Best Beach Vacations for Families Around the World

When a group of travel writers shares their favorite family beach vacation destinations around the world, you never know what to expect. I was thrilled when I posed this question to many fellow writers and found their answers to be various and far reaching. If you missed it, many writers shared their choices for the best beaches in the United States (we saved Hawaii for this article), and now they are spilling the beans on their favorite beaches around the world. I hope you enjoy this journey through the sand and sun, possibly recalling old favorites or finding something new to explore.

Favorite Family Friendly Beaches Around the World

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Best Beaches in Europe for Families

When many people think of kid-friendly European beaches, they think of the picture-perfect beaches along the Mediterranean, or the ones that are crowded with too many tourists.

Thankfully these travel writers found plenty to share that were located elsewhere on the continent. Here are what they think are some of the best beach holiday destinations.

England Beaches

Global Mouse Travels writes about the magic they found on the beaches of Cornwall, England.

Practically Perfect Mums spends a day at the beach in Portishead in Bristol, England.

Spain, Portugal, Crete, and the Canary Islands

Family Life in Spain provides a full trip report on the beaches, food, and accommodations in Cadiz, Spain. 

Our contributor Heidi loves the Mediterranean beaches of Spain and France.

Full Suitcase shares the most beautiful beaches in the Algarve, Portugal.

MarocMama writes about the Pink Beach of Crete, Elafonissi, where the sand is actually pink if you visit at the right time of year.

Did you know we have a different article with our recommendations for the best beaches to visit with grandparents? Find it HERE.

Favorite Family Beaches in Asia and Hawaii

I don’t know much about the beaches of Asia, but after reading everyone’s posts, I’m convinced I need to visit. I have been to Hawaii, and loved the beaches there, as do many other travel writers and tourists. Let’s see what everyone has to recommend:

Best Beaches in Asia for Families

Vacation Maybe takes an amazing vacation to the Khai Islands in Thailand. (Yes, I did have to look this up on a map). In fact, there are a lot of good options in Thailand for families.

Flashpacker Family has tips for traveling to the Perhentian Islands off mainland Malaysia. They look stunning!

Favorite Beaches in Hawaii

Pit Stops for Kids discovers the best beaches for snorkeling with kids in Kauai.

Favorite Beaches for Families in Australia and New Zealand

I’ve heard there are some awesome beaches in Australia, and the Albany Beaches in Western Australia sounds fabulous. Thanks Our Globe Trotters!

Carpe Diem Our Way loves Kuaotuno beach on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand.

Best Beaches for Kids in Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America

Every photo of beaches I have ever seen in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America looks amazing. What’s not to love about the turquoise waters and sugar sand beaches? I was not surprised when I had an overwhelming number of posts shared from this part of the world. Be sure to read all of the posts, you might be surprised to find a new favorite.

Best Beaches in the Caribbean for Families

We had a fabulous experience at Beaches Resort in Turks & Caicos. The white sand is some of the softest we’ve ever found and the water is amazing shades of blue! It’s one of our favorite places to stay in the Caribbean with a large group!

Family Travel Magazine had an amazing experience at Rum Point in Grand Cayman.

Around the World L had quite the day exploring the beaches of Curaçao. Here are her favorite beaches on the island.

Tips for Family Trips shares about their cruise stop in the US Virgin Islands, Rainbow Beach and Labadee, Haiti.

Stuffed Suitcase took a Norwegian cruise to the Caribbean, and shared about the beaches in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

Kids Unplugged was able to visit 10 beaches in 10 days, and somehow managed to narrow their list down to the best beaches in Saint John for kids.

Dana Freeman says the pink sand beaches of Eleuthra, Bahamas should be visited by everyone. And if you want to go diving in the Bahamas, don’t miss these best diving suggestions.

And if you’re headed to Aruba, don’t miss our favorite things to do in Aruba with teens.

Best Family Beaches in Mexico

We’ve always loved snorkeling and exploring the beaches in Los Cabos. Only some of the hotels have swimmable beaches, so be sure to check before booking, but you can always take a cruise to the Cabo Arch or elsewhere to snorkel.

Family Can Travel shares the best public beaches in Playa del Carmen, a post I found to be super helpful.

We also enjoyed Puerto Vallarta with kids and loved the beaches at Las Caletas.

Central America Beaches

The Simple Proof shares their experience at the beaches of Arenas del Mar, Costa Rica.

Growing Up Bilingual explores the black volcanic sand beaches of Guatemala.

And if you’re still looking for inspiration, Traveling in Heels has 4 beach vacations for sun worshippers.

Reading through all of these posts makes me realize how much I love visiting the beach with kids. It also makes me realize how diverse all the beaches in the world can be, from rocky pebbles to sugar sand, it seems no two are exactly alike.

For some of our favorite family beach vacations, check out these posts on Puerto Rico and Prince Edward Island, Canada.

If you are looking for more family vacation ideas, don’t miss the best national parks in the world for families and best beachfront rentals in the US.

Book Your Flights – You can find discounted fares using sites like Momondo or Skyscanner. If you want to keep an eye on discount fares, we suggest signing up for Scott’s Cheap Flights, a daily newsletter with flight sales around the world.

If you travel frequently, consider investing in a Priority Pass for airport lounge access. It’s nice to have a space where you can relax before your flight.

Book Your Accommodation

We regularly use Expedia.com and Hotels.com to find lodging when we travel. It’s a great way to compare vacation rentals, hotels, and resorts.

If your family knows they want to stay in a vacation rental, we recommend looking at VRBO and Plum Guide.

Book Your Transportation

For rental car agencies, try Rentalcars.com. We tend to use Hertz simply for the quality of service. If you need airport transfers, we recommend Welcome Pickups.

When traveling in Europe, we use AutoEurope to make our bookings. They find the best rates and allow you to compare different car rental agencies. Europcar is another option. If you plan to take the train, we recommend using Rail Europe.

Book Your Tours and Travel Photos

We regularly used companies like Viator and GetYourGuide to book tours when we travel. Both have great communication and a large variety of activities that work for all ages. Other companies to look at include Tours by Locals and Withlocals.

If you’re visiting a city with multiple attractions, be sure to check out a discount pass, such as CityPASS or Go City. Both are worthwhile investments.

Context Travel is another option and they offer more educational-based activities. The former teacher in me loves their tours. For unique, curated activities, check out Headout.

One of our favorite things to do annually is taking photos with Flytographer. They have photographers around the world and we’ve used them on four separate occasions. This is our favorite travel souvenir.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

With the state of travel these days, it’s important to have some type of travel insurance to cover any unforeseen accidents, illnesses, threats, or cancellations. We always travel with insurance and would recommend SquareMouth, Travelex, or Medjet as good options. And if you want to compare different insurance options, use Travel Insurance Master or World Nomads to find the best policy for your group.