Family re-union holidays are big news for a post-lockdown summer. So many families have been unable to meet up because of Covid-19 restrictions and we are receiving a lot of enquiries for Family Friendly Villas, villas that can accommodate parents, children and grandparents.
We are all longing to re-connect with our loved ones, both physically and emotionally. A week or so in a family-friendly villa with a private pool and plenty of space is the perfect way to relax and renew after the stress of the last year.
There are also practical reasons to take the grandparents on your next family holiday.
- Sharing the costs: villas are typically rented as a whole house and it makes a lot of sense to spread the costs across the whole family. There’s also car rental to consider. A people mover or MPV can be a great solution for a three-generation family. Alternatively, hire two cars for maximum flexibility when it comes to sightseeing and shopping.
- Baby-sitting on tap: parents with young children and those who’ve been home-schooling for months on end will enjoy one or two nights out, and why not when the grandparents are happy to baby-sit? Most of our family villas are close to at least one local restaurant for a ‘date night’ treat.
- Sharing the cooking: nobody wants to be stuck in the kitchen on holiday. It makes a lot of sense to share the shopping, cooking and clearing up tasks around all the adults. Shopping in the local market and firing up the poolside pizza oven or BBQ is all part of the fun for everyone.
- Everything you’ve always wanted: typically, the bigger the villa the more facilities it has. If you fancy a fabulously equipped holiday home, perhaps with its own bar or an outdoor kitchen, a tennis court, games room or jacuzzi – not to mention a fabulous private pool, then a larger property has something for everyone.
- Independence: having two sets of adults around to keep an eye on the children gives you more time and space to do your own thing. There’s no need to drag the children around the local market in the morning, and when the kids demand an afternoon at the beach grandparents can have the shady terrace by the pool to themselves.
Finding flight seats for family holidays
With our flexible arrival and departure days you can tailor your stay to suit your individual needs.
- Just because three generations of your family are holidaying together does not mean you have to travel together. Looking for five, six or eight seats on the same flight is tricky and likely to result in higher prices as the airline’s algorithms recognise increased demand for a specific date and time.
- Grandparents may prefer to fly from their local airport and meet you at your destination.
- You might even consider booking the villa for 10 days or more and inviting the grandparents to join you for a shorter period: a three-generation holiday doesn’t have to be ‘all or nothing’.
- As for transfers, either you can make the airport pick up or you may want to hire two cars for greater independence. A few of our villas are even within a reasonable taxi transfer distance.
Three villas for three-generation holidays
On Kefalonia, Villa Aris was chosen by our director Chris Lea for her family holiday a couple of years ago.
Set on the Liakis headland with jaw-dropping sea views, there is a footpath to a flat rock beach with a fixed ladder for easy access to the crystal clear Ionian sea, while a gently shelving sandy beach is just five kilometres away.
Villa Aris has one double bedroom ensuite and two twin rooms that share a family bathroom, so it sleeps six.
As well as the generous private pool, the grounds include expansive lawns where children can let off steam, and there’s some of the best snorkelling on the island just a short walk away.
Grandparents have their pick of sea view and shady terraces for relaxation. A leisurely coffee or lunch is their reward for a supermarket run to the nearby village of Spartia.
Parents can relax knowing there’s no through-traffic on this peninsula, making for a safe and peaceful space, with the potential for the children to make new friends while snorkelling from the beach below.
On the popular holiday island of Mallorca, Cana Joana offers so much for children – and if the kids are happy, you’re happy, right?
There is table tennis, mini-golf and a mini-football goal in the lawned gardens, as well as the private pool.
Adults will love the location: tucked 400 metres off the road and surrounded by organic farmland including citrus and almond groves. The farmer who owns the villa often leaves a gift of fresh-laid eggs from his small flock of chickens.
The cooks can pick fresh herbs from the garden and make full use of the outdoor kitchen and BBQ, as well as the indoor kitchen.
The open-plan layout suits family living and the first-floor sitting room provides lovely views across the island. It is eight kilometres from the Son Real Nature Reserve and its sandy beach, and five kilometres from the little market town of Santa Margalida for shopping or a meal out.
There are three bedrooms: a double and two twin rooms – none are ensuite but there are two generous bathrooms, one of which has a full bath.
This townhouse on Crete is a smart holiday home that’s perfect for three generations to enjoy. Villa Anemi is set over three floors and has a self-contained suite on the lower ground floor that is ideal for grandparents who want their own space. This suite has its own kitchen corner and sitting area as well as welcoming double bed and shower room.
The two bedrooms on the top floor provide a family suite for parents and two children, while the middle floor is devoted to the open plan living space.
Villa Anemi is sleek and well-equipped, from complimentary WiFi that keeps teens happy to quality white goods in the kitchen. For families renting two cars, there is both a garage and driveway parking.
The location is superb, with the village taverna and mini-market within 700 metres’ stroll and the Instagram-favourite Sietan Limani beach close by. There are wonderful views over Souda Bay towards Chania town to provide interest, especially at night from the top floor balcony – a wonderful spot for relaxing after dinner.
The garden has room for a nine-metre pool, outdoor shower and lawn furnished with sunbeds, while there are sea views from both the terrace and first-floor living room balcony.
