The old joke that Greece has everything is the best way to characterize this country for those who are going on a tourist trip. If you decide to go to Greece for a vacation with children, where is it better to book a hotel and what to look for when planning your trip? What are the preferred resorts so that the vacation will be remembered for a long time by all family members? How to choose a hotel, restaurant and entertainment?
According to travel agencies, almost all Greek resorts are ideal for a children's beach holiday. You should only be guided by the capabilities of your wallet, and plan your flight for the season most comfortable for the kids.
Useful geography
All Greek resorts can be roughly divided according to geographic principle - located on the mainland or on the islands.
Mainland Greek resorts, where children and their parents will especially like, are easy to find on the peninsulas of Chalkidiki and Peloponnese:
- The "trident" of Halkidiki is easily recognizable on the map of northeastern Greece. Its pride is the beaches covered with white sand, the hotels immersed in the green of olive and pine groves and the shallow sea near the coast, where even the smallest tourists can swim comfortably and safely. The most suitable beaches for families with children are in the regions of Sithonia and Kassandra.
- In the resorts of Peloponnese, in addition to picturesque and cozy beaches, you will find rich opportunities for educational and sightseeing recreation. Nearby are ancient Mycenae, the ancient ruins of Epidaurus and the city of Navplio with its many architectural sights. Holidays in the Peloponnese are more often chosen by families with schoolchildren who are interested in the history and culture of the ancient world.
The best resorts for kids' holidays in the Greek islands are the beaches of Corfu. Most of them are rightfully proud of the prestigious European award, which is awarded annually for cleanliness and special attitude to the environment. Blue flags fly proudly both over the northern coast of Corfu, washed by the waters of the Adriatic, and over its southern beaches, located on the Ionian Sea.
It is in Corfu that children's infrastructure has been intensively developing in recent years. With the onset of the next season, new hotels are being rented, ideally "sharpened" for family vacations, with children's pools and clubs, animation and entertainment programs, special dishes in restaurant menus and mini-water parks.
Family tourists are also delighted with tours to Crete. Teenagers will especially like the rest in the homeland of Hercules, because it is in Crete that there is an opportunity to combine a beach vacation with a rich excursion program, which later allows them to show off their knowledge in history lessons.
Cozy Sithonia and entertaining Crete
Sithonia resort on the Halkidiki peninsula is ideal for a quiet family holiday. Its main advantage is the coastal strip, indented by cozy bays, which always provide a calm and clean sea and safe swimming for children. The beaches of Sithonia are covered with fine pebbles and sand, and everyone can choose a place in the sun to their liking. The resort's hotels are surrounded by olive groves and coniferous forests, and magnificent views of the mountains and the sea open from the windows and spacious terraces. You will not find noisy nightlife in Sithonia, and therefore rest here can be called calm and serene.
The tourist center of the entire Mediterranean region, Crete will not let young tourists or their parents get bored. In addition to educational and fascinating excursions to archaeological antiquities, modern water parks await tourists, the largest of which boasts a couple of dozen slides of varying difficulty, several playgrounds, pools with and without waves and attractions, which are impossible to leave even by the end of the day without regret. The park is called Water City and is located near the popular island resort of Heraklion.
Crete's second most popular destination for young tourists is the largest aquarium in the Mediterranean. It is called CRETAquarium, and young naturalists and their parents enjoy long hours in its cool rooms.
Family-friendly beaches in Crete, ideally equipped for families with children, are Elafonisi with pink sand and Vai, surrounded by a date grove. The first is located on a small island in the southwestern part of Crete and its main advantage is shallow coastal waters and a gentle entrance to the sea. Vai is distinguished by its special cleanliness and comfortable infrastructure for family holidays, but to get here, you will have to overcome about 10 km from the nearest resort town of Palekastro.
