 15 minutes.

Leper

Three people are travelling so the whole of Mediterranean Europe and more are your oyster.

Like you said many villas are quite some distance from resorts. Those that are not tend to cost more. Therefore, I would recommend not to discount house/duplex/apartment accommodation either. You probably dont need (or want) high rise. The Holiday Homes Direct / Holiday Home Owners websites are good also and give a huge choice. But, if you book with somebody who does not advertise on those sites you will probably get a cheaper holiday. Not everybody advertises their holiday home on those sites and for various reasons.

But, back to your question, I would recommend Mojacar Playa in Costa Almeria Spain. It is a low rise resort and depending on your accommodation you should be no further than five minutes walk from the beach. Bear in mind you will need a decent supermarket near also (not just a hut with Marks & Sparks written on a broken piece of wood over the door). The drink driving laws have become more strict in Spain (harsher than ours) so you will need walking distance to restaurants/bars.

Vera Aquapark is just a short busride from Mojacar Playa. Mojacar Pueblo is within 1.5 miles and also serviced by good cheap local bus service. The pueblo is a mountain top town with narrow cobbled streets with amazing panoramic views fro miles around.

If you ever wanted to know where the Spaniards go on holidays, Mojacar Playa is one such place. English is spoken throughout.

tamzz

Deleted User wrote: »

She's 7. Give her a nice beach and some other English-speaking kids around and she won't be bored. Caleta de Fuste has what I call a real kids' beach. It's very flat, the water is shallow and the incoming tide gradually covers a large area of the beach, so there's plenty of opportunity for kids to muck about when the tide is coming in or going out. I don't know what your 7-year old likes, but when my fella was that age a decent beach was way more to his liking than a villa.

It's not the most exciting place for grown-ups, but I reckon it's very good for children. The long flight to the Canaries is a negative factor, but the airport transfer to Caleta de Fuste is only 15 minutes.

Our flight to Mallorca last year was about 3.5 hours and she did get a bit bored, especially on the way home as we had a late night flight and she couldn't sleep, but I think she would be okay for an extra hour especially considering that Caleta is only 10 mins or so from the airport. The resort we stayed in last year was almost an hour away from the airport so that added to our journey time. I seen that every friday in July/Aug this year they had a party for kids on the beach with facepainting,foam party,etc. If I can find a villa for a good price I might wait and go in early July then at least we will know she will mix with kids her own age at some point in the holiday! If we went to Lanzarote the transfer time would be an extra 45 mins so that would make it a very long journey for her (and us!)
Do you think the beaches in Caleta are okay for kids? Someone on another site said the sand was nice to look at but it got deep for kids very quick.

Leper wrote: »

Three people are travelling so the whole of Mediterranean Europe and more are your oyster.

Like you said many villas are quite some distance from resorts. Those that are not tend to cost more. Therefore, I would recommend not to discount house/duplex/apartment accommodation either. You probably dont need (or want) high rise. The Holiday Homes Direct / Holiday Home Owners websites are good also and give a huge choice. But, if you book with somebody who does not advertise on those sites you will probably get a cheaper holiday. Not everybody advertises their holiday home on those sites and for various reasons.

But, back to your question, I would recommend Mojacar Playa in Costa Almeria Spain. It is a low rise resort and depending on your accommodation you should be no further than five minutes walk from the beach. Bear in mind you will need a decent supermarket near also (not just a hut with Marks & Sparks written on a broken piece of wood over the door). The drink driving laws have become more strict in Spain (harsher than ours) so you will need walking distance to restaurants/bars.

Vera Aquapark is just a short busride from Mojacar Playa. Mojacar Pueblo is within 1.5 miles and also serviced by good cheap local bus service. The pueblo is a mountain top town with narrow cobbled streets with amazing panoramic views fro miles around.

If you ever wanted to know where the Spaniards go on holidays, Mojacar Playa is one such place. English is spoken throughout.

To be honest I wouldn't know where to start looking for villas other than on those advertising websites (holidayrentals,holidaylettings,ownersdirect,etc) We definitely want a villa though, with its own private pool (possibly a hot tub too but thats only a bonus) rather than an apartment complex/etc. I had a quick look on holiday rentals and found quite a few villas in Mojacar Playa so I will do a bit more research into the area. Thanks for the help!

mikedragon32

Caleta de Fuste isn't a great resort. It's too quiet and it has no atmosphere. My experience might have been tainted by being there because our flight was badly delayed, but walking around the place in the afternoon, there was just nobody about with the exception of blokes in a bar watching a football match.

On Fuerteventura, the main resort is Corralejo and it's very much geared towards families. It's relatively quiet, there are plenty of decent restaurants and an amazing beach just to the south of the town which has a huge area of sand dunes. It's not really a resort for gangs of singles and the singles that do go are generally surfers who are there for the good waves just to the north of the town.

There's a waterpark (Baku), which is okay (I haven't been, but it never seemed too busy) and from the harbour you can take sailings to Puerto del Carmen or Playa Blanca in Lanzarote.

It you take the bus, you can get to Puerto del Rosario, the main town and have a look around. Hire a car and explore the south coast and the middle of the island.

IMHO, the south of the island is much better, Morro del Jable for example has a beautiful long beach which isn't as windy as the north of the island. Only problem is you'd need to hire a car to get down and back (but it's still cheaper than a taxi).

mikedragon32

I has started to type the reply above, then got called away, so hadn't seen your new post OP.

How about this place: http://www.costasal.com/accommodation-luxury-villa/

It's a villa in an apartment complex, but it's 200m from the beach, 200m from some bars and restaurants, 10mins by bus or taxi to the main resort in Puerto del Carmen (taxi would cost about €7 max each way), and the taxi from the Airport is only €12 - it's only a few km away, journey time 10 mins.

Re your daughter getting bored on flights, get a portable DVD player and some headphones for her. If it takes a USB stick or SD cards, the battery will easily last the duration of the flight (our really cheapo one will go for 1.5 hours on a single charge when playing DVDs, but when using a USB or SD source it lasts over four hours).

Jamie2k9

Our flight to Mallorca last year was about 3.5 hours

Thats very long. Should be about 2.5 hours.

tamzz

I posted on here a few days ago looking for suggestions of where to go next summer and have narrowed it down to these two, we havent been to either so hopefully some of you can help me make my mind up! We are a family of 3, one girl who will be 7 years old.

- In Lanzarote we would be going to Playa Blanca. We would be renting a villa with private pool, hot tub, WIFI, SKY, private roof terrace, etc. that is somewhat out of the town but the local bus service stops near it.

- In Turkey we would be staying at a resort called Pine Club in Kusadasi which caters for only Irish visitors. We would rent a villa on that resort which comes with a private pool. AFAIK the tvs have limited english channels and no wifi, however the little one would have more to keep her busy and we don't want to sit in watching tv either.

Now the pros and cons...
- Turkey flight time of about 4.30hrs and 80 minute transfer to resort by bus. Lanzarote 4.30hr flight time and transfer of 45 mins by taxi.
- Lanzarote villa would be further out of town than the one in turkey. Local bus stops directly outside both villas though.
- In Turkey there is a small shop, restaurant and bar on site which would be handy on days where we dont fancy the trek into town. Also I have read most turkish restaurants will collect you and drop back to hotel free of charge.
- In Turkey there is a massive waterpark which gets great reviews compared to the less impressive one in Lanzarote. There is also a couple of interesting excursions.
- Lanzarote villa would have WIFI, handy to have a browse online in the evenings. The hot tub would be lovely for relaxing with a glass of wine too!
- Turkey doesn't seem to have much for kids at night. In Lanzarote there is many family bars with entertaintment etc. Don't get me wrong, we don't want to be in the pub with her every night but would like a few drinks in the evening. At the Pine Club they do have some entertaintment in the evening (singing acts,teenage disco,) on site though, which is handy.
- The beach in Kusadasi looks nicer than the one in Playa Blanca but the overall look of Kusadasi seems kind of...shabby? For lack of better word. I have been looking on google and some of it looks quite run down.

I am having a real hard time making up my mind, any input appreciated. The price for 2 weeks works out the same roughly, possibly about 100 euro cheaper to go to Turkey. im not too bothered about which is the cheapest though. thanks a million!

The Davestator

Wow - you've done some great research.

I've been to both recently and I preferred Turkey because;
Much more to do during the day - in lanz, i found there was very little to do during the day
Much cheaper to eat out
Surprisingly the food was excellent in turkey but hit and miss in lanz (IMO)

You'll get some hassle to go into shops etc but not as much as people make out. Also, great shopping in Kusadasi

I'd happily spend another week in either so why not do one this year and one next year?!

mikedragon32

I've merged the threads, it's an extension of the original query.

headmaster

I've been to both and Lanzarotte wins for me. One of the big reasons is that lovely breeze when the sun is +30 and more, i can just feel it now. It gets extremely hot in Turkey, uncomfortably so with no breeze. Always stay in the San Antonia hotel at the end of Puerto Del Carmen, almost on the beach. So It's Lanzo numero uno.

tamzz

mikedragon32 wrote: »

I've merged the threads, it's an extension of the original query.

Sorry about that, I thought it would be okay to make a new thread considering it was a different question. The edit button no longer shows under my post so can you please change the title for me to that of my other post (lanzarote or turkey) I am no longer looking for suggestions of places to go in general, I have decided it will be either Lanz or Turkey (swaying towards Turkey) and am looking for opinions from other people who have been there or can offer me advice. Thank you

tamzz

headmaster wrote: »

I've been to both and Lanzarotte wins for me. One of the big reasons is that lovely breeze when the sun is +30 and more, i can just feel it now. It gets extremely hot in Turkey, uncomfortably so with no breeze. Always stay in the San Antonia hotel at the end of Puerto Del Carmen, almost on the beach. So It's Lanzo numero uno.

If we were going to Lanzarote we wouldnt stay in PDC, from all of the reviews i've read (100s at this stage because it was our plan to holiday there last year but we chose Mallorca instead in the end) it doesn't look like our kind of place. We'd probably go to Playa Blanca as that seems more suitable for families. Plus the beaches aren't very appealing to us (sounds silly but we do like a good beach!)

That said, the breeze in lanzarote is one of the things I somehow forgot to mention on my pros and cons list! A lot of people have said how wonderful it is on very hot days. What month did you go to Turkey? We would be travelling either June or Sept, so not peak time but probably still very hot! I don't want to chose somewhere that we end up staying indoors to be away from the heat either!

tamzz

The Davestator wrote: »

Wow - you've done some great research.

I've been to both recently and I preferred Turkey because;
Much more to do during the day - in lanz, i found there was very little to do during the day
Much cheaper to eat out
Surprisingly the food was excellent in turkey but hit and miss in lanz (IMO)

You'll get some hassle to go into shops etc but not as much as people make out. Also, great shopping in Kusadasi

I'd happily spend another week in either so why not do one this year and one next year?!

Ah yes, the amount of things to do in Kusadasi seems far greater. The waterparks look incredible, boat trips, markets, trips to islands, jeep tours, ephesus, and so much more. I really like that Turkey has some history to it whereas lanzarote seems like its just there solely for holiday makers...well it is, but you know what i mean! I researched some of the most popular restaurants too and it was nice to see that they all have vegetarian options, whereas the restaurants in lanzarote don't seem to cater for other diets as much.

We probably won't be going on holiday in 2013, I just have a bit of extra money saved up this year so I want to make the most of this holiday. What month did you go to turkey? Im thinking about either June or September but I am afraid it will be too hot. Definitely swaying towards Turkey right now, might hold out and see if I can get a free child place

headmaster

tamzz,
i usually go in August, love it, but if its not for you then so be it.
I notice you go in either june or sept with your family. Do you intentionally take the children from school and prevent them getting their education, so as to save some money? Just wondering, as i can't believe good parents would do this?

Andrew33

We've been here a few times and it's an absolutely beautiful place.
http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/portugal/p5534.htm

tamzz

headmaster wrote: »

tamzz,
i usually go in August, love it, but if its not for you then so be it.
I notice you go in either june or sept with your family. Do you intentionally take the children from school and prevent them getting their education, so as to save some money? Just wondering, as i can't believe good parents would do this?

Consider me a bad parent then, I am not too bothered. As I stated in my above post we won't be having a holiday next year (or the year after that, or the next one, etc) as money is tight, however we do have some extra this year so yes we are having a well deserved family holiday. Whichever time we go, we will work it around the bank holiday so that is one less day of school missed, we have already decided that. SThe child will also get work from the teacher before hand to catch up on during her free time. Shes only in 1st class, its not like shes doing the JC or LC, she will gain experiences from this that she won't get in a class room. She has a 100% school attendance record for the rest of the year and is well behaved and ahead of the rest of her class in many subjects. She adores school but lets face it, 9 days out of the year isn't going to impact her education severely when she will be catching up and the work and seeing many wonderful sights. EG. visit ephesus, diving in the water, swim with dolphins, experience the turkish culture in general. As I stated in my OP we aren't looking for somewhere to sit in the sun and do nothing for the whole holiday, we like countries with culture, history, places to explore. I didn't come on here for a lecture so please stay on topic from now on cheers

tamzz

Andrew33 wrote: »

We've been here a few times and it's an absolutely beautiful place.
http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/portugal/p5534.htm

Thanks for this, however we have actually settled on turkey (most likely) or lanzarote now..just waiting for a mod to change the title and experiences from people who have visited there

The Davestator

tamzz wrote: »

Ah yes, the amount of things to do in Kusadasi seems far greater. The waterparks look incredible, boat trips, markets, trips to islands, jeep tours, ephesus, and so much more. I really like that Turkey has some history to it whereas lanzarote seems like its just there solely for holiday makers...well it is, but you know what i mean! I researched some of the most popular restaurants too and it was nice to see that they all have vegetarian options, whereas the restaurants in lanzarote don't seem to cater for other diets as much.

We probably won't be going on holiday in 2013, I just have a bit of extra money saved up this year so I want to make the most of this holiday. What month did you go to turkey? Im thinking about either June or September but I am afraid it will be too hot. Definitely swaying towards Turkey right now, might hold out and see if I can get a free child place

I was there in August and it is very hot but June & Septmeber would be fine I'd say.

If you decide on turkey - get a Turkish bath on day 1 or 2. I did and its the only time i havent peeled after i got home!

tamzz

The Davestator wrote: »

I was there in August and it is very hot but June & Septmeber would be fine I'd say.

If you decide on turkey - get a Turkish bath on day 1 or 2. I did and its the only time i havent peeled after i got home!

Cheers. We don't want to go in July/Aug as the temps will be too hot for the little one, shes very fair and loves to be out in the sun so would rather her out in it at 25-30 degrees in June than 40 in july or aug! I have been reading about the baths, lots of good reviews, they do them on the complex im thinking of booking too so will be sure to get one. Did you do any of the excursions? Is there anything you recommend doing/avoiding there? thanks

tamzz

tamzz wrote: »

Do you think the beaches in Caleta are okay for kids? Someone on another site said the sand was nice to look at but it got deep for kids very quick.

We went to Caleta de Fuste almost every year with our son from when he was 3 until he was about 11. I thought it was spot on, and I never felt that the depth of the water was an issue. It's easier to look at on Google Maps than to describe, but I'll try anyway.

The beach is semi-circular, and the water is in a little inlet/bay, so there's not much by way of waves. At low tide, quite a lot of the beach is exposed, and then there's an area of water from the low tide mark out to a net across the inlet (maybe 200 metres or so). That water gets deep enough to swim in, but near the edge it's not too deep (it is a bit shingly/rocky underfoot, though).

Above the low tide mark, the beach is very flat, and the water comes quite in a long way to the high tide mark. It covers a lot of beach area - but because it's so flat the water is only about 20-30 centimetres deep. So at high tide, you have an area of shallow water that runs for maybe 100 or more metres, and then there's a quick enough drop to a depth of maybe a metre as you reach the low tide mark, and then it gets gradually deeper again.

It's not a natural beach AFAIK, but it's what I'd call a "sandcastle" beach rather than the rough sand you get somewhere like Puerto Del Carmen.

Fratton Fred

We are heading back to Costa Teguise in Lanzarote for the third time in a year, mainly because our 8 year old daughter loves it so much.

This time we are staying in a villa for the second time, at easter we went all inclusive.

I love it there, it is safe, quiet but not dead, plenty of kids, but not too many, a very good beach and some really nice restaurants.

mikedragon32

headmaster wrote: »

tamzz,
i usually go in August, love it, but if its not for you then so be it.
I notice you go in either june or sept with your family. Do you intentionally take the children from school and prevent them getting their education, so as to save some money? Just wondering, as i can't believe good parents would do this?

If you not going to help, don't post.

The Davestator

tamzz wrote: »

Cheers. We don't want to go in July/Aug as the temps will be too hot for the little one, shes very fair and loves to be out in the sun so would rather her out in it at 25-30 degrees in June than 40 in july or aug! I have been reading about the baths, lots of good reviews, they do them on the complex im thinking of booking too so will be sure to get one. Did you do any of the excursions? Is there anything you recommend doing/avoiding there? thanks

Ephesus is a must, but the half day tour is the one to do - the full day would be too much for the kids.
Theres the usual water parks, boat tours, horse & jeep safari's to choose from which are decent. You can also do sunset cruises from pigeon island for about a fiver.

tamzz

The Davestator wrote: »

Ephesus is a must, but the half day tour is the one to do - the full day would be too much for the kids.
Theres the usual water parks, boat tours, horse & jeep safari's to choose from which are decent. You can also do sunset cruises from pigeon island for about a fiver.

Yeah I read somewhere its best to do the halfday one and go in the morning as it gets very busy. I was considering the jeep safari as well, read good reviews on it.

Im beginning to have second thoughts on turkey now, a lot of people are telling me it will be too hot and humid in june, especially for the little one, and that lanzarote would be better. That said, lanzarote doesnt appeal to me as much..looks kind of boring. not sure what to do

Leper

The choice of holiday here is getting more frustrating by the minute.Country, Location, Budget, Communal -V- Private Pool, Time of Year, Villa or Apartment etc.

Tamzz, Old Stock, Aul Friend (or whatever) - Go into a decent Travel Agent. Plonk yourself in a seat in front of a patient salesperson (try and pick one without a care in the world). Start on Page whatever and several hours later book your holiday. Bring enough money for the deposit so that if you make up your mind you probably will not change it.

If that fails just PM me and I (personally) will arrange a holiday for you that you can easily afford and will be able to do the following years (note plural) also.

tamzz

Thanks for the help, don't really want to go to a travel agent though, im happy to book it myself..just need to settle on which place to go to. We will be renting a villa with private pool wherever we go, going in june or september and budget is about 2k for 2 adults and 1 child