The Best Family-Friendly Greek Holiday Ideas

If you’re a fan of the Netflix TV series The Durrells, then you’ll be familiar with Corfu. This leafy island is covered with lush vegetation as well as boasting some of the best sandy beaches in Greece. Explore the winding streets of the Unesco-listed Old Town, go horse riding through the olive groves or hit up the Aqualand Water Park, one of the biggest in Europe.

With a kids’ club, including mini discos, plus organised activities for teenagers and family rooms with bunk beds, there’s a lot to love at the all-inclusive Mareblue Beach Resort. Plonked on the northern tip of Corfu, you’ve got access to some of the island’s best beaches here – or, if you prefer to stay closer to home, there are three pools to choose from for a splash around.

History buffs will have plenty to explore on Rhodes – it is home to the ancient city of Lindos and its acropolis, as well as the castles near Monolithos and Kritinia. Prefer something a little more action-orientated? Rhodes is one of the best islands in Greece for windsurfing, so grab your towel and hit the beach. It’s also worth swinging by the Valley of the Butterflies, a 60-acre (24ha) nature park bursting with rare colourful species.

For a wonderful all-inclusive, family-friendly holiday in Rhodes, it’s got to be the Princess Andriana Resort and Spa. Younger family members will love the action-packed kids’ club, while adults will delight in the sprawling spa, themed restaurants and pools to bathe in. If you want an extra-special stay, opt for the superior family room with a sharing pool you can access straight from your verandah. Bliss.

Remember the tale of Theseus and the Minotaur? That allegedly took place at Knossos on the island of Crete. Now, all that remains is palace ruins from approximately 3,500 years ago, but it’s still worth a visit to marvel at the architectural feats achieved by the Minoans, Europe’s earliest civilisation. Once the kids have had enough of the history lesson, take them to Cretaquarium, one of the largest and most modern aquariums in Europe. Watch out for the enormous sand tiger sharks.

Two words: water park. Yep, that’s right, as its moniker suggests, Fodele Beach and Water Park Holiday Resort is home to an award-winning water park. Fun for kids and adults, the water park includes a rafting slide, a kamikaze slide, a black hole slide and even a free-fall slide. When you’re not zooming down a waterslide, the resort sits just above pretty Fodele Beach – with three pools to laze by, and a kid’s club, too.

Zakynthos is most widely known for two things: partying and Shipwreck Beach. Even if your bar crawl days are behind you, there is plenty of family-orientated fun to be had on this Greek island. Hop on a boat tour to the aforementioned beach and stop by the ethereal Blue Caves for a swim. Back on dry land, make a beeline for Gerakas Beach – between May and October, this is a prime nesting ground for loggerhead turtles.

Perched on a long ribbon of golden sand in the south of Zakynthos, Zante Beach Resort is primed for a fun family stay. From its in-house kids’ club to the pirate ship playground and restaurants with kid’s menus, your young ones will never get bored here. The kids’ club means adults can spend their days scuba diving, doing open-air yoga or breaking plates on Greek night. Opa!

Still a relatively hidden gem, Naxos is arguably one of the most beautiful and unspoilt Greek islands. The main town beach in St George is a popular spot for families, thanks to its calm shallow waters. If you’ve got teenagers with you, hit up Plaka Beach for windsurfing or kitesurfing lessons. Make time for some adult fun, too – the Vallindras Distillery is a great place to try a citron liqueur known as the “Greek limoncello”. It’s been made the same way for over 100 years.

With its position next to the popular – and family-friendly – Agios Prokopios Beach, Naxos Island Hotel is a great choice for kids of all ages. Book into one of the family rooms for two rooms – with a bathroom decked out in Naxian marble and a jacuzzi to relax in. When you’re feeling peckish, head to the hotel’s in-house taverna restaurant for a Naxian-style breakfast and Greek fare for dinner.

Located in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, Limnos (or Lemnos) is an off-the-beaten-track island that’s worth exploring. Your offspring will no doubt love a visit to a real castle, Kastro van Myrina – the views from the top are worth it alone. Little ones will also love Lemnos Playland, which boasts its own soft play area, plus tennis lessons and rollerskating sessions. Of course, there’s a plethora of beaches to build sandcastles on, too: Zematas and Thanos are two must-visits.

If spectacular views are your kind of thing, Lemnos Village Resort is set just above the golden-sand Plati Beach, so the rooms have vistas across the cerulean waters. Families will love the interconnecting rooms, where the kids take one and the adults take the other. Activities – like water polo, volleyball, ping pong and a variety of sea sports – will keep both kids and adults entertained for days.

Last but not least, Athens is another excellent destination for families. While the Acropolis is impressive, take the kids to the Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Centre for a virtual tour of Ancient Greece, followed by Allou Fun Park, the largest amusement park in Athens. Attica Zoological Park is also well worth a visit to see penguins, giraffes, flamingoes and hippos.

Who says you have to compromise on style when travelling with kids? At St George Lycabettus Hotel in Athens, you get the best of both worlds. Here, the hotel’s sleek rooms offer even better views – all the way to the Acropolis, in fact. Kids will love the cinema room and play corner, while adults will want to spend most of their time in and around the rooftop pool.