Traveling in Spain with kids
Venture beyond the Costas and you'll find a family-sized welcome for little ones - and activities to keep kids and their parents entertained.![]()
Active teenagers will enjoy mountain biking, rafting, kayaking and canyoning, while the more culturally-minded can get stuck into life in the pueblo – shopping at local markets and picking up Spanish words along the way. There are horses to ride, flamenco dresses to gawp at, natural pools to swim in and some impressive wildlife to track down. And at the end of the day, there’s also likely to be a swimming pool – or a sandy beach to dig around in. Don’t worry about whether there’s any British restaurants nearby – Spanish food is child friendly, as are the restaurants; you’ll see toddlers out and about at 10pm.
Activities for families in Spain
Stay in a cave!
Surrounded by gorgeous natural parks, natural pools, horse riding trails and tiny traditional villages, the cosy cave houses of Granada make an excellent base for adventure or culture vacations for those traveling in Spain with kids. The inside temperature remains pleasantly cool year-round.Watersports
There’s more to Spain’s water activities than swimming pools. Try whitewater rafting or open kayaking on the rivers of the Pyrenees, kayaking around the turquoise lakes of the Andalucian Altiplano or even sea kayaking off the coast of Cabo de Gata.Cabo de Gata
Cabo de Gata, famed as the setting for “Spaghetti Westerns” due to its bizarre desert landscape, is a great choice for families seeking something a little different. Dry weather is virtually guaranteed, but the coastal location keeps it slightly cooler than the rest of the province. As well as exploring Europe’s only desert, kids can visit the genuine Western film sets in Mini Hollywood.
Altiplano de Granada activity vacation, Spain
Multi-activity family vacation in the Spanish Lake District
From
€495 to €793
8 days
ex flights
Catalonia family self guided biking vacation, Spain
Customised road cycling tour in Girona, Catalonia
From
€350 to €770
8 days
ex flights
Catalonia family mountain biking & activity vacation, Spain
Family MTB & activities in the Catalan countryside
From
€670 to €820
8 days
ex flights
Pyrenees family vacation, Andorra
An action-packed center-based summer activity-week
From
US $1066 to US $1246
8 days
ex flights
Catalonia family activity vacation, Spain
Family fun with scenic bike rides & adventure activities.
From
€670 to €820
8 days
ex flights
Toddler friendly hotel in Valencia, Spain
Beautiful boutique hotel surrounded by mountains and nature
From
€1485 to €4250
per week
Contact Us
Call us for a chat about our vacations. We are happy to discuss your vacation and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
1-866-821-6866
Call toll free
Calling from outside the USA
Responsible Travel asks the experts
Range of activities in Andalucia
Ilaria Grieco from our supplier El Geco Verde: “We have built our reputation on tailor made vacations with some activities and experiences that are totally unique. We do like to give a big helping hand to our clients by booking activities and offering practical advice; as amazing as it seems, this wonderful area is not used to foreign tourism. We are very proud of the eclectic range of activities we now offer, from guided stargazing and canyoning which older kids really love, to Italian pizza making and kayaking which little ones can also enjoy. The best activities for bringing the whole family together are undoubtedly rafting and the Flamenco Dance class, both are fun for all ages!”
Everyone’s invited in Andalucia
Ilaria Grieco from our supplier El Geco Verde: “In the school vacations our clients are mostly UK and Irish families with kids in the 6 to 18 age range. We have actually seen an increase in grandparents vacationing with their grandchildren or coming as part of the family group. We sometimes hire the whole hotel (up to 30 people) as a venue for landmark family celebrations and it is lovely to see the generations coming together like that.”Horse riding in Catalonia
Fiona Smart from our supplier Mas Pelegri on exploring Catalonia: “Here in Catalonia all of the old horse trails are still open and in use. There is a right to roam through the countryside, so you can go anywhere. The trails are typical country routes of varying terrain with magnificent views of the Pyrenees and the national park. In spring there are religious horse festivals where each village or town’s horse riders ride around and visit the church for a blessing. There are also hose festivals in the autumn with horse dancing and jumping. So it’s very much part of the culture here as well as a great way to view the beautiful countryside.”
Mixing things up
Antony Barton from our supplier Explore on how family vacations in the Spanish Pyrenees work: “We plan our center-based activity trips with the formula of one day included activity, one day off. The thought process behind this is half the family want to take it easy and relax at the hotel enjoying the swimming pool, whilst the other half want to take part in another activity such as canyoning, abseiling or mountain biking so everyone can be kept happy and no one loses out. Most kids certainly want to do as much as possible!”Tips from our vacation reviews
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful family vacations in Spain travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful family vacations in Spain travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
Hire a car - you’ll need one to get around. Other than that, roll up with an open mind and sense of adventure! A perfect mixture of relaxation and activity in a beautiful part of Spain![]()
– Niki Taiwo in the Altiplano de Granada
“As a family of 5 we all thought this was one of the best vacations we have ever had. We would recommend it to anyone.” – Anna Robinson in the Altiplano de Granada
“It was one of the best vacations we had. Combining the mountains with Valencia made it country, city and beach. We loved it. Both my sons - 12 and 15 - had a fantastic time and my 12 year old said it was the best vacation he had been on!” – Brendan O in the Altiplano de Granada
“The staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful. The guides were great. It was lovely meeting new like minded people and lovely that all the teenagers could mix too. Great family vacation, its fun doing different adventures each day (walking , biking , water rafting etc).” – Anna Smith in the Spanish Pyrenees
“…they really got the formula of a home from home with the conveniences of a hotel spot on! Five star, definitely five star, every bit of it provided what my family, from 4 to 40 years old, needed for a perfect vacation.” – Caroline O on a Catalan horse riding vacation
“It was one of the best vacations we had. Combining the mountains with Valencia made it country, city and beach. We loved it. Both my sons - 12 and 15 - had a fantastic time and my 12 year old said it was the best vacation he had been on!” – Brendan O in the Altiplano de Granada
“The staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful. The guides were great. It was lovely meeting new like minded people and lovely that all the teenagers could mix too. Great family vacation, its fun doing different adventures each day (walking , biking , water rafting etc).” – Anna Smith in the Spanish Pyrenees
“…they really got the formula of a home from home with the conveniences of a hotel spot on! Five star, definitely five star, every bit of it provided what my family, from 4 to 40 years old, needed for a perfect vacation.” – Caroline O on a Catalan horse riding vacation
More Spain articles
The best time to visit Spain is spring and summer (March-September), but July and August get super hot.
Our Spain travel guide has many fantastic tips to help you travel like a local and make the most of your time.
Check out our interactive highlights map that details some of our favourite places to visit in Spain.
Moorish influences and fiery flamenco - Andalucia is one of Spain's most fascinating regions.
Catalonia packs many landscapes into one region, from Pyrenean peaks, to Mediterranean coast.
You'll have a wild and wonderful walking vacation in the Picos de Europa, a hiker's paradise.
The Altiplano de Granada and the Sierra de Castril mountains offer everything from hiking and biking to canyoning.
Leave the tourist trails on two wheels and see a side of the country far removed from the costas and the big smoke.
Unlock the secrets of Spain as you walk the country’s mountainous interior and wonderfully wild coastlines.
Look upwards for winter vacations in Spain, to the snow-clad peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the Spanish Pyrenees.
Our best small ship cruising vacations in Spain unlock the Iberian Peninsula.
Some useful tips for anyone who's planning their first trip to Spain.
Our expert-led Spain small group tours foster a sense of cultural immersion.
Read on for reliable Spain travel recommendations from our expert partners, and travelers who have been there.
Spain's tourism issues are all worth researching before you go, so that you can travel right.
From wildfires to extreme heat, here's how climate change will affect vacations in Spain in future.
Find all of our Spain guides in one place, from guides to Andalucia or Valencia, to advice on activity vacations.
