With summer approaching and school winding down, chances are you’re turning your thoughts to the family holiday. Though you may fantasise about tranquil beach scenes and sea breezes, you know you’ve got an uphill battle before you. For many parents, family holidays come with a side of stress: will you be able to get a block of seats together on the plane? Which hotel should you book? How will you get there? And, for heaven’s sake, how will you keep everyone entertained without losing your mind?
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Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Family holidays often involve bending over backwards to keep everyone happy. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The best way to ensure your family holiday goes smoothly is simple: find the right destination! The ‘right’ destination has plenty of activities for kids (and their parents), convenient accommodation options, ample amenities, and a heaping helping of natural beauty and gorgeous weather.
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Roquetas de Mar, in southern Spain, ticks every one of these boxes. This beautiful resort town does a booming business with UK holidaymakers, yet has escaped the stifling overcrowding of similar destinations. Perhaps best of all, this idyllic Spanish paradise is positively overflowing with activities for the younger set. Read on for our top recommendations!
Splash Around at Mario Park
Beat the heat at Mario Park, a watery wonderland perfect for both adults and children.
Summer temperatures in Roquetas de Mar can climb into the upper 30s, so beat the heat at Mario Park, a watery wonderland perfect for adults and children both. Here you can zip down zig-zagging waterslides, whirl around in the Super Tornado, or simply float in the blue lagoon. For the youngest visitors, there’s an aquatic playground with smaller, tamer slides, a castle, sprinklers, and a paddling pool. Whether you’re looking for an adrenaline-inducing water slide or a relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi, you’ll find all the aquatic activities you could want here.
Camino de Las Salinas, 10, 04740 Roquetas de Mar, Almería, Spain
Tel: +34 950 32 75 75
Hours: Open daily 11:00am-7:00pm
Prices: Full day tickers: €22 for adults, €15 for children
Visit the Aquarium
Head over to the touch tank and meet some of the aquarium’s more gregarious inhabitants.
Get nose-to-nose with countless tropical species at the Roquetas de Mar aquarium, the largest in Andalusia. From sting rays to starfish, you’ll find all manner of flippered, finned, and tentacled animals here. The aquarium’s most popular attraction is the sharks; come feeding time, there will be crowds around the tank watching aquarium staff toss these predators their dinner. If that’s a bit too much for your young ones, wander over to the touch tank, a sort of watery petting zoo, where you can meet some of the aquarium’s more gregarious inhabitants.
Avda Reino de Espana, s/n, 04740, Roquetas de Mar, Spain
Tel: +34 950 16 00 36
Hours: Wed-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm
Prices: Children under 14 € 12.95, adults € 16.95
Swim at Playa Urbanización
No visit to Roquetas de Mar would be complete without a trip to Playa Urbanización.
No visit to Roquetas de Mar would be complete without a trip to the beach. For maximum convenience and amenities, choose Playa Urbanización, which is located a stone’s throw from the town centre. Here you’ll find plenty of play areas to keep your children entertained, umbrellas and sun beds to make your stay more comfortable, and many cafés and ice cream kiosks to keep everyone well-fed and content. The beach itself is the longest in Roquetas de Mar, giving you plenty of room to spread out and explore.
Play in Castor Park
Castor Park boasts bouncy castles, mini golf, bumper cars, carousels, trampolines, and slides – heaven for the little ones!
All the fun and games you could ask for are waiting for you and your family at Castor Park. This activity-packed complex boasts bouncy castles, mini golf, bumper cars, carousels, trampolines, and slides – all tailored to little ones. If you’re looking for a full day’s worth of activities at good value for money, Castor Park is the place to be.
Av Las Gaviotas, Roquetas de Mar, Spain
How to Get to Roquetas de Mar
Transfer time from Almería Airport to Roquetas de Mar is only 35 minutes.
Roquetas de Mar is served by Almería airport, about 30 km east of the resort. Nonstop flights from the London area to Almería are about three hours in duration – bring a few toys for your kids and they’ll be content for the whole trip (or cave to pressure and let them play Candy Crush on your iPad). Check out airlines like Monarch and easyJet for reasonably priced nonstop flights. Plenty of connecting flights are available too, but make sure you have entertainment planned for the layover!
Before you take off, make sure you have transportation arranged for your arrival. Make life a little easier by booking your airport transfers to Roquetas de Mar well ahead of time with Shuttle Direct. Not only can we get you and your family to this beachy paradise in 40 minutes or less, we can also make sure you arrive back at the airport with plenty of time to spare.
Where to Stay:
Apartamentoas Maracay – Just 500 feet from the beach, Apartamentos Maracay is a godsend for hassled parents. Not only is the town’s main tourist attraction right on your doorstep, but this friendly apartment complex includes a kid-friendly pool and a playground – there will be no trouble keeping your offspring entertained! Apartments are reasonably priced and sleep two to eight people, so you can have maximum flexibility for your family.
Apartamentos Moguima – You’ll feel right at home in your accommodation here at Apartmentos Moguima. With a full kitchen, spacious private balcony, and inviting sitting area, you and your family will have plenty of room to move around. Outside, enjoy the lush terrace and pool area, which is shaded by palm trees and bursting with flowering shrubs.
Playaluna Hotel – Set right on the water, you can’t get much closer to the beach than this! Your kids will love the Playaluna Hotel’s mini golf course, giant chess board, and waterslides in the lagoon-style pool. For mom and dad, there’s a spacious sun terrace, saloon bar, and a luxurious hot tub.
About Shuttle Direct:
When you’re juggling international travel with a few kids and multiple suitcases, you’re going to be looking for any way to make life a little easier. The first step to doing just that is booking your airport transfer online with Shuttle Direct. Shuttle Direct is the number one provider of airport transfers across Europe and North Africa. Wherever you’re headed, let us take you there.
