Half-term hangouts

These close-to-home holidays are ideal for shorter half-term breaks but still offer plenty of things to see and do that will spark your children’s wanderlust and sense of adventure.

Turkey

There’s so much history to unpack in Istanbul, a city that sits across two continents, links two seas and was once at the epicentre of two vast empires, Ottoman and Byzantine. It’s a fun city to travel around as a family, with buses, trams and ferries. If travelling with school-aged kids, it’s worth considering the spring or autumn half-term holidays as summer in the city can get hot.

You won’t want to miss the tick-list sights of the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque (also known as the Sultanahmet Mosque), the Bosphorus Strait-side Dolmabahçe Palace and the Topkapı Palace, but make sure you set aside time to get lost in the Grand Bazaar and revel in the scents of the Spice Bazaar.

Head to the otherworldly landscape of Cappadocia for something altogether different, where millennia of natural erosion has carved out cliffs, cones and pinnacles from layers of volcanic rock. Bookend your day with a hot air balloon ride at sunrise and find a spot to catch the sunset — there are several top viewpoints and some get a lot busier than others. 

If time allows you can also head to the beach for R&R. You'll find incredible family-focused beach hotels in both Dalaman, Bodrum and Antalya areas – standout favourites include Lara Barut Collection and Ela Excellence Resort Belek. There are kids’ facilities and clubs to dip in and out of (from babies right through to tweens and teens), child-friendly menus and mealtimes, spacious rooms, suites and villas, and seemingly endless things to do for a truly memorable holiday. Talk to us about choosing the best places to stay.

Mallorca

Mallorca is always a favourite go-to for a family holiday, not least because you can fly from almost any airport in the UK and it only takes around two hours.

On the south-east coast, just to the south of Cala d’Or (perfect for a little luxury yacht-spotting). you'll find Ikos Porto Petro – an all inclusive resort built around an 'unconditional luxury' philosophy, which of course extends to their youngest guests.

Here, it’s as much about local discovery as a family as it is making the most of all the activities (and there are a plenty included). They’ll lend you a Tesla for a day so you can show the kids island life, driving along coastal roads to tiny fishing villages. This corner of the island tends to be a bit quieter than the bigger resorts around Palma (about an hour away). It’s also not too far from Santanyí, an arty town off the typical tourist track with a thriving Saturday market, and Cala Santanyí, which is one of the best beaches in the area and well worth a visit on your Tesla day.

They also throw in a ‘Culture Pass’, which gives you free access to some nearby museums and historical sites. Families of four with kids of any age can share a Family Room but there are other suites available if you need more space. The Heroes Kids’ Club and Just4Teens programme are free for children over four and 12 respectively, but there’s a crèche that will take kids from six months to three for a fee.

Sardinia

Sardinia might not spring to mind as quickly as Spain, Turkey or Greece when you’re planning a family holiday, but it deserves a top spot on your list. Being Italy, the food is obviously amazing – wood-fired pizza, pasta that disappears faster than you can twirl it and more gelato flavours than you’ll have time to try – and holidays flow between lazy pool days and exploring ancient sites and natural lagoons. And the beaches? Think Caribbean-blue water without the long flight.

Forte Village, on the island’s sunny south coast near Pula, is one of the best known resorts for family fun. More seaside village than hotel, it’s set in lush gardens beside a long sandy beach and has everything you could imagine for families of all ages. There’s an aquapark with slides and pools, a go-kart track, a Children’s Wonderland, and a choice of sports academies where kids can train with professional coaches in football, tennis, rugby and more.

You’ll also find a thalassotherapy spa for adults and a wide range of restaurants from Michelin-starred dining to relaxed beach grills. Families can choose from rooms and suites across several hotels within the complex, all designed with space and flexibility in mind.

Greece

Many of the hotels in our families collection have mastered both style and substance, with the quality and calming surroundings that parents are hoping for, plus all the things needed to keep the kids happy. Domes of Corfu, Autograph Collection, on the west coast of Corfu, certainly sits in this bracket. They’ve thought carefully about rooms which are spacious and boho sanctuary-like in style, with options for sharing or separate sleeping spaces depending on the age of your kids.

The crèche for under fours (for which you’ll need to pay) is run on Montessori principles, so it’s all about the play, and they have all the kit you need for a baby and toddler too. Activities at the kids’ club are more bespoke than standard family hotels — as well as sporty things to do, there’s a focus on history, nature and creativity, and teens have their own arcade as a hangout.

However, it feels less about kids’ clubs and more about doing things as a family — they’re fully tuned in to the fact that no one size fits all. The beach is sandcastle-building and snorkelling heaven and there’s a family pool for splashing around. You get a sense of their Corfiot heritage just by staying here, especially at the Greek-style agora with its pop-up art, street food and shopping events. A 40-minute drive to the east coast takes you to Corfu Town. It’s nice to just wander around and, like much of Greece, it has a history of Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, French and British that left their mark and architectural flair. A Hidden Corfu tour is a great way to take you off the main tourist trail, stopping at some of the most scenic points around the island.

Cyprus

Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa has a cool and calming style: it’s minimalistic and modern but with subtle nods to the destination displayed through hundreds of pieces of art and Cypriot motifs. It has the feel of a grown-up holiday where families are made to feel very welcome.

The Kids’ Club is huge (one of the biggest in Europe) and is made up of a castle, a pirate ship with splash pool and a mix of scheduled sporty and creative activities. They run morning and afternoon sessions that start at 10am and finish at 6pm; there’s a fee to attend and it’s worth pre-booking too. There are lots of sports courts — tennis, football, padel — and an aquatic centre for sea-based adventures.

Families can share Superior Rooms (kids can sleep on the sofabed) but go for a Family Suite if you want two bedrooms (one twin) and two bathrooms. For even more space, privacy and your own pool there’s a choice of villas with up to three bedrooms. For days away from the beach there’s Cyprus’ mythical history to explore. Limassol is also the gateway to the Troodos Mountains, a region dotted with pretty villages and monasteries, but also full of nature trails leading to waterfalls. The drive itself is worth a day away from the beach. You’re also around 45 minutes from Lefkara Village, famed for its long-held traditions of lace-making and silver. It’s won awards as a tourist destination preserving local culture, gastronomy and values.

Tenerife

Las Terrazas de Abama has the feel of a traditional Spanish village and it’s set on a golf course with incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean and La Gomera. It’s a winner for families, as the suites all have high-end kitchen facilities including a washing machine and dryer, and a dining area where you can enjoy your family meals.

It’s not all self-catering though. On site you can dine at Melvin Restaurant with a menu designed by multiple Michelin-starred Martín Berasategui that showcases the very best of Spanish cuisine. The Kids’ Camp here has a natural theme — there’s a collection of tents that host the various creative activities. You do pay for kids (aged four to 14) to attend, but there are so many activities to make their imagination run wild: sporty, environmental, creative and scientific, and there are even some excursions beyond the hotel grounds. Younger kids will enjoy collecting stamps in their explorer cards to earn badges. With the children taken care of, wellness and fitness boxes are ticked at the exclusive Sandára Wellness & Spa, the Abama Tennis Centre with its courts and academy and the 18-hole golf course.

Dubai

Right on the edge of ‘closer to home’ is Dubai, and the Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai is definitely one for families with active kids. This is a themed resort with so much to do that you don’t really need to venture far; however, since you’re here you should definitely head out and about. The kids will love a desert safari in a 4x4, and there’s bragging rights to be had from heading up to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Then of course there’s retail therapy in the world-famous malls.

Most activities at the kids’ club at Centara Mirage are included, but those that aren’t are worth paying extra for — they can do a ‘try dive’ scuba experience and learn photography skills from an expert. There’s also a kids’ spa, a water play area with splash zone for younger kids, a lazy river and waterslides for everybody, and a cliff-jumping platform for adrenaline junkies.

This article was created on 18th December 2025. The information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication.