Now is the perfect time to discover India's most underrated city
For many, the obvious place to start is the Golden Triangle, a route encompassing popular sites in the northern states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh – the ancient forts of Jaipur, the chaotic streets of Delhi, and the enduringly romantic Taj Mahal.
But India's southern states are now luring travellers who also want to experience the region's more cosmopolitan charms, and no city offers that more than Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, formerly known by its colonial name Bangalore.
Today, it's the hub of the nation's booming tech and start-up sector leading many to dub it 'India's Silicon Valley'. But scratch beneath the surface and you'll discover a richly layered metropolis full of soul and ancient traditions.
Why go now?
India has never been more popular. Global travel network Virtuoso named it as one of the destinations on the rise for 2025. While Mumbai and Delhi may get all the attention, it's now time for India's India's fifth-largest settlement to shine. Virgin Atlantic recently announced new direct flights from London Heathrow, making it easier than ever to start exploring the Garden City, as it is known due to its many parks and open spaces.
What to do
While there are no major bucket-list sites, Bengaluru can definitely compete when it comes to culture. Spend a morning exploring the vibrant and head-spinning Krishnarajendra market, where stalls sell everything from spices and flowers to copperware and fresh produce.
The ruins of the 18th-century city fort, heavily damaged by British forces, is a good place to soak up history, along with the 17th-century Kote Venkataramana temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Venkateshwara.
India is notoriously chaotic – all part of the country's charm – but Bengaluru has a good balance of lively and quiet spaces. Retreat to the tranquillity of Cubbon Park, an inner city patch of paradise where couples and families enjoy walks and picnics. Elsewhere, the Lalbagh Botanical Garden – 98 blissful hectares first planted in 1760 – is a horticultural masterpiece.
Where to stay
Centred around beautifully landscaped gardens and modelled on the royal residence of nearby Mysore (or Mysuru), the pink-hued Leela Palace is a 357-room property fit for a maharaja – and a former prime minister (Rishi Sunak tied the knot here to local girl Akshata Murty in 2009).
The grand property features 20ft sandstone pillars, handwoven carpets, intricate frescoes and twinkling crystal chandeliers. Every morning, local musicians performing in the lobby create a heavenly start to the day, with flutes and traditional drums.
Beyond the opulence and grandeur, it's still possible to seek out cosy, subdued spots. Take a stroll through the gardens, wander into the restaurant kitchens, and in a quiet corner you'll find the secret entrance to ZLB23, the Kyoto-styled speakeasy that was recently named the best bar in India.
A less glitzy but equally impressive hotel option is the 117-room Taj West End, one of the oldest manor houses in India, founded in 1887. Gothic arches and red-tiled roofs decorate the building set in grounds dotted with trees more than 150 years old.
Secret spot
One of the city's best-loved local hangouts is Airlines Hotel which, confusingly, isn't a hotel and has nothing to do with flying. This charming al fresco dining spot on Madras Bank Road has been serving cheap and cheerful traditional meals for decades and is particularly well-known for its breakfasts. Grab one of the metal tables under the 90-year-old banyan tree and feast on chana bhature (fried bread filled with chick peas) accompanied by milky masala chai.
How to do it
Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to Bengaluru from £494 return. Doubles at the Leela Palace Bengaluru start from £214 per night. Doubles at the Taj West End start from £150 per night.
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Spectator
29 minutes ago
- Spectator
The other side of Yemen
In the western imagination, Yemen exists as a byword for terrorism and death. Its appearances in international headlines are flattened into a trilogy of suffering: Houthis, hunger, hopelessness. The civil war has dragged on for over a decade, leaving much of the nation in ruins. Life is punishing for the millions who navigate daily existence amid chronic instability. The Houthis – entrenched in the capital, Sana'a – continue to tighten their grip on power in the northwest. Their attacks on Red Sea shipping have drawn international reprisals and fuelled regional tensions. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office still advises British nationals against travelling to the country. Yemen is not therefore your conventional holiday destination. But Yemen is more than the Houthis. On the edge of the Empty Quarter, in the nation's northeast, lies the Hadhramaut. It is here that I came to glimpse a different Yemen, far from the front lines and well beyond the reach of Houthi control. It has been spared the war's daily tumult, and so – eager for an adventure and travelling as a tourist, despite the warnings – I boarded an ageing Yemenia Airbus to the city of Seiyun, a gateway to the region's hinterland. The Hadhramaut stretches across desiccated wadis carved deep into the desert floor. Escarpments that trap the harsh Hadhrami heat surround it, and architectural marvels rising in dreamlike defiance punctuate its landscape. The city of Shibam is the most magnificent of these relics of mud and time. It was once the capital of a bygone kingdom and a crucial caravan stop on the incense route across southern Arabia. Today, Shibam – a Unesco world heritage site – is renowned for the jagged mudbrick skyscrapers that dominate its skyline, built on the ruins of its own foundations. Often cited as the world's first example of vertical urban planning, Shibam is a testament to Yemeni imagination. Freya Stark, who travelled through the region in the 1930s, dubbed it the 'Manhattan of the desert'. Many of the 444 towers, which can reach 11 storeys high, date back to the 16th century. Trapezoidal in form, they are baked from the wadi's mud and capped with pale limestone plaster, their surfaces a patchwork of ochres and whites. Ornate woodwork frames the doors. The city, which sits atop a hillock, is ringed by a fortified wall, once a bulwark against marauding Bedouin raiders. I spent a blistering summer day wandering its alleyways, shepherded closely by a Kalashnikov-wielding military escort. In the early afternoon, a labyrinthine interior – suspended in time and devoid of life – unfurled within. The air was thick with the scent of sun-baked mud, and the 3,000 Shibamites had sought silent refuge in the shade and shadows. Any signs of modernity blended seamlessly with the ancient geometry of the city's towers. Now and then, a building stood derelict, as the mud crumbled back into the earth, its former occupants long since departed for Saudi Arabia or further abroad. Only the bleats of goats echoed from darkened recesses. Yet the silence of the city did not mean solitude. Behind latticed windows, a hushed audience kept watch over the outsiders. [Marcus Ray] But as the sun began to set, Shibam began to stir. Children emerged to play in the alleyways, clustering in giggling groups. Old men lumbered to the square clutching bushels of khat – the psychotropic leaf that softens speech and stretches time – ready to commence their evening chew. Games of dominoes clacked on wooden crates outside cafes in the main square. Shibam's rhythm returned in quiet pulses. The city moved to its own elegiac choreography, momentarily disrupted by the foreign footfall. The Hadhramaut is home to many other places of storybook grandeur. There is the religious city of Tarim, the village of Haid al-Jazil and the grand Bugshan Palace, whose mesmeric colours contrast with its lunar surroundings. Beyond this region too, there is richness – no less storied than in Sana'a – though much of it remains at risk of destruction and is, for now, out of reach. [Marcus Ray] Striking as they were, the Hadhramaut's marvels almost felt too cinematic to capture the dynamism of modern Yemen. Life proceeded instead at full tilt – and in all its colour – in Seiyun, where motorbikes weaved between honey stalls and minarets carried the call to prayer. The scent of cardamom and diesel hung thick in the air while gentle recitation drifted from a nearby madrasa. Children trained on sandy football fields, and mechanics crouched beneath battered cars, cigarette smoke curling above the chassis. A girl roared into a fan, thrilled by the staccato rasp of her voice, then toppled over laughing. A man tuned his old oud beneath a date palm. This sort of ordinary does not make the news. But in a country so often seen through the lens of collapse, normalcy itself can feel revelatory. The Hadhramaut's daily rhythms and architectural wonders resist the easy narratives imposed from afar. Not everything here conforms to the image of a beleaguered nation. Yemen is more than the headlines that define it. It is a country where history lives alongside hardship and people persist without spectacle.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
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The retired civil servant and royal fan who swears blind she spotted the Waleses on a £40million superyacht off the coast of an enchanting Greek island
Normally at this time of year the people of the Ionian Islands talk of being overworked and little else. With nearly three million tourists visiting the region during July and August, they certainly have their work cut out. Not that they'd have it any other way, of course. For more than a week, though, another topic, or rather a question, has dominated conversation in bars and tavernas, particularly on beautiful Kefalonia. Has anyone seen Prince William and his family? Locals swear blind that the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children George, 12, Charlotte, ten, and seven-year-old Louis arrived on the island by private Lear jet on July 16. Also in tow, others insisted, were the future King's in-laws, Carole and Michael Middleton. All were then driven to a waiting superyacht. And from there out to azure waters and, well, who knows where? Speculation has been rife. 'Oh yes, sure, I got a picture of their boat,' a taxi driver assures me. He flourishes his smartphone and a photo of the superyacht, Norn, cruising north of the capital Argostoli. He adds: 'It's owned by a Microsoft tycoon, a billionaire tech guy. I know for sure this is the one they're on.' Maybe. But wasn't the smart money on an even bigger boat? On July 19 stories began to surface in the Greek media of how the Prince and Princess were enjoying the largesse of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a prominent member of the UAE royal family. His £340 million 146-metre (479ft) mega-yacht, Opera, is said to be one of the most opulent private vessels in the world. It boasts every amenity imaginable and in some cases, like Noah's Ark, two of everything – including helipads. While the story was ignored by the British media, it was picked up around the world. The Delhi-based Hindustan Times, for instance, ran its account under the headline 'Prince William, Kate Middleton sailing around Greece on yacht belonging to Emirati sheikh'. Some stories specified restaurants the royals were supposed to have visited. Social media hastened the story's spread, proclaiming certain 'facts' with inflexible certainty. On Kefalonia, meanwhile, where rumours move quicker than the Opera at full tilt, locals added their own embellishments. A taverna waiter in the pretty fishing village of Agia Efimia, where the Opera dropped anchor, tells me the royals were taken to the harbour by tender boat. 'There were about 12 black people carriers waiting for them. Then they were driven to the Melissani Cave which was closed for the day just for them.' But did he see William and Kate and the kids in the flesh? 'No, but my cousin Vangelis did, I'm sure of it.' Once located, however, Vangelis admits: 'I saw their executive cars speeding through the village, but I'm sorry – I cannot truly say that I eyeballed them.' Wiser souls in the village insisted the waiter and his cousin, and many more besides, were simply mistaken. What they really saw, they said, was not the Windsors but the Emiratis – something confirmed when the Daily Mail visited the roofless limestone Melissani Cave. There, cheerful gondoliers row tourists through a stalactite-lined cavern filled with brackish water of a startling ultramarine. One of the gondoliers says: 'It's fake news. The Arab royals and their children came and we closed the cave off for half an hour so they could have a private tour. 'But there was definitely no William and Kate.' It was a similar story at the restaurants on the island where the Prince and Princess and their children were supposed to have 'sampled delightful local delicacies'. Two expressed bemusement but promised a warm welcome should the royals drop by. A third said it was visited by an Opera crew member. 'Nobody from your royal family though,' said the manager. The Ionian Islands are steeped in rich mythology. Was the story of William and Kate's holiday proving just that – a myth? Besides, Lear jets and mega-yachts aren't a particularly good look for a prince who wears his green credentials proudly. William's Earthshot Prize gives £1 million every year to five projects tackling climate challenges. And wasn't it only a couple of months ago that he was hailing Sir David Attenborough on the eve of his new documentary, Ocean? In it, Sir David intones: 'I now understand that if we save the sea we save our world.' And it goes without saying that the great naturalist is decidedly sniffy about fuel-guzzling superyachts, which are said to cause even more damage to the environment than private jets. Maybe William and co had opted for a caravan holiday on the Isle of Wight instead. Sources were still insisting, though, that the royals had 'definitely' landed at Kefalonia's main airport. Then word reached the Daily Mail of a woman – a retired senior civil servant in the Greek defence ministry – who was said to have seen them first hand. The only known person, in fact, to have laid eyes on them. We traced her to her home overlooking enchanting Mavrouna Bay, close to the postcard-pretty village of Kioni on the tiny neighbouring island of Ithaca, which with emerald shores, wooded hills and secluded beaches is even more beautiful than Kefalonia. Aged 64, Penelope Likoudi was born and raised on the island, where she now owns a number of luxury apartments. A friend says: 'She is a respected lady, someone of high standing here.' She's a huge admirer of the royals too, has visited Buckingham Palace and Balmoral, 'devours' everything written about them and 'cried for days' when Princess Diana died. Over lemonade and cake at a cafe overlooking secluded Mavrouna Bay, she takes up the story of her royal encounter. Every day, she says, she swims in the bay, 'where I do exercises in the water for my back'. Last Tuesday was no different but this time there was a yacht moored about 100 metres or so from the shore and vaguely mindful of the stories of William and Kate, she decided to check it out. 'It was a possibility as a lot of celebrities come to this very spot. I think it was sometime after 11.30 in the morning,' she recalled. 'I swam out beyond the warning buoy and was about 30 metres (100ft) from the yacht when I saw them. Kate was standing on the top level with Charlotte and Louis. She was wearing a dark wraparound dress. 'There was an older lady next to them, possibly Kate's mother, but I wasn't able to see her well. 'I literally shivered with excitement. I was shocked, I couldn't believe it. 'Now I wish I'd called out hello to them. But I didn't, I got star-struck and couldn't get the words out. There was no sign of William or George though.' Did they see her? 'I think they must have done. I was the only one swimming that far out. You know, there was only a handful of locals on the beach.' 'They were looking at the wonderful bays, all green with trees coming all the way down to the sea. And I thought that maybe they would take out a boat so I waited for a bit,' she said. 'There was some sort of movement in the lower deck – the crew were untying something. 'But I couldn't stay long. I have only limited time because my mother is 94 and bedridden and I needed to get back to her. First though, when I got to dry land, I went to the top point of the cape and took some pictures of the boat with my phone.' It transpires that the Prince and Princess were in fact on the 50 metre (164ft) Almax, one of the world's first fuel-cell superyachts which is estimated to be worth £40million. Built by Italian firm San Lorenzo, it is described as a 'huge milestone in the future of sustainable boating'. That at least should deflect any criticism heading the Prince's way. Sure enough, Penelope's sighting tallies with maritime records which show that the Almax left Kioni the following day. It returned to Argostoli on Friday. There remains one mystery. Witnesses saw a different party exit the boat the next morning. So had the royals got off elsewhere? Intriguingly, on the morning Almax left Mavrouna there were said to be several other superyachts in the bay, including the Norn, the boat mentioned by the taxi driver when I first arrived in Kefalonia. 'The bay is like a catwalk for these yachts,' said a gift shop owner, adding that basketball legend Michael Jordan's yacht was 'also here on the same day'. Before Almax sped north a man arrived on Norn – which is owned by Microsoft mogul Charles Simonyi – by helicopter. Some locals speculated fancifully that it might be William. Unlikely, says Penelope. 'But either way, it's a shame I didn't get to see him.' Others in Kioni spoke of a visit William and Harry made to the village with their mother in 1995. 'Perhaps he was making a nostalgic return, a trip down memory lane,' says one woman. 'The English royals love it here. Charles and Diana stopped off on their honeymoon. And Charles and Camilla came ashore at Mavrouna in 2012. 'Now William has returned like Odysseus.' The Greek hero's delayed return to Ithaca is the plot of Homer's epic poem Odyssey. As Penelope heads for home, she speaks of the 'magic of Mavrouna and its special energy'. She adds: 'Kate has been unwell and I hope their holiday helped them. I hope they come back again. But I have no wish to see Harry and Meghan as I just can't stand them. 'For now I will treasure this special memory. I just wish I'd said hello. Maybe we could have had a chat.' William and Charlotte subsequently flew to Switzerland on Sunday to cheer on the Lionesses as they won the Euros final. It is understood that the family are now back in Britain.
Times
8 hours ago
- Times
19 of the best family hotels in Spain
It's hardly surprising that Spain remains a top choice for British holidaymakers year after year. Just a two-and-a-half-hour flight from the UK, visiting families receive a famously warm welcome, with restaurant staff treating children like VIPs and an abundance of activities designed to keep teens entertained. Spanning sandy beaches, historic towns, spectacular ski resorts and cosmopolitan urban hubs, the country's accommodation is as diverse as its landscapes, offering something to suit every taste and budget. On the ever-popular coasts, choices abound, whether you're looking for a cheap-and-cheerful crowd-pleaser or a five-star grande dame. Luxury properties are particularly prevalent in the Costa del Sol hotspot Marbella, while Costa Brava and Costa Dorada have plenty of bang-for-your-buck options that feature kids' clubs and babysitting services. The vibrant Spanish cities deserve a look-in too — Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and San Sebastian represent the best of both worlds, delivering cultural and culinary clout alongside easy access to golden beaches. These are the best family-friendly hotels in Spain. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Best for tranquillity amid 200,000 palms Unwind and reconnect with nature at this peaceful oasis within the Unesco-listed Palmeral of Elche — at more than 350 acres, the largest palm grove in Europe. A 20-minute drive from Alicante airport, the property's 81 bungalow-style rooms and suites are scattered throughout mature, palm-fringed gardens, lending a Swiss Family Robinson air to proceedings. Wake to the sound of birdsong, linger over a sumptuous breakfast — watching your eggs, pancakes and churros being whipped up to order at the live cooking station — then make the most of your surrounds, pootling between the outdoor pool, tennis court, fitness centre and ping-pong tables. Dinners at the hotel's Els Capellans restaurant are a highlight, with fresh, seasonal Mediterranean dishes designed to please guests of all ages, while the terrace is the place to round out days with cocktails, mocktails and chill-out music under the stars and palm fronds. Best for adventures on two wheels Estival ElDorado is that rare thing: a lively, family-focused beachfront hotel geared towards cyclists. In verdant grounds in the Catalan fishing town of Cambrils, a 20-minute drive from Reus airport, the four-star property offers bike rentals, repair stations, cleaning areas and guided routes to suit all skill levels. Flexible dining options and picnics to go will make early starts a breeze, while mini golf, a kids' club and multiple pools — some with rapids and slides — ensure plenty of entertainment off the saddle. Rooms are simple but comfortable, while the spa's physiotherapy treatments will sort out tired muscles and the international and Mediterranean cuisine served across four restaurants (and at themed dinners) provides ample evidence for why Cambrils is known as the culinary capital of the Costa Dorada. ££ | POOL | SPA | KIDS' CLUB | Best for a rural escape This authentic Andalusian hideaway near Loja began as a destination restaurant, and the food on offer still delights all ages. Dishes make liberal use of Bobadilla's olive oil and the most casual of the four restaurants, El Mirador, has a next-level kids' menu. The suites are particularly spacious for families, and the spa offers special sessions for children aged under 12. Parents in need of some child-free spa time, fear not — the summer-only 'mini club' is free. Once rejuvenated, try a game of petanque or a freewheeling bike ride through the 800-acre estate, which is dotted with almond trees. • Best luxury villas in Andalusia £ | POOL | SPA | Best for active families Sharing coastline and half its name with spectacular Cabo de Gata-Nijar National Park, the largest protected area in Andalusia, this palatial five-star hotel is a great base for families who want an action-packed itinerary. As well as the Olympic-sized swimming pool and paddle court on site, there are free-to-use paddleboards, kayaks and bikes, plus a nearby golf course and a spa offering Pilates and yoga classes as well as treatments. Decor in shared spaces and rooms — many of which are interconnecting — is immaculate, and there's a tapas restaurant as well as the obligatory buffet. ££ | POOL | SPA | KIDS' CLUB | Best for a beach break Spain's so-called Golden Mile is replete with high-end hotels, but this sophisticated beachfront property stands out. It is styled on an Andalusian village — and many guests never feel the need to leave its palm-dotted grounds — but is a short stroll along a seafront promenade to Marbella. There are good-sized rooms for those travelling with children, and a dazzling array of activities on offer for all ages — from yoga and Pilates to tennis and paddleboarding. There is also a family-focused swimming pool (one of three) and a kids' club, La Casita, which features devoted areas for tots and teens. Book them in and enjoy an uninterrupted meal at one of the 15 fantastic on-site restaurants, including a Nobu. • Best luxury villas in Marbella ££ | POOL | Best for a city break The outdoor-swimming season lasts longer in Madrid than most places, so families visiting the Spanish capital in the shoulder months will be glad of this hotel's gorgeous pool, surrounded by tall trees and potted greenery. Parents can supervise with a signature CoolRooms cocktail in hand before heading for the on-site El Patio de Atocha, a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine. Staff wear striped T-shirts teamed with braces and blazers — a uniform that epitomises their fun-yet-efficient approach to service. With nods to art deco, rooms are similarly period in style — for added space, choose a suite (adding a sofa bed for the children for £60). Super-central, the hotel is a ten-minute walk from the Prado Museum and less than 20 minutes' walk from El Retiro, one of the most magnificent parks in Europe. • Best hotels in Madrid• Best things to do in Madrid• Best affordable hotels in Madrid ££ | POOL | Best for a chilled city break From the valet parking to its rooftop pool, this well-located five-star Barcelona property, off Plaza de Catalunya, takes all the hassle out of a city break with the kids. Reception staff wearing fun floral shirts provide a warm welcome, while the concierge is ever ready with recommendations for family-friendly tapas bars or trips out. Shared spaces are colourful and eclectic, while rooms are gorgeously calm, with generously sized beds and big TVs to facilitate parental lie-ins. The greenery-filled Traca restaurant serves Mediterranean dinner options and the hotel's next-level breakfast, while Belbo Fasto has child-pleasing options including pasta and pizza. • Best family hotels in Barcelona• Best things to do in Barcelona ££ | POOL | SPA | KIDS' CLUB | Best for a wellness break Forty minutes by car from Barcelona airport, this generously proportioned property housed in a 1920s sanatorium is one of the country's loveliest beachfront hotels, sitting on a silkily soft stretch of coast. Guests can make use of the beach club loungers, borrow kayaks and paddleboards for excursions on the Mediterranean or swim in the hotel's elegant rooftop pool. Staff at the kids' club are buoyant and enthusiastic — delighted to engage your children in a game of ping-pong or Connect 4 while you make use of the sizeable adults-only spa. There are 144 rooms — book into a Premium Beachfront for magnificent sea views — and you can watch the waves crash from the restaurant's terrace. The dinner buffet is quite something, with everything from grilled prawns to paella whipped up on the spot. £ | Best for kid-friendly culture So close to the Guggenheim that Jeff Koons' Puppy serves as the hotel's guard dog, this is the perfect spot in northern Spain from which to visit the venerated modern art museum. Begin with a family breakfast on the roof terrace, which has a peerless view over the groundbreaking gallery — contemplate its silvery exterior as you dine on à la carte dishes such as eggs benedict. The property's art-filled atrium and corridors connect 145 rooms and suites, all of which are classically designed and very comfortable (book interconnecting suites for more space and a private terrace). Kids will love the mini-robes, slippers and gourmet sweets laid on for junior guests, not to mention the exceptionally friendly service provided by all staff. • Best hotels in Bilbao ££ | POOL | KIDS' CLUB | Best for all-inclusive luxury Banish your preconceptions about all-inclusive resorts at this five-star property, the Ikos chain's first outside Greece. Low-rise white buildings surround a plethora of pools, which give way to daybeds at the beach club on the shores of Playa de Guadalmansa. Of course there's a buffet, but there's also fine dining, crafted by chefs including Stéphanie Le Quellec. And it's all covered in your bill, even the sunset glasses of Taittinger, so once you're there you can say 'yes' to everything — the pedalos, the electric vehicle to tour local beauty spots, the mini-disco, kids' clubs including sports and creative activities, the round of golf — without fear of racking up extra costs. Rooms are predictably lovely, and the very best even have private pools. £ | POOL | KIDS' CLUB | Best for value Formerly the Palladium Costa del Sol, this large four-star hotel was renovated in 2019, bringing a light, bright look to its social spaces and 336 rooms. It's well worth paying extra for a sea view, as the hotel backs onto the aptly named Playa Bonita ('beautiful beach'). It's a prime spot for the clement weather in this part of Spain, but there's plenty to occupy non-loungers too — mini-golf, table tennis and a children's playground, as well as evening entertainment. Most guests go for the all-inclusive option, and the food and drink are excellent quality for the price. We particularly loved sundowners and snacks at the adults-only Nix Sky Bar, which has a 360-degree panorama over the coast. • Best hotels in Malaga• Best hotels on the Costa del Sol £ | POOL | Best for theme park fun Designed to look like a Mexican hacienda, this enormous 500-room property is one of the hotels officially affiliated to PortAventura World — the country's biggest amusement park. A stay here includes tickets for it, but there's a good deal else on offer once you've had enough of the rides. The kids' pool features a pirate ship and there's a well thought-out playground. There are even some Woody Woodpecker-themed bedrooms, in addition to more adult-orientated bars and restaurants where parents will find sanctuary. A standard room here sleeps four, so average-sized families won't have to fork out for an extra bed. £ | Best for food The culinary capital of Spain, San Sebastian is also exceptionally child-friendly — kids love pintxos, the Basque take on tapas, plus there's the city's mountaintop amusement park and many beaches. Less than a ten-minute walk from Playa Zurriola, this excellent-value property offers a cleverly designed duplex room split over two floors. All suites are family-friendly and each features a tiny terrace where young'uns can let off steam. The buffet breakfast is surprisingly abundant for a small hotel, with fresh orange juice on tap and bubbly staff serving great platters of scrambled eggs at the table. Parents can enjoy a complimentary glass of cava in the stylish foyer before setting out to explore the neighbourhood's pintxo bars — the Gros neighbourhood has some of the best in the city. • Best hotels in San Sebastian £ | POOL | SPA | KIDS' CLUB | Best for style Putting family holidays front and centre, this beachside property capitalises on the big Spanish selling points of sun and sea while injecting a side order of fun into the mix. The hotel offers endless amusement for all ages — kids' pools with slides, evening entertainment, including magic, and its Star Camp activity programme for children. The property was refurbished in 2020 and its breezy contemporary decor is in keeping with the atmosphere, featuring hanging gardens in the lobby and nautical touches in the rooms, some of which have sea views. If you can prise yourself away from the resort it is 45 minutes' drive to the Jerez sherry cellars, which make a good day trip. £ | Best for a mountain location The state-run hotel chain is best known for its heritage buildings and fine dining — neither of which tends to have much appeal for kids. However, we challenge them not to love this eco-friendly outlier in the foothills on the Picos de Europa. Less than a five-minute walk from a cable car that will whisk you towards some of the most dazzling mountain scenery on the Continent, this is a memorable base for an adventurous holiday with older children — with canyoning, rafting and other activities all on offer nearby. If the kids have any energy left at the end of the day there is also a play area on site — while parents will find repose in the traditional rooms and enjoy the good old-fashioned service. ££ | POOL | SPA | KIDS' CLUB | Best for a combined city and beach break Paella may be the national dish, but you can only eat the truly authentic version in Valencia. The most upmarket address in the city is this sparkling seaside property, which is also a winning spot for families. As well as a spacious garden and a devoted children's pool there is a summer-season kids' club suitable for ages four to twelve. The hotel can also arrange babysitting, facilitating nights out on the town, and there are two on-site restaurants — Brasserie Sorolla has an original painting by its namesake artist. As well as interconnecting family rooms there are triples on offer — ideal for a larger brood. • Best things to do in Valencia• Best hotels in Valencia £ | POOL | Best for babies and toddlers A little more than an hour's drive from Alicante and just back from the Costa Blanca in the Sierra de Bernia mountains, this property combines the facilities of a boutique hotel with the space you would expect from self-catering accommodation. Clustered around the pool are six stylish apartments with one or two bedrooms, each equipped with every bit of infant paraphernalia you could ever need. Children will love exploring the mini-farm, play area, trampoline and sandpit, while the nearest beaches are less than 40 minutes' drive away. Each evening the British hosts serve home-cooked Mediterranean-inspired meals, with separate sittings for kids and grown-ups and the option to dine privately. £ | POOL | SPA | KIDS' CLUB | Best for waterparks As well as use of a devoted kids' pool with slides and a pirate ship, guests at this property in Lloret de Mar benefit from free access to neighbouring Waterworld — a saving not to be sniffed at, with tickets costing from £20 each. On site there's also a splash park for little ones, while adults can make use of the water circuit in the spa or head for a cocktail in their cossie at the swim-up bar. Many of the 345 rooms are great for families — for maximum value book all-inclusive. £ | POOL | KIDS' CLUB | Best for a budget crowd-pleaser Though less well-known than the other Costas, the 'Warm Coast' — the stretch of sand in Murcia province — has plenty of appealing beaches. This seafront property is sandwiched between two of them, and there are also double rations on the swimming pools — one shallower, with play equipment and slides for children; the other surrounded by loungers and daybeds. Part of the 30° Hotels group, its simple rooms are decorated in subdued creams and greys with photography of local shores. As well as a kids' playground there are indoor games such as table football, and the buffet restaurant is appealingly light, bright and airy. • Best places to visit in Spain• Best cities to visit in Spain
