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Purple Tips: Family Holidays Gran Canaria

May 21 2013

Purple Tips: Family Holidays Gran Canaria

It doesn’t really matter what time of year you go, the eternal springtime weather that characterises all the Canary Islands makes it a hot choice for family friendly fun. Choose Gran Canaria for great value family friendly hotels, brilliant sunshine and relaxed beaches and tonnes of activities for you and your tots.

Image via @ Pink Sherbet

Family friendly beaches

The long beach of Playa de Las Canteras is really well organised, with changing rooms, loungers and lots of space. It’s a top choice for families thanks to its calm waters, ideal for children thanks to the shelter provided by a natural reef.

Playa de Puerto Rico is a big favourite too. There are lots of water sports available so it might suit older children who want to have a go at banana boating. There are lots of facilities and the golden sand and clear sea will impress mum and dad too.

Water Babies

Take advantage of the numerous water activities on offer in Gran Canaria for a memorable and fun-filled break with your children. Just try some underwater diving, snorkeling or kayaking.

Natural Swimming pools

A peaceful alternative to the beach, the famous natural swimming pools of the Canaries are a choice day out offering relaxation or diving, sunbathing and splashing. We like Las Salinas Charco de San Lorenzo and Los Charcones, Arucas.

A taste of the wild west in the Canaries

Fancy a wild west experience in the sunshine of Gran Canaria. It might be the other side of the world but Sioux City captures the feeling of being a cowboy with lively shows, zoos featuring snakes, bison, raccoon, meercats and an alligator swamp as well as plenty of BBQ’d treats.

Palmitos Park in Maspalomas allows kids and grownups to get up close and personal with dolphins, birds of prey, flamingos and all sorts of exotic reptiles. A combined ticket to Palmitos and Aqualand gives a 15% discount too.

Image @ Viator.com

Animal Magic

A ride on the back of one of a camel is one of the most fun, exotic experiences you can have while you’re on a family holiday in the Gran Canaria. Head for the Camello Safari Dunas route to admire the stunning landscape formed by the Maspalomas Dunes, a Protected Nature Reserve. Or, why not hop on to a glass bottomed boat, and soak up the undersea view of whalers or dolphins in the waters around the island.

Purple Tips: Costa Brava Family Holidays

May 14 2013

For anyone looking for a great, cheap family holiday on the Mediterranean’s wonderful coastlines coastlines, beautiful coves and transparent waters, the Costa Brava family holidays are the ones to consider. There are plenty of resorts, ranging from easy on your pocket to the lap of luxury, many specialising in family friendly fun. Of course, that’s in addition to the charming local towns and villages, stunning natural scenery and golden sandy beaches with shallow waters, little rock pools to explore and great facilities.

Image via @ KevinKrejci

Beaches

Tamriu is quite a sheltered beach so it’s a great place to relax with your children. A handful of tasty local restaurants offer good value children’ts menus, while it’s only a couple of minutes drive from Begur or Palafrugell.

The beach of Playa de Pals near L’Estartit is an excellent family friendly choice. A huge stretch of sand, there is lots of room for fun and games, and great child friendly eateries and shops. Just be aware that it can get a little rough when the wind picks up.

Water Sports

You’ll find any number of water sports schools and shops right along the coast. If you are travelling with teenagers, maybe they’ll be interest in snorkelling, scuba diving or sea kayaking. For something a little more group orientated, a glass bottom boat trip doesn’t exactly count as a water sport, but is still a nice afternoon out and a lovely way to spend Costa Brava Family holidays.

Theme Parks

The AquaDiver park in Platja d’Aro has wave pools, rapids and lots of rides and pools dedicated to children. The pancake house, picnic spots and relaxed pine forest surroundings means mum and dad will enjoy it too.

Aqua Brava is home to Europe’s biggest wave pool, as well as impressive water rides like the Kamikaze, the Black Hole or the Anaconda, a huge river rafting adventure. For smaller children, the Kid’s Lagoon and Island is a good choice, while a restaurant and pizzeria will keep energy levels up.

We’re not sure where this idea originated from, but Gnomo Park in Lloret de Mar is a fun day out, especially for babies, thanks to a specially adapted area. For older children there’s bowling, trampolining, and quad bikes and as the name suggests a dedicated Gnome Farm.

You Should Read… Purple Tips: The Best in Family Fun on the Costa del Sol.

On land

The Cap de Creus National Park is a great choice for hiking and exploring, there are hidden coves and lovely flora and fauna to discover. There is horse riding a plenty, paintballing, geocaching, mountain biking and quad biking found throughout the region if your kids are into lots of activities. The Tren Turistic is also a good choice for children, the old fashioned ‘train’ has been giving tours right along the coast from Roses for years and is a nice way of soaking up the scenery.

Resorts

Where to stay, Lloret de Mar for its lovely seaside scenery and great transport connections. It’s also a good place for walking thanks to the woods that surround the town. Tossa de Mar, a fortified old town, is ideal for sun, sea and sand with a little bit extra in the form of great restaurants offering children’s menus and a couple of bars and clubs for older teens. Estartit might be one of the most popular family resorts in the area and has been accommodating British tourists for years. There is a huge range of hotels, apartments and restaurants to suit every budget.

Enjoy 2014 Costa Brava Family holidays with Purple Travel!

Purple Tips: Top 5 Albufeira hotels

Feb 28 2013

We’re all about the Algarve, specifically the lovely seaside town of Albufeira. It’s got the Old Town that’s perfect for long lazy strolls in the sunshine. Over the hill you’ll find The Strip, packed with neon bars and all night parties. It really offers the best of both worlds.

So if you’re stuck for a place to stay, here’s our top 5 hotels in Albufeira.

Family friendly: The Paraiso de Albufeira Hotel Apartments have practically every facility you could think of, from one bedroom apartments to duplexes. The MGE restaurant and pool side snack bar are great for keeping little ones topped up, while the multi use court for basketball or football, mini golf course and video game room will keep even the moodiest teenager busy. That’s before you even get to the pool, nearby beach or the selection of water parks you’ll find around.

A Night Less Ordinary: A room made from Lego

Feb 22 2013

If your idea of a good night is packed with Lego bricks, towers of all shapes and sizes and little square headed figures all over the place, then head for a night in Legoland in California, USA. Due to open on April 5th 2013, if you thought your home was coming down with Lego bricks, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Legoland California is dedicated to all things colourful and brick shaped, from the blocks that adorn the walls as you make your way in, to the perfectly themed carpets. There are around 3,422 Lego models throughout the hotel, including eight in each room, made from more than three million Lego bricks. In the lobby alone there is a wall of 6,000 minifigures and a family of smoke breathing dragons at the front entrance.

In the hotel there are three dedicated room types: Pirate with its Jolly Roger flags and Lego pirate parrots, Adventure with a sweeping jungle theme and friendly brick made monkeys and Kingdom where you get a taste of all things King Arthur and the Round Table. It’s probably fair to say these rooms and staying in the hotel fulfil just about every Lego fantasy you could imagine. In fact you could say it’s a Lego geek’s dream right down to the smallest detail. On top of family sleeping areas and dedicated Lego treats for little ones, a trip to the Hotel also offers select entry to rides and attractions within the theme park.

Beyond the hotel you get to splash around in the water park and even build your own raft from soft Lego bricks, or dodge the water cannons, go on a Safari trek, or visit Sky Patrol. Whatever you choose, we’re sure Lego adventurers of all ages will find something to enjoy. There are even mini Lego Star Wars adventure areas, a mini Las Vegas and something called a Coastersaurus, which we are dying to try!

Find out more about hotels you never knew existed in other posts in a Night Less Ordinary.

All images via @ Legoland California.

A Night Less Ordinary: Les Balade des Gnomes

Feb 01 2013

Welcome to A Night Less Ordinary, our hotel series where we try to bring you the best in weird, wonderful and spectacular hotels from all over the world. Whether you want to sleep in a hamster themed hotel (do you??) or imagine yourself as James Bond, we’ve got something for you. This week, take a pinch of fairy dust as we take a look at Les Balade des Gnomes in Belgium.

The motto of this incredibly cute hotel in Belgium is ‘all that you can imagine is real.’ Found in near the village of Durbury, a 17th century village Les Balade de Gnomes, looks like it came straight from a fairytale – or a Tim Burton film.

With only ten admittedly crazy rooms, this is something really special. Built by architect Mr Noel, each room has been lovingly hand crafted to resemble a fairytale and includes the chance to sleep in a Trojan Horse, a Troll Forest, or a wine room. The Macquarie Island room has a boat bed that appears to float, while others are filled with wooden toadstools, starry skies, or, oddly enough a lunar capsule. Prices start around €115 for a double room.

You’ll find the hotel at Rowe de Remoleu 20, 6941 Heyd, Durbuy, Belgium; tel. +32 472 20 86 23 info@labaladedesgnomes.be

Purple 10: Best Family Beaches in Crete

Aug 22 2012

Warm, shallow waters, baby soft sand and easy access comprise the ingredients of the perfect family friendly beach. Crete has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches on its shores, many of which are quiet, wave-sheltered, sandy and close to hotels and restaurants, making them ideal spots for the little ones.

While travelling with children can be stressful, being ‘in the know’ can make holiday life so much easier. Have a look through our ten best family friendly beaches in Crete, a must-have guide for a stress-free holiday:

Here’s our pick of the best family beaches in Crete…

Golden Beach (Chrissi Akti) is actually two beaches separated by a small hill. The beaches are named so for their soft, golden sand, which glows when the sun hits its surface. Situated in Chania, West Crete, the beaches boast clear, shallow waters that are perfect for children and one even has a small play area so they never get bored – giving you the chance to relax and soak up some Cretan sunshine. Golden Beach can get quite busy during July and August however, particularly at weekends, so make sure you arrive at the beach early to ensure you get a good spot and an umbrella.

Kalyves Beach Kalives (Kalyves) is a beautiful, picturesque village not far from Chania on the west side of Crete. The main beach of the village boasts wonderful clear waters, a central location that’s close to all the amenities you need and clean, golden sand that sweeps around the bay, backed by shady trees and excellent quality eateries. A great beach for families with young children.

Almyrida Beach Almirida (Almyrida) is a friendly fishing village that has become a lovely tourist resort. This small sandy beach has beautiful shallow water that’s perfect for kids. It is well-equipped with all the amenities a family would require for a day at the beach, including umbrellas, beds and nearby shops and restaurants. Again not too far from Chania, the beach benefits from being protected from the Meltema – the northern summer winds.

Rethymno Town Beach Endless Rethymno Town Beach stretches more than 20 kilometres along the sandy shore near Rethymnon, on the north coast of central Crete. The beach offers myriad amenities, including water sports facilities and plenty of great beach bars and tavernas, making it an excellent family friendly beach.

Agia Galini Beach Agia Galini is a popular and picturesque fishing village on the south coast of Crete (almost 60 kilometres south of Rethymnon). Its beach is luxuriously long, boasting crystal clear waters and powdery, white sand that’s perfect for the little ones to build sandcastles with. Everything for the tourist is available here with a wide range of water sports on offer and some tempting tavernas within reach.

Agia Pelagia Beach Agia Pelagia resort lies 16 kilometres west from Heraklion and its main beach is long, golden and sandy. The water there is almost always calm and clear, being well protected from the Meltemi (northern summer winds). In fact, the entire beach is well-organised and offers plenty of amenities – probably why it is renowned as one of the best beaches on the North Coast.

Stalis Beach Stalis (Stalida) is around 30 kilometres east from Heraklion Town, boasting a beach of soft sands and gem-like, turquoise waters. It is perfect for families with children as the beach is extremely clean and the waters shallow, however, the sea can become choppy on windier days.

Almyros Beach Situated in east Crete, just a few kilometres outside Agios Nikolaos, Almyros is a beautiful, long sandy stretch of well-protected beach. Set within a cosmopolitan and picturesque town, there are heaps of family comforts in the surrounding area. The water is also very shallow and calm, making it well-suited to families with children.

Aghios Panteleimonas Silver Beach (Agios Panteleimonas) is located in Istron, Kalo Horio on Mirabella Bay. Also named Church Beach, it is easily accessible with soft sand and just a few pebbles and has a small, sweet church on the right-hand side of the beach. Shallow waters make it great for children, while its quiet, isolated atmosphere make the perfect spot for parents to relax. A favourite with the locals, this beach is very well-equipped.

Makrigialos Beach Makri, meaning long in Greek, and gialos, meaning shore, gives you an idea of the look of this beautiful beach, situated on the south coast of the Lassithi region. The white, sandy is well protected from winds and the clear and clean shallow waters are ideal for families with small children. All facilities for swimming and sunbathing are available on this well-organised strip of sand, including umbrellas, sun beds and water sports.

Tag - family friendly

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