Other places in Balearic Islands
Ibiza
Mallorca
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Holiday fun for the family
From the Daily Mail
The fact that Spain remains by far the most popular destination for British holidaymakers is not surprising: it has the coast, character and climate, it's excellent value, and is only a couple of hours away by plane. In fact, the main problem with Spain is that it is such a familiar destination that it's sometimes too easy to fall back on the obvious choices - the Majorcan resorts,
Benidorm or the Costa del Sol.
But there are plenty of alternatives which have just as much going for them in terms of sun, sand and value for money, but which don't dominate the pages of the tour operators' brochures. Here's my selection:
Hot tips
The up-and-coming Costa to watch out for is the Costa de la Luz - the stretch of coast to the west of Gibraltar, facing out towards the Atlantic. It has some of the best, sandiest and least developed of all the country's beaches, and is popular with the Spanish themselves, though more British and German tourists are discovering its scattering of relaxed resorts.
Among the best are Conil de la Frontera, Los Canos de Meca and Zahara de los Atunes. Be aware, though, that because most of the beaches face into the prevailing wind, it can be blustery, and you need to be careful of the surf which rolls in from the ocean.
The other summer destination growing rapidly in popularity is the Canary
Islands. For years, they have been thought of as ideal islands for winter sun or an early/late season break. But they are just as good in summer - hotter, of course, but the temperatures are kept in check by cool Atlantic breezes.
Tenerife and Gran Canaria are now too developed for many people's tastes.
Lanzarote is a perennial and reliable recommendation because of its good beaches and low-rise resorts, but even here development work continues apace. So if you want to escape a little, try an alternative island - especially
Fuerteventura, and the smaller island of La Gomera.
Read more in our destination guide to Balearic Islands.