50 fabulous family-friendly hotels in the Mediterranean – for those long-awaited trips to Europe’s sunny coasts

These are unusual times, and the state of affairs can change quickly. Please check the latest travel guidance before making your journey. Please note our writers visited these hotels prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Whether your children are looking for the full gamut of watersports while on holiday (surfing, stand-up paddleboarding or diving), educational gains (archeological digs, theatre courses, pizza-making), or are happy with simply help-yourself gelato and a swimming pool (or seven) – this comprehensive guide, selected by Telegraph Travel experts, covers all the bases – from budget to luxury – for a fun-filled family break in the Europe sun. 

SPAIN

Whether you like secret coves where the children can run wild, or miles of sand with all sorts of watersports on offer, there are beaches to suit all families in mainland Spain and the Balearic and Canary Islands. All ages will love learning to dive in Menorca, paddleboard in Ibiza or kitesurf in Fuerteventura. There are plenty of toddler-friendly beaches with shallow water, from the Costa del Sol to Formentera and Gran Canaria. Head to northern Spain – Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country – for unspoiled beaches where you can surf before scoffing superb seafood. Stay in a hotel packed with facilities to keep everyone amused or go for simple pleasures in a no-frills place right by the sea.

WHERE TO STAY . . . 

Menorca

• The best beach hotels in the Mediterranean

• The best budget hotels Mediterranean

Majorca

• The best family-friendly hotels in Majorca

Ibiza

• The best kids’ clubs in hotels

• The best beach hotels in Ibiza

• Secret Mediterranean island hotels

• The best hotels in Ibiza

Costa del Sol

• The best beach hotels in Spain

• An insider guide to Malaga

Costa Brava

• The best luxury hotels on the Costa Brava

• An insider guide to the Costa Brava

La Palma

• The best hotels in La Palma

La Gomera

• The best Costa Brava hotels

CROATIA

Croatians love children and treat them with respect – like little adults, which is why they’re often allowed to join in with the adults, be it for late-night meals or sports activities. One thing to bare in mind is that beaches are of pebble-and-rock, not sand, so rubber beach shoes are recommended for those with sensitive feet. Active teens will love Croatia‘s adventure sports, and the easy-going outdoorsy lifestyle will appeal to children in general. Dubrovnik generally markets itself as a ‘couples’ destination so it’s the trickiest, but elsewhere, especially on the islands and in Rovinj, you’ll feel most welcome.

WHERE TO STAY . . . 

Rovinj

• The best hotels in Hvar

Dubrovnik

• The best budget hotels in Dubrovnik

Korcula

• The best hotels in Korcula

Brac

• The best Croatian island hotels

Rabac

• The best hotels in Brac

Lošinj

• The best budget hotels in the Mediterranean

• The best hotels in Lošinj

GREECE

Ancient history, swathes of sandy beaches and oodles of watersports activities: it must be Greece. There are over 6,000 islands off the mainland, and with 60 beaches on Skiathos alone, that’s a bucket load of coast to explore. And there’s something to suit everyone. Where Rhodes has an abundance of gentle beaches and all-inclusive seaside hotels that offer everything on a plate (kids’ clubs, watersports facilities, babysitting and wellness in one place), Mykonos is a good one for day trips to Unesco-listed ancient temples before heading into Mykonos Town for dinner.

WHERE TO STAY . . . 

Skiathos

• The best hotels in Skiathos

Crete

• The best hotels in Crete

• Secret hotels on the Mediterranean islands

• The best beach hotels in Greece

• The best hotels in Crete

Rhodes

• The best hotels in Rhodes

Mykonos

• The best hotels in Mykonos

Santorini

• The best hotels in Santorini

ITALY

Across Italy, children are greeted like celebrities and pop stars, and nowhere more so than along the sunny Mediterranean where the mantra is ‘Un bimbo che non gioca, felicita ne ha poca’ (‘a child who doesn’t play has little happiness’). Quite apart from pizza, pasta and rainbow-coloured gelato, Italy’s Mediterranean coastline offers unparalleled variety: from the silky, ivory sands of Sardinia to the black-volcanic beaches of the south. You can stay in watchtowers, castles or cone-shaped trulli, or in crayon-coloured fishing villages. With islands, caves and grottoes galore, there are swashbuckling adventures to be had, and endless opportunities for simply messing about in boats.

WHERE TO STAY . . .

Amalfi Coast

• The best boutique hotels in Europe

• The best Amalfi Coast hotels

• The best luxury hotels on the Amalfi Coast

Liguria

• The best hotels in Liguria

Sardinia

• The best Sardinia resorts

• The best beaches in Sardinia

• The best hotels in Sardinia

Sicily

• The best hotels in Sicily

Puglia

• The best hotels in Puglia

• The best trulli house hotels in Puglia

• The best masseria hotels in Puglia

MALTA

Malta has it all for a family holiday: it’s easy to get around, English-speaking, and family-oriented, with child-friendly resorts, food, beaches and sightseeing. What child doesn’t love a castle? The tiny fortified cities of Mdina and Gozo Citadel are idea for older children to explore, as are Fort St Angelo and St Elmo. At the temples of Mnajdra and Hagar Qim or Ggantija, kids can absorb the Neolithic in open playable spaces. Or why not get lost in the spooky labyrinth of Byzantine catacombs? Mellieha Beach slopes so gently it is even suitable for toddlers, while there are boat trips, swimming and watersports galore across the islands.

WHERE TO STAY . . .

• The best Italian island hotels

• The best hotels in Malta

• The best things to do in Malta

FRANCE

For fairytale glamour, there is no Mediterranean coastal stretch as mythical as the French Riviera – long-time celebrity playground which, with careful planning, families can enjoy too. From five-star palaces on the sands in chi-chi St-Jean-Cap-Ferret, to a remote ancestral mansion on a car-free island best explored by bicycle, or ecological treehouses in the hillsabove Nice, all budgets and hankerings for swashbuckling adventure are well-covered. Moving west into the Camargue, land of cowboys and white horses, and beyond into the canal-kissed Languedoc, you can expect better value for money and exciting outdoor action. Family-friendly hotels on centuries-old horse farms and chateau resorts are de rigueur here.

WHERE TO STAY . . . 

Côte d’Azur

• The best hotels in the Côte d’Azur

• The best family-friendly hotels in Paris

• The greatest hotels in Europe

• The best budget hotels in the Mediterranean

• The best village hotels in Provence

• The best hotels in Arles

Contributions by Rudolf Abraham, Ros Belford, Jessica Benavides Canepa, Annie Bennett, Kate Bolton, Abigail Blasi, Tania Cagnoni, Rachel Cranshaw, Kiki Deere, Eddi Fiegal, Jane Foster, Heidi Fuller-love, Jan Fuscoe, Paula Hardy, Rachel Howard, Emma Howarth, Charlotte Johnstone, Abigail Lowe, Lee Marshall, Andrea Montgomery, Anna Nicholas, Isabella Noble, James Palmer, Anthony Peregrine, Isabel Putinja, Juliet Rix, Louise Simpson, Clare Speak, Nicky Swallow, Rebecca Tay, Marissa Tejada, Natasha Were and Nicola Willams.

• View our best family holidays