Shallow, gently sloping beaches like Arenal in Javea and La Mata suit small children best. Benidorm has the big parks, roughly an hour north of Orihuela Costa. A pool at the property matters more than anything else on the list. May, June, September and October are kinder than the peak of summer with young kids.
Families are the bulk of who we host, and the pattern is always the same. The first day is the beach, the second day somebody wants a water park, and by day four everyone wants something that does not involve a car journey.
Here is what works, roughly in the order you will want it.
The thing that matters with young kids is not how pretty a beach is, it is how gently it slopes and how calm the water sits.
From most of the homes we manage in Orihuela Costa, Guardamar and La Mata are the easy ones. Javea and Calpe are a proper drive north and better treated as a day out.
About an hour north, and worth one or two days of the week rather than more.
Aqualandia is one of the largest water parks in Europe, with slides graded by age so older kids and small ones both have something. Mundomar next door does dolphins and sea lions. Terra Mitica is the full theme park, built around Egyptian, Roman and Greek worlds, and is a long day.
Pick one per trip. Three in a week is how you end up needing a holiday from the holiday.
Rio Safari Park in Elche mixes animals with playgrounds and a water zone, which is a good combination for a mixed age group and much less of a trek than Benidorm.
Les Fonts de l Algar at Callosa d en Sarria is a run of natural pools and waterfalls you can swim in. Cold, beautiful, and a genuinely different day. DinoPark is in the same place and suits roughly ages three to ten.
Tabarca Island is car free, reachable by boat, and the snorkelling is clear enough to keep kids interested.
The salt lakes near Torrevieja have flamingos in real numbers, which lands better than any aquarium, and it costs nothing.
Penon de Ifach near Calpe is a climbable rock with a path up it for older children. Parque Natural del Montgo has easy walking routes.
Guadalest is a mountain village with a castle and a view that makes everyone stop talking for a second. Villajoyosa has a chocolate museum and a painted old town. Boat trips run from most of the coastal towns, and Karting Finestrat handles the older ones who have declared themselves too old for everything else.
Get a property with a pool. More than any single attraction on this page. It is the thing that saves the afternoon when it is thirty two degrees and nobody wants to move.
Air conditioning is not optional in July and August, particularly in the bedrooms. Small children do not sleep through a warm night, and nobody else does either.
Travel in the shoulder. May, June, September and October are meaningfully kinder with young kids. The sea is still warm in September and the crowds have gone.
Rent a car. Almost everything above needs one.
Shade, water, and check the flag. The sun here is stronger than it feels with a breeze coming off the sea.
Most of the homes we manage have a pool, air conditioning and space to spread out, which is roughly the whole checklist. If you tell us the ages of your children we will tell you honestly which properties suit and which do not. +34 658 235 481 or info@casacapitals.com.
A couple of the properties we actually manage on the Costa Blanca.
We have managed 50+ homes on the Costa Blanca from our base in Orihuela Costa. Ask us anything about yours.
Four ways we work with owners, buyers and guests across the Costa Blanca.
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