'My kids loved this holiday park two hours from the UK with year round warm weather'

Emma Lidiard finds a restful French edifice that besides offers escapade for 2 lively kids. She stayed successful a self-catering villas, which slumber betwixt 4 and six people

Two things volition warrant we person a creaseless family holiday abroad: amusement and a bully beach. Travelling tires our children out, and we person ventured to Europe earlier with 2 tantrum-fuelled kids and questioned whether staying person to location wasn’t the amended option.

But, if you adhd into the premix a South of France destination meticulously designed to support children progressive and busy, the temper swings are replaced with bounds of excitement. This is thing I’ve learned aft a vacation astatine Pierre & Vacances’ caller self-catering resort, Residence Domaine du Golfe du Lion successful Saint-Cyprien, adjacent Perpignan.

You can’t spell acold wrong the analyzable without stumbling crossed thing amusive to bash with the kids.

We arrived successful the dark, truthful my children didn’t spot the life-size chess committee extracurricular our villa until the morning. They past recreated scenes from Harry Potter’s Philosopher’s Stone earlier settling into a existent game. We were capable to unbend connected our villa’s decked veranda, watching them play portion sitting connected rainbow-coloured stylish seats, sipping our coffees portion the prima climbed up down the Pyrenees mountains.

Each of the self-catering villas, which slumber betwixt 4 and six people, person well-furnished kitchens with everything from java machines to good-sized fridges and freezers. We had 2 ensuites and the kids were treated to a country each, with large bouncy beds.

Inside the site’s main clubhouse, which serves delicious French snacks and breakfasts, the children were besides good catered for. Near the barroom was accepted aerial hockey that worked without electricity, determination was besides a elephantine Connect Four crippled and a balancing French game.

One of the main attractions is the resort’s extracurricular heated pool. Adorned with prima beds, determination is besides a splash country with dozens of fountains spraying h2o from each directions. Even successful aboriginal March, the upwind was lukewarm capable for a greeting of h2o fun. Our big told america the somesthesia seldom dips beneath 19C, adjacent during the wintertime months.

There is besides a mini play option, with the unit providing each the equipment. It took america a bully hr to get astir each 18 holes. For the adults, the tract has a relaxing sauna spa area, with the enactment to publication a massage. Children tin be escaped organised activities, which were not acceptable up portion we were there, but volition see games and motorcycle rides.

As good arsenic 71 villas, the tract has 79 apartments, which slumber betwixt 4 and 8 radical – each offering spacious lounges, open-plan kitchens and stunning views of the adjacent Pyrenees mountains. After lunch, we picked up escaped bikes offered by the edifice and circled astir the site. There is simply a humble motorcycle park, which has the other thrill of half-pipes.

We past cycled to the adjacent sandy, aureate beach, which is astir 900metres away. In aboriginal March, we had the spot to ourselves with nary different tourists successful sight. Along the shore, the kids were capable to splash successful the waves earlier burying each different successful sand.

Come June, the full of Saint-Cyprien quadruples successful size, with tourists arriving by yachts parading successful and retired of the area’s celebrated marina. Here you tin bask vessel trips retired astir a adjacent bluish lagoon. We spent 90 minutes exploring the section marine beingness connected 1 of these outings successful the hunt for dolphins.

Speeding done the waves, my lad liked sitting astatine the beforehand of the platform wherever oversea h2o sprayed successful our faces, portion my girl preferred to instrumentality successful the sights indoors, wherever it was warmer and drier. Despite not spotting immoderate dolphins, the kids loved watching kite surfers, and speedboats zoomed past america arsenic the locals took to the h2o to revel successful their hobbies.

This is besides thing tourists tin effort for the day, if they are feeling brave enough.

Every Saturday, locals travel unneurotic to connection visitors a accidental to effort a accepted Catalan meal served astatine £5 a head. Cooking assorted meats implicit a large fire, they service fruity apricot and achromatic vino cocktails on with crusty baguettes.

One of the appealing things astir this determination is the galore time trips wrong casual reach. You tin question to Spain successful little than 40 minutes by car and determination are besides regular bid trips. Within a 15-minute thrust oregon two-hour rhythm thrust you tin get astatine the stunning harbourside colony of Collioure, a must-see according to the locals.

The past sportfishing colony is truthful captivating, celebrated artists person been attracted to the spot passim history, including Matisse and Picasso. After engaged time trips, my children loved coming backmost to our spacious villa to play connected the decking, portion the prima sank down the mountains.

There was besides a useful array shot 10 metres from our room, wherever they could person matches portion we cooked dinner. Each country had blackout blinds and useful shutters that came out, which wholly blocked retired each lights.

The pursuing time we cycled to the Old Town, which was astir 15 minutes from the site. Here, past churches and beauteous historical buildings offered a glimpse into the area’s past erstwhile it was portion of Catalan. There are tiny bars and cafes offering Catalan dishes – including tapas and pasta paella. Jugs of sangria were besides doing the rounds.

To scope this portion of the South of France, we flew from Heathrow to Toulouse, but you tin besides alert from Stansted to Perpignon, oregon into Barcelona oregon Girona.

It was a hard spot to permission – truthful beauteous and it felt similar determination was inactive truthful overmuch to explore.

Book the holiday

• A seven-night, self-catering enactment astatine the Premium Residence Domaine du Golfe du Lion costs from £1,111 successful April for a two-bedroom villa, which sleeps up to six, with Pierre & Vacances. Pierre & Vacances escaped kids’ nine is disposable Sunday to Friday for 5-12-year-olds from 10am to 12noon and 3pm to 5pm. pierreetvacances.co.uk
• Return flights from Stansted to Perpignan from £64pp with ryanair.com and from Heathrow to Toulouse from £84pp with ba.com
• *Boat cruise with CTM from £25 adults, £19 children
• More info astatine tourisme-saint-cyprien.com