The Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Menorca, Spain

A short walk from the sands of Son Xoriguer Beach, in Cala’n Bosch, this colourful Katmandu-themed hotel has a pool for every day of the week among its acres of botanical gardens. Families love the children’s pool, menus and club not to mention the games space brimming with arcade games and pool tables. Whitewashed villas are soothing places to relax with balconies or terraces. Two-bedded Family Xtra rooms sleep five with balconies creating extra al fresco space or add a pool view if you want to keep those turquoise waters in sight.

Fronting Cala’n Bosch beach on Menorca’s scenic northern coast, this low-key favourite is one for activity-seeking holidaymakers. Your kids will love the pirate-themed splash park and you’ll all adore the sandy sweep of beach, as well as the opportunities to go diving and hiking. Spacious, light-filled apartment-style rooms, featuring kitchenettes, might go unused – the resort’s laid-back bars and restaurants include Mediterranean cuisine, alfresco grills and that all-important-for-families homemade pizza corner.

Close to the beach, in Cala Santandria in western Menorca, these crisp white apartments centre around a cool expanse of lagoon-style pools prettied by palm trees and bougainvillea. There is plenty of room to lie in the sun – including poolside sunbeds, sprawling gardens and terraced restaurants. Six places to eat and drink include Picco, serving a combo of Italian and Japanese cuisine. Pared-back rooms in natural shades keep you cool; apartments have kitchen facilities, while deluxe one-bedroom apartments add a private sunbathing terrace and canopied mini pools.

The setting is lovely, around two sun-blasted chunks of swimming pool, flanked by lawns and sunbeds. Better still, these mountain-view family-friendly apartments in the north of the island permit easy access to the golden dunes of Son Saura beach, while picturesque pine forests surround the complex. The joy of the comfortable studios with kitchens and balconies is the chance to breakfast al fresco then sunbathe in private. At some stage make sure you try the restaurant overlooking the beach for continental breakfasts or, for dinner, a traditional Menorcan caldereta de langosta, as they call the popular lobster stew here.

Everything is light and bright here, with family contentment in mind – from the tiled pool terrace set with white parasols to the whitewashed apartments with modern, airy interiors, kitchenettes, balconies and terraces. There’s a grassy play area for children to run wild in and as for grown-ups – the whole resort feels designed to idle away the days whilst enjoying the seaside views. With the beach merely 100m (328ft) away, you can hire bikes from the resort and explore the nearby village of S’Algar.

A five-minute walk from Punta Prima Beach, following the glittery Mediterranean shallows, brings you to these apartment hotels, contemporary in design, with a chic vibe and verdant surrounds of gardens and palm trees. Choose between balconies and patios for sun and sea air – the apartments come in either format, with pretty blue accents and kitchenettes so you can try your hand at island specialities. You might start by creating refreshing oliaigu, a cold tomato soup flavoured with green peppers and garlic, once eaten for breakfast but now served at lunchtime.

A blue mosaic-tiled figure-of-eight-shaped pool is the star of the show here, overlooked by sunny rooms and apartments with kitchenettes – all have a balcony, some come with pool views – with terracotta tiled floors and plenty of light. Children will love the splash park and adjoining pool that’s just for them. The closest beach sits in the centre of Cala’n Forcat, a 15-minute walk from the resort. Settle in for laid-back buffet meals on lazy days or venture to the local bars and restaurants to mingle with new best friends over an ice-cold Menorcan Mahou beer.