The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
THREE GENERATIONS: BRING THE GRANDPARENTS
Cavallo, France For luxe
The tiny island just off Corsica is made of granite and discretion. Dubbed the New Mustique, it has no cars, a marina, two restaurants and 10 beaches. Most visitors disappear by golf buggy into their sumptuous villas for a life of pizza and chic.
Villa Zeri, which sleeps eight, is available from July 16 for £2,133pp, including flights, transfers and car hire (simpsontravel. com).
Cyprus
mosaics at Paphos. Children will certainly love these, but they’ll also enjoy the excellent beaches.
Azurro Villa, which sleeps six and has a private swimming pool, costs £1,829 for seven days from August 6 (oliverstravels. com).
Santorini, Greece For food
Home to Greece’s most luxurious boutique hotels, Santorini is dramatic, with the villages of Fira and Oia overlooking a huge, sea-filled volcanic crater. The island’s arid but fertile soil produces some of Greece’s produce and white wines. The clifftop village of Oia is a magical place to watch the sun set.
Housed in an old winery, Vedema Resort
Wander among the ruins on Rhodes, left; Poetto beach, right, in Cagliari, Sardinia, is a ideal for children (read the full review at telegraph.co.uk/ tt-vedema-resort; rooms from £264) has activities for children, plus babysitting.
Mykonos, Greece For a party
Mykonos is famous for its nightlife, but the island also makes for a wonderful family destination if you choose to stay in one of the quieter resorts, such as Agios Ioannis.
Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort is a small luxury hotel with a separate children’s pool and babysitting service (read the full review at telegraph.co.uk/ tt-mykonosgrand-hotel; from £256 per night).
Vis, Croatia For getting back to nature
Closed for years to foreigners, this island is blissfully unspoilt. Visitors arrive by sailing boat, lured by peaceful turquoise coves, seafood eateries and organic wine.
The boutique hotel San Giorgio has double rooms from £135 in the high season (full review at telegraph.co.uk/ tt-san-giorgio-vis). water in the Med. Try the coast at Cala Gonone (nicely low-key), the Costa Verde (dunes, off the beaten track), Riviera del Corallo (verdant, play areas, facilities) and the Costa del Sud ( gently shelving beaches). Italians holiday in family groups, so the island has family-oriented hotels and resorts filled with facilities and activities. Some resorts are expensive – notably Forte Village – but plenty, such as Colonna, Club Hotel Marina Beach (marinabeach. it) and Valle d’Erica (delphinahotels. co.uk), are not.
Double rooms at the Colonna Resort (full review: telegraph.co.uk/tt-colonnaresort) cost from £186 nightly.
Mallorca, Spain For non-stop activity to suit all budgets
The huge variety of sports, accommodation, beaches and culture makes the island appealing to all ages and tastes, whatever your budget. Blue-flag beaches include Cala Millor and Platja de Muro, with miles of golden sand and there is a range of watersports available.
Cyclists can ride through flat countryside or tackle more challenging mountain routes and shopping is excellent in Palma for the less-sporty family members.
Seven nights at Sunwing Cala Bona on a self-catering basis costs from £655 per person for a family of four sharing, flying from London Gatwick on August 1, including flights and transfers (thomascook.com).
Lefkada, Greece For novice sailors
The powdery beaches of Lefkada are the poster children of the Greek tourist board. The turquoise coastline abounds with water sports – windsurfing across Vassiliki bay, kite surfing on Agios Giannis, sea kayaking expeditions from Nidri. Mild winds and sheltered coves make this corner of the Ionian ideal for novice sailors. Ionian Rib Cruising has experienced skippers for an exhilarating whizz around the islands of Meganisi, Kalamos, and Kastos, with a Go Pro camera for underwater photography.
Idilli Villas (idillivillas.gr), colourful villas hidden above the seaside village of Agios Nikitas. From £960 a week for a twobedroom villa with a shared pool.
Sicily, Italy