Family tourism Holidays with kids: a trip for the whole family
Discover the best places to travel with children to live a holiday that you will always remember
Planning family holidays is one of the most exciting months of the year. Especially for the youngest members of the family! Get ready to discover new natural paradises, increase your knowledge through the culture and history of exciting destinations and, above all, to have fun while learning values!
Traveling to the Canary Islands as a family: contemplate the stars, travel in a submarine...
Watch whales and dolphins in their natural environment, reach the highest peak of Spain in a cable car or discover the wonders of the seabed aboard a submarine. Nature and fun will be your two best friends during your holidays with kids in the Canary Islands, whether go to Tenerife, Lanzarote or Fuerteventura.
With its 3,718 meters above sea level, Teide is the highest peak in Spain. A cable car will take you to the top of this volcano, in addition to allowing you to discover the corners of this National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.
In Tenerife you can also go cetacean spotting throughout the year. On the island there are authorized boats that are committed to offering a quality experience, respectful of their habitat and the environment.
The best day trips for a holiday with kids in the Canary Islands depart from Puerto Colón, Los Cristianos or Los Gigantes, to the south of the island.
Have you ever dreamed of being like Tarzan? In Forestal Park you can fly among the lush canopy of Canarian pine, typical of the island. And then go horse riding towards the nearby mountain, enjoying the amazing landscape to round off your holidays with kids.
Traveling to the stars and discovering other planets is one of children’s most popular dreams. At the Museum of Science and Cosmos in La Laguna, your little astronomer apprentices will discover the secrets that outer space hides. Here you can experiment with telescopes, learn the name of constellations and stars and visit one of the best planetariums in Spain.
On board a submarine based in Puerto Calero, you can spot turtles, dolphins and other marine species, which live more than 30 meters deep.
Discover Mallorca with children: nature and beaches
The largest of the Balearic Islands, located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, is a perfect place to plan family holidays, especially if you are interested in planning day trips in Mallorca that you will remember forever.
In the northern part of the island, Playa de Muro is ideal for the little ones thanks to its calm and shallow waters. In the vicinity you can discover Es Comú de Muro, a totally rugged beach area that is part of the Natural Park of s’Albufera.
A 5-minute drive from the city center, Playa de Palma has an endless leisure offer that both you and the kids will enjoy next to this long sandy beach. Palma Aquarium, for example, is one of the best aquariums in Europe, and its shark tank will fascinate children and grown-ups. As for Aqualand park, the water slides will boost the whole family’s adrenaline.
Taking a tour of the Tramuntana mountain range aboard the Sóller train, opened in 1912, is a very pleasant option for a family holiday, as it is part of the history of the island and you will be able to enjoy incredibly beautiful landscapes.
You will also have the option of traveling to the center of the Earth, just like in Jules Verne's novel, in the magical caves of Drach. A supernatural landscape in which you will walk among stalactites, stalagmites and stones with fantastic shapes product of millenary erosion.
And do not forget to taste some of the most traditional dishes of Mallorcan cuisine! They are exquisite.
Culture and attractions: plans to enjoy Madrid with children
Madrid is the perfect city to travel with children, as it is full of fun and cultural activities that you will be able to share together. While staying in the heart of the city, you will be able to discover the main monuments and historic places on a short and easy stroll.
The Parque de Atracciones de Madrid, the city’s main theme park, is one of the classics that will charm both the youngest in the family and adults, with 30 fun rides and vast green areas to rest and have an open-air picnic.
Take a relaxing and fun rowing boat ride at the El Retiro Park, which is one of the favorite activities of local families. After that, have an ice cream in one of the old cafeterias that are dotted around the lake.
And at the city’s Planetarium, you will learn about the secrets that the Universe hides in an educational and fun way, a great activity to choose during your holidays with kids in Madrid.
The best family weekend getaway in Barcelona
Every weekend, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA) offers a program for families, in which a guided tour around the exhibition rooms is combined with workshops. A fun way to get closer to contemporary art with games and experimentation.
The Ateneu Popular Nou Barris offers contemporary circus shows and is a European reference due to its magnificent program.
Plom Gallery is the first contemporary art gallery for children in Spain. Its original pieces, painting series and illustration, workshops and activities focused on boosting the kids’ creativity.
Combining the visit to the Port Aventura and Ferrari Land theme parks, you will no doubt live a day full of excitement, a gift for the smallest in the house that they will never forget.
Another good idea is to visit the Wax Museum and The Bosc de les Fades (‘The Fairy Forest’), near Las Ramblas and with such spectacular scenery that it will make you feel part of a children's storybook.
Curated specifically for children, Casa Batlló offers a theatrical visit during the winter months, with which they will discover the most curious secrets and fun facts about one of the most unique buildings in the city and its creator, the brilliant architect Antoni Gaudi.
Take a leisurely stroll through Barcelona's Les Rambles, discovering the wonders of the city, visit the Aquàrium and spot its hundreds of marine species, take a relaxing boat ride through the harbor or attend a children's musical show at the Liceu Theate, where some of the most fascinating mysteries and legends of Barcelona take place. All these are other good options to explore Barcelona away from the busiest months.
Holidays with kids in Cádiz: discoveries by the sea
The beauty of the intense blue sea of the Bay of Cádiz will captivate you, as its local inhabitants will. Even more so when you discover the wide range of children’s entertainment you have in this privileged area of Andalusia.
Taking a boat trip from the beach of Tarifa, famous for the number of windsurfers looking for the perfect wave, will allow you to observe how killer whales, whales, dolphins and other cetaceans travel this stretch of coastline that separates southern Spain from northern Africa throughout the year.
Leaving La Caleta beach aboard a catamaran, surrounding the walls of Cádiz, discovering the historic castle of Santa Catalina and contemplating the city from the sea, will make your children relive the adventures that the great Spanish sailors lived centuries ago in these same waters.
Did you know that the Doñana National Park is one of the most important nature reserves in Europe? From Sanlúcar de Barrameda, crossing the Guadalquivir river aboard the Real Fernando ship, you can discover this unique place where hundreds of mammals, reptiles and amphibians live in freedom during your holidays with children in Cádiz.
Sweet, soft, aromatic, delicious ... and very nutritious! In the Museum of the honey in Jerez you will learn about the secrets of this delicious delicacy in an educational way, in addition to seeing how the bees work and have a fun time dressing up as beekeepers.
Without leaving Jerez, in the Palacio del Tiempo (Palace of Time) you will live in a fantasy world for a few hours, surrounded by watches, precious stones and special effects, guided by an amazing master watchmaker. It includes time-measuring machines from France, England, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, among which curious examples stand out, such as a cannon-shaped sundial.
And in El Molino de Abajo, located in El Bosque, children can make their own bread in this old-fashioned water mill, following the same steps as in the 18th century, from milling wheat to cooking dough, an educational activity you can include during your holidays with kids in Andalusia.
Huelva with children: beaches, dunes, trains and magical caves
The exciting history of the discovery of America can be relived in Huelva like nowhere else. Here you can follow the steps of Christopher Columbus, from the Muelle de las Carabelas Museum, in Palos de la Frontera, which will leave you speechless with the replicas of La Niña, La Pinta and La Santa María, the three ships with which Columbus began his journey to discover the New World more than 500 years ago.
A Martian landscape? No, the Rio Tinto Mining Park! An essential place in your visit to the province of Huelva with children. Do you know the origin behind its name? Well, one of the most peculiar rivers in Spain, the Tinto, is red, due to the high concentration of iron oxide. This area is considered one of the most similar places to Mars on Earth.
Kids will have a great time touring the immense mine, which was already in operation 5,000 years ago, aboard the Riotinto Company Limited railway, which originally connected the mine with the port of Huelva.
On the Costa de la Luz, which comprises both the coast of Huelva and Cádiz, you will find some of the best beaches to visit with children in Spain, such as Isla Canela Beach, near the border with Portugal and surrounded by marshes and dunes . Or the Matalascañas Beach, next to the Doñana Natural Park, where the stories of pirates that furrowed these waters will boost the children's imagination.
Crossing the border from Spain to Portugal on a zip line? It is actually possible! In Bajo Guadiana, a natural border that separates the two countries, there is the only cross-border zip line in the world, and which connects the small towns of Sanlúcar de Guadiana and Alcoutim through 720 meters. An adventure that the kids will never forget!
In the heart of the Sierra de Aracena you will find the natural pool of Cañaveral de León. What is most striking is that this natural pool is located ... in the town square! The orography has enabled the municipality to feed on one of the most important springs in the area, which comes directly from the mountains.
Precisely in Aracena, you will find Gruta Maravillas (the Grotto of Wonders), where you can travel through turquoise blue lagoons, stalactites, stalagmites and other curious formations of this impressive landscape. A good plan for holidays with kids, don't you think?
Discover Lisbon with you family
Going up to the San Jorge castle, in the heart of Lisbon, has a reward at the end: each wall, each drawbridge and each canyon of this majestic fortress will awaken the imagination of children with stories of pirates, princesses and knights.
In the Lisbon Oceanarium, children and parents will be fascinated with their marine and amphibious species, and a playground where Vasco, the local mascot, teaches children the importance of recycling and caring for the oceans.
The Knowledge Pavilion is also known as as the Children's Museum of Lisbon. It is dedicated to science and has four zones: Explora; Look, do and learn; Play with science and Fuga Exhibition. It is essential to visit this place if you travel with children to Lisbon!
KidZania is a city where children can play to be who they want: choose a profession, shop, go to the bank, play with friends ...
On the banks of the Tagus River, the Parque de las Naciones has large playgrounds for children, a Japanese garden with water instruments, bike and pedal car rentals, picnic area and even a cable car that runs across the park.
As for the Lisbon Zoo, it is one of the best rated in Europe, thanks to the good conditions in which the animals live, as well as the conservation of the rest of the infrastructure. The enclosure can be explored on foot, by train or by cable car.
The best beaches in Portugal for children
In the paradise-like area of Algarve, in southern Portugal, you will have some of the best beaches in Portugal and Europe.
Praia Marinha is considered one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Europe by the Michelin Guide and one of the 100 most beautiful in the world.
Praia da Falésia is a 10-kilometer-long stretch of sand east of Albufeira, next to some stunning and beautiful cliffs in white and ocher tones.
Also flanked by imposing cliffs, Praia de Odeceixe is a tongue of sand that merges with the mouth of the Mira River.
Four spectacular beaches form Ilha de Tavira, with a wide diversity of lonely stretches of beach, an anchor graveyard and an area for bird watching, as well as quiet bars from which to contemplate the stunning sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.
As for Meia Praia, it is a favorite for families and neighbors of Lagos, due to its breadth and tranquility.
Holidays with kids in Rome: from gladiators to Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions
Visiting Rome during Easter will allow you to witness some of the most spectacular processions in the world, visit the Sistine Chapel in St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, in addition to attending a Mass officiated by the Pope.
But at the same time, you can organize a series of fun and cultural plans with your children in the Eternal City.
Villa Borghese is the city’s green lung and the most famous park in the capital. In the Renaissance, this park was the private garden of the Borghese family, whose palaces and buildings of great historical value are still preserved within. You can admire the beauty of these immense gardens by taking a walk on foot or on a rented bicycle, rowing a boat on the small artificial lake or caressing the small ponies that you can find in the gardens.
Inside the Villa Borghese, you can visit Explora, a children's museum equipped with games, educational laboratories, bookstores and even a restaurant dedicated to the little ones. And the Bioparco too, the evolution of the zoological garden of Rome with more than 1,200 animals of more than 200 different species from the five continents.
The permanent exhibition of the Leonardo da Vinci Machines offers young visitors the possibility of touching the extraordinary inventions of this Italian genius with their own hands, faithfully reproduced from Leonardo's own drawings.
In the Time Elevator, you can relive the 3,000 years of history of Rome, enjoying a multisensory, surprising and captivating experience.
This fun and educational activity will allow you to immerse yourself in history and relive the splendor and glory of the Roman Empire; enjoy a tour in the footsteps of Romulus and Remus; admire the great works of the Renaissance and learn about the modern history of the city until today.
The virtual reality experience includes panoramic screens, special mobile seats and a state-of-the-art surround sound system. A true trip in time!
