Family beach holidays with a difference

Family beach holidays for the 21st century featuring everything from yoga to cooking for kids.

Life's a beach, or so the cliche goes. But life has changed beyond recognition in the 21st century. With that in mind here are some European family beach holidays with a difference.

Sleep safari style in western France

Family camping trips can be an adventure or an ordeal. The beachside Atlantic Club Montalivet Resort offers activity: an extensive pool complex, surfing and other sports; plus variety and novelty, not least in the range of accommodation. As well as cabins and spacious tents, this five-star campsite (yes, there is such a thing) has quirky options such as en suite safari tents and cute airlodges — basically, your childhood fantasy, treehouse-tent combo. The nearby vineyards of the Medoc beckon thirsty parents.

Get the kids cooking in Portugal

To paraphrase the adage, don't judge a boutique hotel by its interior design. The sleek aesthetic of Praia Verde, in a leafy, unspoilt pocket of the Algarve, might signal an adults-only vibe, but the imaginative range of activities for youngsters: market trips and cookery lessons; movie nights with popcorn; pools and beach swims; is exemplary. There's plenty for parents, too, from birdwatching to boat trips, oyster-tasting to off-road biking. Suites feature kitchenettes in which to rustle up snacks.

A treat on Crete

Another five-star hotel adding sophistication to sustainability and a superior family package, the new Domes Zeen Chania is well endowed with options for entertaining offspring. Along with a dedicated pool, kids can caper among yurts and tepees, in the Zen retreat that hosts the kids' club, or on the private beach below. Minimalist Bali-influenced interiors, jungle spa and restaurants maintain high standards for grown-ups.

Yoga for the young

The family that does sun salutations together, stays together — that's the idea behind new Spanish family wellness experiences launched at the Kempinski Hotel Bahia, in the low-key Costa del Sol resort of Estepona. As well as curated parent-children yoga sessions, there are tailored spa treatments, tennis sessions and Spanish cookery classes to be enjoyed en familia. Alternatively, the refurbed kids' club offers mini-me time for youngsters.

Get adventure-ready in Greece

Tweens ready for more than sand and splashes are invited to join the Adventure Club at new, five-star MarBella Elix in Perdika above Karavostasi Beach on Greece's north Ionian coast. The programme for preteens, devised by the Exploration Society, packs in activities such as kayaking, canyoning, woodland skills and treasure hunts. There's digital detox for all age groups, too, with wellness and fitness options including hiking, yoga and tennis academy.

Shooting and salsa in Sardinia

Ambitious offspring? Academies at Forte Village in southern Sardinia beckon twinkle-toed youngsters to hone their skills with coaching in football — with former Chelsea players, no less — basketball, tennis, rugby and dance. A new tiki bar, a circus-inspired children's restaurant and a beach extension are among the fruits of a recent refurb of the venerable resort.

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