Family Places to visit in January for Sun with Kids
If you are wanting to dispel those winter blues and are wondering where to travel with kids in January for some warm winter sun? Your inspiration just could be in this guide.
It includes places that are closer to home, some a little further afield, along with a couple of long haul destinations which will take you to tropical paradises!
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Costa Del Sol
- Flight time 3 hours from the UK
- Average daily Maximum 17°C
- Average monthly rainfall 73mm
- Average daily sunshine 5 hours
The Costa Del Sol is one of the closest destinations to Britain with mild and sunny warm weather throughout the winter months. It stretches over 160 miles on the Andulucia coast and has many famous resorts such as Nerja, Marbella and Torremolinos to sunbathe on.
There is so much for the family to enjoy, from water parks, aquariums to trampoline and amusement parks! Its a perfect getaway spot for a family vacation around January.
Aqualand Water park: in Torremolinos boasts10 slides for adults and 15 for children plus fun water play areas and a safe Children’s playground.
Location: C/ Cuba, 10
29620 TORREMOLINOS (MALAGA)
+34 630 849 403
The Sea life Aquarium: in Benalmadena is definitely a fun experience for the whole family. You can see almost every type of sea creature imaginable from sharks to tropical fish and you can even hold a crab or starfish! Buy Aquarium tickets and skip the line here.
Location: Puerto deportivo de Benalmádena s/n Cp. 29630. Benalmádena costa. Málaga
Tivoli World: has a variety of fun rides, daily live music and dance shows and ample selection of restaurants, it is a fabulous day out with the kids.
Location: C. Germán Bernácer, 71, 03203 Elche, Alicante, Spain
Costa Jump trampoline park: offers an enormous indoor arena filled with 50 interconnected wall to wall trampolines for the little ones (and adults) to bounce the morning or afternoon away on.
Mini Train City Tour: in Fuengirola, goes to all the main sightseeing sites – a perfect ride to entertain the kids.
Location: C. Ukraine, Nave 28 (Poligono, 29670 San Pedro Alcántara) Málaga
El Refugio Del Burrito: the donkey sanctuary is just 45 minutes’ drive from the coast and is the home to over 70 rescued donkeys. Your family will get to meet them all and learn about their life stories.
Location: Apartado 25
29520 Fuente De Piedra
Málaga
Spain
To check out the latest deals for Costa Del Sol on Expedia see here.
Majorca
- Flight time from U.K 2.5 hours
- Average daily maximum 15.4°C
- Average monthly rainfall 34mm
- Average daily sunshine 5 hours
Majorca tops the list of Spain’s best islands and has some amazing beaches, picturesque coves and beautiful old towns. Explore Palma and the old town and enjoy lunch at Brunch It!
On top of all this, it is a fantastic family trip destination with water parks, caves to explore, exciting train rides and more. With its short flights time, it is a fantastic destination to escape the cold season in a fun way with the kids. There are plenty of Things to do with Kids in Majorca and some fantastic all inclusive family friendly hotels too.
Popular Family Hotels in Majorca
Below are two popular hotel choices with families, Protur Bonaire and Pirates Village.
Protur Bonaire Cala Bonaire – Cala Bona 4*
Protur Aparthotel Bonaire is a 4-star hotel, set in spacious grounds, aimed at families. The hotel includes a winding, river-style pool and a children’s splash park with slides and a giant pirate ship!
It is a short, two- minute walk from a sandy and shingle beach with a great pizza place. The resort of Cala Bona is around a ten-minute walk away with Cala Millor, a bigger resort, a little further away. There are options of either half-board or all inclusive with the option of visits to an a la carte restaurant. Rooms contain: a kitchenette and air conditioning and have a separate room and living area with sofa bed and ample space for a cot.
- 1 bedroom apartments with living area with sofa bed and ample space for a cot.
- Kitchenette
- Pirate ship with water slide
- Children’s pool
- Playground
- Kids’ Club
- Soft Play
This is a very highly reviewed resort, especially suited to families. We stayed here with our 18 month old who loved the kids’ club and the pool area!
Good for: Families who like to be within walking distance of a small town and a shallow splash pool for little ones.
Location: Avinguda de l’Enginyer Antonio Garau Mullet, 07559 Cala Bona, Balearic Islands, Spain
Pirates Village 3* Santa Ponsa
If you’re looking for a busy complex full of fantasy and excitement, this is the place for you! The one bedroomed apartments with separate lounge area (and sofa beds) are completely pirate themed and children are invited to take part in pirate games to protect the pool in the splash park.
The Pirates Village features several swimming pools with slides, a games room and a movie theatre.
If that isn’t enough, there is a weekly pirate show which will even impress the adults of your group. There are options of self-catering or all-inclusive with a pool bar and a buffet restaurant.
The hotel is close to nearby restaurants and bars and is 400m from the nearest beach. All rooms comprise of: wifi, a safety deposit box, a hairdryer, kettle, fridge, microwave and air conditioning.
Good for: This hotel is perfect for any pirate fanatic families!
Location: Avenida Rey Jaime, 114, 07180 Santa Ponsa, Spain
Malta
- Flight time 3 hours from U.K
- Average daily maximum 15.7°C
- Average monthly rainfall 89mm
- Average daily sunshine 5 hours
Sitting between Sicily and North Africa, this beautiful island has charms that are hard not to fall for and plenty of fun to be had for families. It offers a rich history with a unique blend of cultures, including Arab, Italian and English, makes it so much more than just a beach destination, although you will find plenty of them to sunbathe on!
Malta’s National Aquarium: houses species from all over the world including sharks, rays and tropical fish. The exciting part is you can walk through a glass tunnel so you feel like you are in there with them. There are also geckos, Poisonous dart frogs and reptiles to discover. Buy skip the line tickets here.
Location: Triq it-Trunciera, San Pawl il-Baħar SPB 1500, Malta
Esplora Interactive Science Centre: in Kalkara is a great experiences for children of all ages. It features 220+ indoor and outdoor interactive science exhibits, a 4k colourspace Planetarium theatre, engaging science shows and hands on workshops. There is also a fantastic cafe on site for when you get hungry.
Location: Villa Bighi Dawret Fra Giovanni Bichi Il-Kalkara Kalkara, KKR 1320, Malta
Sweethaven Popeye Village: is a family attraction featuring a number of colourful fun activities for all those who are young at heart! There are famous cartoon characters to meet and entertain the kids, boat rides, water trampolines, food outlets, mini golf and even a fun park with numerous rides for the kids. For the latest Expedia deals see here.
Location: Triq Tal-Prajjet, Il-Mellieħa, Malta
Try the All Inclusive hotel DB Seabank, Mellieha
- Fridge
- Kids’ Club
- Playground
- Pool (these will have slides added eventually)
- Close to beach
Algarve Portugal
- Flight time 3 hours from U.K
- Average daily maximum 16.2°C
- Average monthly rainfall 60mm
- Average daily sunshine 6 hours
The Algarve is a beautiful coastal area in southern Portugal with golden beaches, picturesque fishing towns and stunning scenery for winter sunshine. It is the perfect holiday destination for families. According to the Algarve tourism board, the best resorts for families are between Praia da Rocha and Albufeira.
Krazyworld: open on weekends in January, is an interactive zoo with activities for the whole family. The life and soul of the party is the petting farm where you can feed and interact with Lamas, deer and dwarf goats. In the zoo there are turtles, birds and lemurs and the largest snake in Europe – 8.5 metres long!
Apart from the the wildlife adventures, there is a swimming pool with a slide, tree climbing activities, Inflatables, pedal karts, pony rides and 18 hole mini golf. On a rainy day there is a large indoor area with an inflatable bouncy castle and a stage for animal presentations.
Location: Lagoa de Viseu – Estrada Algoz, 8365-907 Algoz, Portugal
Lagos conservation zoo: is a lovely family day out. In this zoo you will see monkeys, chimpanzee’s iguana’s, huge tortoises, snakes and many more animals.
Feeding times are a lot of fun! Have a look at their website to see when feeding times are so that you can plan your day!
Location: Medronhal-Quinta Figueiras
8600-013 Barão de São João, Lagos, Portugal
Try these family hotels:
Eden Resort, 4*Albufeira.
- Fridge in room
- Kitchenette
- Playground
- Kids’ Club
- Pool (indoor and outdoor)
- Close to beach
or the two bedroomed Monte Santo Resort Carveiro.
Madeira
- Flight time 3.5 hours
- Average daily maximum 18.9°C
- Average monthly rainfall 84mm
- Average daily sunshine 5 hours.
Madeira is one of Europe’s most beautiful family friendly destinations with its fabulous temperatures, friendly people and its beautiful green landscape.
It is often referred to as the Garden of the Atlantic and when you go there you will see why! There are not all that many beaches but the ones they do have are stunning.
Go dolphin and whale spotting: from a ship, the kids will love this experience. The Santa Maria de Colombo, a replica of Christopher Colombo’s ship, looks like something out of the Pirates of the Caribbean and just adds to the excitement of the day.
Location / Meeting point : Santa Maria de Colombo – Loja 3, Marina do Funchal, 9000-055 Funchal, Madeira
Take a Toboggan ride: from the top of the main hill in Funchal. If your kids are thrill seekers, they will be over the moon you let them take part in this tradition!
Take a tour around Madeira: and visit all the places of interest in one day with a guide. There are plenty of companies that offer tours. For the latest Madeira deals on Expedia see here.
Marrakech
- Flight time 4 hours from U.K
- Average daily maximum 19°C
- Average monthly rainfall 31 mm
- Average daily sunshine 7 hours
Marrakesh, with its exotic Moroccan charm is the gateway to culture, ancient traditions, snake charmers, spice sellers and is a very family orientated culture. They love children. It is colourful and vibrant and a great place to experience North Africa with your kids.
There are plenty of very family friendly accommodations in Marrakech and when you want to get out and about, it is easy to hire a guide to take you around the most famous and intimate parts of this city.
It is definitely more relaxing to have someone who knows where they are going on your first exploration out of the hotel, especially when you have little ones in tow.
A must while in Marrakech for any family is to visit the labyrinth of market stalls (Souks) in this city. They are busy and noisy and a lot of fun. Merchants are selling anything from ceramics, local produce to carpets and spices!
There are several indoor play areas and also two fantastic kids’ parks. Ludipark and Paloozland. Ludipark has bouncy Castles, a mini zoo and aqua park and Paloozland has a dinosaur theme with swimming pools, rides for kids and even a 6D cinema!
You can take hot Air balloon rides, camel rides, visit the cinema and go bowling. This city has so much to offer to families, you will wish you had booked to stay for longer!
Try the Aqua Mirage hotel for families which is All inclusive and has two bedrooms
Aqua Mirage Club, Marrakesh 4*
- Fridge in room
- Massive water park, lots of pools
- Playground
- Kids’ Club
- No beach
The Canary Islands
- Flight time 4.5 hours
- Average daily maximum 21°C
- Average monthly rainfall 32mm
- Average daily sunshine 6 hours
UK is most likely to see snow between January and March compare to December. If you are looking where to go somewhere warm for a holiday in January with a toddler, then one of these Seven Volcanic islands in the Atlantic, could be your answer for winter sunshine. Just off the coast of North Africa these winter sun destinations boast a semi-tropical climate all year round.
Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife are the most popular with families as they have such a variety of activities to offer.
LANZAROTE: is a definite family favourite and there are plenty of Things to do with Kids in Lanzarote. Take a tour to see all this island has to offer.
Try these Family Hotels in Lanzarote:
TUI Blue Flamingo Beach 3* Playa Blanca (Was TUI Family Life)
- Fridge in room
- Close to beach
- Pool, kids’ pool and splash pool for toddlers
- Playground
- Kitchenette
- Kids’ club
- Fridge in room
- Close to beach
- Pool, kids’ pool and splash pool for toddlers
- Playground
- Kitchenette
- Kids’ club
Location: Avenida de Canarias, S/N, 35580 Playa Blanca, Las Palmas, Spain
Gran Castillo Tagoro, Playa Blanca
- Fridge in room
- 10 minute walk to beach, rocky beach outside hotel
- Indoor pool, outdoor pool, slides
- Playground
- Kitchenette
Location: C. Playa de Afre, 2, 35580 Playa Blanca, Las Palmas, Spain
Holiday Village Lanzarote, Playa Blanca 4*
- Fridge in room
- Close to beach
- Splash park with slides, pool, toddler pool
- Adventure Park
- Kids’ club
El Trebol Apartments, 3* Costa Teguise
- Fridge in room
- Close to beach
- Pool and Kids pool with slides, shallow
- Kids Club
- Kitchenette
Location: Av. de las Palmeras, 10, 35508 Costa Teguise, Las Palmas, Spain
Cinco Plazas, Puerto Del Carmen 2* TUI
- Fridge in room
- Two main pools and one kids’ pool with a splash park
- Kids’ club
- Close to beach
Location: C. Anzuelo, 56, 35510 Las Palmas, Spain
Hotel Costa Calero Thalasso & Spa, Costa Calero
- Mini fridge
- indoor and outdoor pool (with inflatable slides)
- Kids club
- No beach
Location: Urbanización, s/n, 35571 Puerto Calero, Las Palmas, Spain
Aequora Lanzarote 4* Puerto Del Carmen
- Fridge
- Several swimming pools, kids pool with slides for small children, plus small toddler splash pool
- Close to beach
- Kids’ Club
Location: C. Urano, s/n, 35510 Puerto del Carmen, Las Palmas, Spain
Hotel Floresta 3*- Puerto Del Carmen
- Fridge in room
- Kitchenette
- Kids’ Club
- Pool + 2 smaller pools
- Close to beach
- Playground
Location: C. Mercurio, 2, 35510 Puerto del Carmen, Las Palmas, Spain
Los Zocos Club Resort Costa Teguise
- Kitchenette
- Fridge in room
- Kids’ Club
- Indoor and outdoor play area
- Close to beach
Location: Av. de las Islas Canarias, 15, 35508 Costa Teguise, Las Palmas, Spain
GRAND CANARIA: has a huge number of family friendly activities to take part in.
Holiday World: is an amusement park on the south of the island. It has more than 11,000 square feet of fun, with rides, karaoke, bowling and a children’s park with 10 different play areas! When it comes to lunch time, the NOMAD gastro market has more than 400 different dishes to choose from! Check out ticket prices for Holiday World here.
Location: Holiday World Maspalomas, Av. Touroperador Tui, 35100 Maspalomas, Las Palmas, Spain
The Angry Birds Activity Park: in Puerto Rico is suited to younger kids of 12 years and under. The Angry Birds Activity Park has 25 different activities to choose from including crazy golf, zip lines, a ball pool, pedal cars trampolines and a Giant swing and nothing is too much trouble for the staff.
The onsite snack bar has a fantastic range however, if you wish to leave the park to eat and then re-enter, you can as you are given a stamp on your hand on arrival.
Location: Urbanización Puerto Rico, Av. de la Cornisa, 2, 35130 Mogán, Las Palmas, Spain
Aqualand: in Maspalomas, with its waterslides of all sizes is an amazing waterpark for all ages, tots, teens and adults! Open all year-round, they have rides such as the Kamikaze, and boomerang for the daredevils and the little ones have their own mini park. See Aqualand admission prices here.
There are also plenty of cafeterias, snack bars and ice cream parlours on offer too – a kids paradise!
Location: Carr. Palmitos Park, Km 3, 35100 Maspalomas, Las Palmas, Spain
Try these family friendly hotels in Gran Canaria
Dunas Suite & Villas, 4* Maspolomas
- Fridge in room
- Playground
- Kids’ Club
- 5 Pools
- Close to beach
Location: Avenida Sunair sn Avenida Ángel Luis Tadeo Tejera, 35100 Maspalomas, Las Palmas, Spain
Phone: +34 928 14 18 00
Parque Cristobal 3* in Gran Canaria 2 bedroomed bungalows
- Fridge in room
- KitchenetteÂ
- Playground
- Kids’ Club
- Pools with slide
- 25 minute walk or free bus to beach
Location: C. Holanda, s/n, 35100 San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Spain
Phone: +34 900 102 171
TENERIFE: alongside Lanzarote and Gran Canaria is an absolutely fabulous family vacation destination and of course there are plenty of Things to do with Kids in Tenerife . Discover a great overview with an island tour.
Try these family hotels in Tenerife:
HD Parque Cristobal, 3* Playa De Las Americas
- Kitchenette
- Fridge in room
- Close to beach
- Kids’ club
- Playground
- Pools, toddler pool, slides
Location: Av. Rafael Puig Lluvina, 15, 38660 Arona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Phone: +34 922 79 08 74
Gran Oasis, 4* Playa De Las Americas
- Kitchenette
- Fridge in room
- 25 minute walk to beach
- Playground
- 2 Pools and kids pool
Location: C. Meandro, 3, 38640 Arona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Phone: +34 922 78 83 38
Cyprus
- Flight time 4.5 hours
- Average daily maximum 18°C
- Average monthly rainfall 95mm
- Average daily sunshine 6 hours
For winter sun with toddlers, Cyprus is definitely a family friendly destination. Families tend to make a beeline for Protaras in the Paphos region as the beach there is huge and shallow shelving and there is plenty in the area to keep the kids entertained. This island country is one of the best options for relaxation and exciting winter sun holiday getaways. See below all the fun stuff to do with kids in Cyprus.
The Aphrodite Waterpark: is 35,000 square metres of water fun! Thrill seekers and toddlers alike will love this water park. The Kamikaze and free fall will satisfy the thrill seekers and for the little ones there is the family rafting river, the mini volcano, the Jacuzzi, a kid’s area and a leisure pool.
Location: Poseidonos Ave, Paphos 8133, Cyprus
Phone: +357 26 913638
Paphos Zoo: is a fabulous zoo and bird park and has pretty much every animal you would hope to see at a zoo. It offers animal interaction where children have the chance to get even closer to some of their favourite animals.
Location: Xylomantrou Street, Agiou Georgiou, Peyia Paphos CY, 8650, Cyprus
Phone: +357 26 813852
Tala Monastery Cat Park: is a must if you are a family of cat lovers. It is just 15 minutes outside Paphos and they usually have around 800 cats. Cats of all shapes, colours and sizes, all wanting a lap or a massage from a friendly tourist. It is run by volunteers and therefore free of charge but of course donations are welcome.
Location: RCVV+745, Igoumenou Leontiou Ave, Tala 8577, Cyprus
Phone: +357 99 253430
George’s fun bus: is the alternative way of seeing the sites! George is a huge character and teaches the children about Cyprus in a fun and exciting way, taking in an eco-friendly art college built only from rubbish, the Ayios Neophytos Monastery, the Adonis Waterfall and the Mavrokolymobos Dam and sea caves where you relax and have a BBQ feast!
Try this Cyprus Hotel for families
Louis St. Elias Resort & Waterpark 4*
The contemporary Louis St Elias Resort hotel has studios for up to three people, as well as one and two bedroomed suites which can accommodate up to 4 and 6 respectively.. All the rooms are light and bright, and come equipped with a microwave, a mini fridge and tea and coffee making facilities.
Kids will enjoy the splash play zone, a swimming pool with a bar and terrace, a Jacuzzi, 2 kids clubs and a playground, tennis court, a second pool which includes three water slides (Children below the age of 6 and/or under the minimum height of 120cm are not allowed to use the water slides). However, there is kids splash pool with water features and games for younger ones.
- Small waterpark
- 2 Kids’ Clubs
- Playground
- Tennis court
- Evening entertainment
- Kettle, microwave and fridge in rooms
- 2 bedroomed suites
Location: Agiou Elia 44, Paralimni, Protaras, Protaras 5296, Cyprus
Phone: +357 23 831300
Read Louis St. Elias Resort & Waterpark Tripadvisor reviews here.
See First Choice prices here
Compare Booking.com prices here
Cape Verde
- Flight time 6 hours
- Average daily maximum 25.2°C
- Average monthly rainfall 3mm
- Average daily sunshine 6 hours
The Cape Verde islands, with their Brazilian, African and Portuguese influences, pristine beaches and year-round sunshine are very family orientated. Children of all ages are welcome everywhere and will most likely be the centre of attention!
According to TUI, Boa Vista (beautiful view) is the best island to visit as a family but Sal comes not far behind. Learn more about exploring Boa Vista here.
The Cape Verde family hotels, very much cater for children, with kids clubs, play areas and water slides, but if you would like to venture out for the day, why not hire a car and see the island or there is Aquamak Water Park which is ideal for families with young children and has attractions for all ages.
Try the Melia Sol Dunas, Sal hotel:
- Fridge in room
- Kids’ Club
- Playground
- Hotel is co-located with the lower-rated, cheaper, Sol Dunas and shares some facilities. baby soft play area is located at Sol Dunas, as are the water slideamusements, for shared use.
- Pools and toddler pool
- Close to beach
Location: Rua Andrade Corvo, Santa Maria 4110, Cabo Verde
Phone: +238 242 23 40
Dominican Republic
- Flight time 9 hours
- Average daily maximum 28.6°C
- Average monthly rainfall 61mm
- Average daily sunshine 7 hours
Punta Cana, the coconut coast, is the go to place for most families looking for the best family winter sun holiday a little further afield.
This is due to its sugar white beaches (rated amongst the best in the world), Caribbean Sea and heaps of family-friendly hotels and resorts.
Monkeyland Safari Tour: comes highly recommended. You can interact with and feed squirrel monkeys deep in the Dominican jungle, visit a local coffee plantation while learning about the island’s colourful native plants and flowers along the way from your open-air safari-style vehicle.
Cancun
- Flight time 10 hours
- Average daily maximum 28°C
- Average monthly rainfall 40mm
- Average daily sunshine 5 hours
For a winter sun holiday with a difference, Cancun in Mexico with its large sandy beaches, aquariums and parks, is a safe and family friendly holiday destination.
It has many activities that will keep children of all ages happy and entertained without breaking the bank! If you don’t mind the flight time, it is possibly the best family holiday destination in January!
The beaches are just stunning and if you make your way to Playa Delfines beach, it is perfect for a family day on the sand. It has toilets, places to eat nearby and a small playground to keep the little ones entertained.
Just 15 minutes ferry or water taxi ride away is the beautiful tropical island paradise of Isla Mujeres. The ferry ride itself is very exciting, the kids will love it. Once on the island you can hire out golf buggies to get around which is a lot of fun!
Local buses are great too and there is an aquarium in La Isla shopping centre if you fancy a morning out of the sun. Parque Las Palapas is a hive of activity with a children’s playground, a stage where there are often free shows with food and markets stalls. Enjoy a tour of Cancun here.
California
- Flight time 12 hours
- Average daily maximum 25.°C
- Average monthly rainfall 49mm
- Average daily sunshine 6 hours
If you are visiting USA and looking for a family friendly holiday destination within the country in January then Southern California is your answer. Take a trip to cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palm Springs tend to have mild to warm weather in January, with temperatures often ranging from the 60s to the 70s Fahrenheit (15-25 degrees Celsius).
There ton of fun activities to do with kids in the Southern part of California, for adventurous kids there are snorkeling spots at La Jolla Underwater Park, San Diego. You could go on a family friendly hiking that offers stunning ocean views at Torrey Pines State Reserve.
- For family friendly places to visit in February see here
- For family friendly places to visit in October see here
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