The Top Five Beaches For Holidays in the Sun

If there's one thing that makes a family holiday then it's an excellent beach. Children can spend hours on a beach contently building sandcastles, whilst for hassled parents they are the perfect place to relax and get away from everything. Just don't forget the sunscreen:

Red Island Beach, Croatia

Croatia is a destination with over 125 blue flag beaches, making it the perfect place for a holiday in the sun. Of all the beaches in the country, the best is easily the relatively unknown Red Island Beach, which is only accessible by taxi boat from Rovinj. Luckily these boats are fairly frequent arriving twice an hour to ferry people to the breathtaking beach. The Red Island beach joins the two islands of St. Andrea and Maskin, both of which are covered with lush pinewoods and home to over 180 different species of plants. The island of Maskin is reserved exclusively for naturists so if you're on a family holiday you may want to stick to St. Andrea with its idyllic coves, and many visitor facilities including a volleyball court and scenic a la carte restaurant.

Coral Bay, Paphos, Cyprus

The sandy beach at Coral Bay is one of Paphos' most well-known beaches and the perfect place in which you can spend days whilst on a family holiday. The fine white sand is perfect for building sandcastles, whilst the banana boat companies and jet hire centre ensure that even active fathers will find something to do at this destination. Once you've had your fill of sea and sand, be sure to check out the nearby marina which is set for completion in the near future. The beach is also the perfect spot for exploring the many coves and inlets located to the north, which hide some of Cyprus' most isolated beaches.

Olimpos and Cirali, Antalya, Turkey

A beach that backs onto ancient Roman ruins isn't something which you expect to see on a sun holiday to Turkey. Another thing that you don't expect to see is the lack of tourists, but Olimpos and Cirali is strictly for people in the know. The beaches were discovered by a group of backpackers and have remained relatively untouched since then. The two neighbouring hamlets back onto a luscious pine forest, where tree-house hotels provide accommodation next to a chimera, a natural phenomenon where dozens of flames burn eternally from a mass of rock, with no apparent fuel to support them.

Playa De Las Teresitas, Tenerife

This gorgeous sandy beach was improved in 1973, with lashings of sand from the Spanish province of Sahara and numerous coconut palms planted alongside the breakwater. Centuries later it is the most popular beach on the island and the perfect destination to visit whilst on a family holiday. The beach always has plenty of activities taking place from beach volleyball and countless watersports options to impromptu aerobics lessons with Tenerife's answer to Mr. Motivator.

Playa De Las Canteras, Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is one of the few places in the world where you can swim in the sea year round and it is therefore always the perfect destination for a holiday in the sun. The island's best beach is considered to be the Playa De Las Canteras, located in Las Palmas, and stretching out over 3000 metres. A coral reef located two kilometres from the beach protects the area from rough seas and the calm ocean makes it the perfect beach in which to spend your family holidays.