6 Surprisingly Baby-Friendly Holiday Destinations

Travelling with under-fives? You’ll need babysitting facilities, activities for you and your little ones, and pools and beaches galore. Here are our top pick of surprisingly baby-friendly resorts:

Adventure in the Algarve

The Algarve is traditionally known as a sleepy holiday destination for the older generation, but that’s certainly not true of Balaia Holiday Village with its aerial adventure assault course and range of activities for adults, toddlers and teens, which you and your family can enjoy while you make the most of the crèche facilities for 0-3 year olds. Or you can spend time with your little ones at the splash park or Santa Eulalia beach just 1km away. In the evenings, a range of entertainment is provided from pantomimes to comedy acts.

If you’d like more information on the Algarve, visit our Algarve information pages or check out the insider tips and advice at My Guide Algarve.

 

A luxury Mexican retreat

You can enjoy the finer things in life with a toddler in tow and the Sensatori Riviera Maya resort, Mexico is proof of this. It has luxury rooms with hot tubs and a choice of six gourmet restaurants — and you’re only ever footsteps away from white sands and warm water. You can take a day trip into Cancun, which is 30 minutes’ drive away or enjoy the resort’s stay and play sessions for the whole family, children’s club for 4-12 year olds and five pools including children’s and activity pools. For you, there are adult activities including kayaking, yoga and hydrotherapy, and for your little ones, there are mini pampering treatments.

 

Away from Tenerife’s hustle and bustle

With Europe’s longest pool, the Sensatori, Guia De Isora is on Tenerife’s west coast and gets the best sunshine on the island. It has four restaurants, five pools, and boasts ultra-modern children’s facilities. Babies and toddlers aged 0 to 4 years get their own multi-sensory nursery, leaving you to enjoy the long list of sports, spa and other activities. Older siblings can head to the Play House, which provides free supervised sessions for 3 to 12 year olds including Silly Science Lab, Crazy Kitchen and parties and movies in the evenings. You can also pay a little extra for sleepovers.

 

Up-and-coming Egypt

At the Coral Sea Aqua Club in Nabq Bay, Egypt, the waterpark is the star attraction with a bowl slide, lazy river and children’s splash area. There’s a crèche for 0-3s and themed kids’ clubs are tailored to different age groups between 3 and 11 years, with nearly all being free. For the adults, activities include morning aerobics, quizzes and games at the pool. A 15 minute walk from the beach, Nabq is becoming a popular centre in its own right and is just two minutes to the bars, restaurants and shops of El-Khan.

 

Ibiza but not as you know it

A world away from nearby bustling San Antonio, The Holiday Village Seaview Ibiza overlooks the sea at just 100m from Port d’es Torrent beach and has its own high speed waterpark. The all-inclusive resort has child-friendly buffets, clubs for 0 to 11 year olds including swim, stage and football academies and outdoor activities such as archery, Water Walkerz and raft-building.

 

Chill out in Jamaica

For a relaxing retreat, head to Negril in Jamaica and stretch out on the famous Seven Mile Beach. You can enjoy gourmet food around the clock or chill out in the Reggae and Rum Lounge at Sensatori Resort Jamaica here. Babies are welcome and kits are provided including cots, pushchairs and sterilisers. Azulitos Play House and the outdoor play area will keep older children happy (just don’t forget the sun-cream — it gets hot). Swim-up and ocean rooms are available, with deluxe rooms as standard.