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If you are wanting to dispel those winter blues and are wondering where to travel with kids in January for some 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
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- 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 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.
There is so much for the family to enjoy, from water parks, aquariums to trampoline and amusement parks!
Aqualand Water park: in Torremolinos boasts10 slides for adults and 15 for children plus fun water play areas and a safe Children’s playground.
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.
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.
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 sites – a perfect ride to entertain the kids.
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.
To check out the latest deals for Costa Del Sol on Expedia see here.
Majorca
- Flight time 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 destination with water parks, caves to explore, exciting train rides and more. With its short flight time, it is a fantastic destination to enjoy winter sun with a baby or winter sun with a toddler. There are plenty of Things to do with Kids in Majorca and some fantastic all inclusive family friendly hotels too.
Malta
- Flight time 3 hours
- 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. Its 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!
Malta’s National Aquarium: houses species from all over the world including sharks, rays and tropical fish. The exciting parti 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.
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.
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.
Algarve Portugal
- Flight time 3 hours
- 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. 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!
On top of this 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.
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!
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 climate, 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.
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
- 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 hotels 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!
The Canary Islands
- Flight time 4.5 hours
- Average daily maximum 21°C
- Average monthly rainfall 32mm
- Average daily sunshine 6 hours
If you are looking where to go on holiday in January with a toddler, one of these Seven Volcanic islands in the Atlantic, could be your answer. 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.
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.
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.
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!
TENERIFE: alongside Lanzarote and Gran Canaria is an absolutely fabulous family holiday destination and of course there are plenty of Things to do with Kids in Tenerife . Discover a great overview with an island tour.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
- For family friendly places to visit in February see here
- For family friendly places to visit in October see here
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