3 Hidden Travel Gems (with Kids)
I was tagged in a game of Tripbase Blog Tag! Travel Blooggers are revealing their 3 Hidden Travel Gems and my good friend over at Travel Mamas nominated me to join in the fun and pick my 3 favorites! I decided to include the kiddos on this one so these are my 3 hidden travel gems with kids!
#1 Mallorca, Baleric Islands
Mallorca is just of the coast of Spain and is apart of the Baleric Islands. It is the hottest European vacation destination and for good reason, it has over 200 Beaches! Unlike the neighboring party island of Ibiza, Mallorca is a great family dstination. In fact a lot of the hotels and resorts cater to families by offering playgrounds, club activities and childrens entertainment.
We stayed at Viva Cala Mesquida in Playa Mesquida home to the very popular Galactic Super Hero Bufo! Oh yes, they have a mascot of sorts and he entertains the children nightly at the Mini Disco! They also have Bufo Kids Club , a drop off child care service during the day. We had quite the room with a view, most of the apartments are located beachside. It was a very short and easy walk down to the sand.
We rented a car from the hotel so we could drive into the beach side town do do some tourist shopping and found another huge playground swarming wiht kids! We also drove to the Capital city of Mallorca, Palma. The city of Palma is very easy to push a stroller around, we literally walked around the entire city. It is the most charming city with cobblestone streets, cute cafes and some very historic buildings. The most famous building is La Seu, the Cathedral, it is one of Europe’s tallest Gothic structures.
#2 Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is the earths natural playground for kids! (you can quote me on that) We lived in Scottsdale, AZ for a year and and so we took many day trips up to Sedona and the drive from the Phoenix area takes just a little over an hour. The kids loved to walk, run, jump and stretch over the rocks, it’s really a nice little workout for them. And not to mention the fresh air and the beautiful scenary! They thought “hiking” was so exciting and took exploring very seriously.
I highly reccommend the Pink Jeep Tours they are worth the price and you see some incredible views! They allow children 18 months and up – however, one of the more rugged tours you should not take a child under the age of 4. We went on the most rugged, heart pounding tour with a 2 yr old and our 4 yr old – not the wisest decision we have ever made. The 2 yr old was pretty scared at some points and the bumpy ride was pretty hard for him to handle. They were locked securley in car seats but his head was getting knocked around too much. So pick the more scenic tours if you have younger kids and save the true outback tours until their older. And hold on tight cause it s a bumpy ride!
#3 Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica /Play Conchal
We rented a house for 3 weeks in Playa, Flamingo on the Guanacaste side of Costa Rica. This coastline is known for its unique string of beaches, each with their own personality. So naturally we set out to visit them all, even the most difficult one to get to, Playa Conchal.
Playa Conchal is truly a “hidden beach” it took me 3 tries to finally fiqure out just how to get there. If you are not staying at the fancy Paradisus Playa Conchal then the only public entrance is by driving your car down onto another beach and then 4 wheel driving it up a rocky path and praying no one is trying to come down at the same time. I was with the kids by myself on this adventure while my husband stayed back to get some work done. Needless to say I was a little nervous, but determined to find this beach! I was a Mom on a Mission!
Playa Conchal is made up of millions of crushed shells! I thought for sure there would be sand and just a lot of shells, but nope, no sand – all shells! I kept running my hands and feet through the shells and it was as if I was having an exfoliation treatment at a spa. I am still a little mistified by this secret piece of paradise. It was also some of the bluest water I have ever seen. I was so glad that I didn’t give up and forged ahead on finding this hidden gem. In all my travels, Playa Conchal is my favorite beach so far!
CostaRicaOnlineTravel.com has a Great Costa Rica Family Vacation that includes Conchal Beach!
HaveKidsStillTravel.com
What are your 3 favorite Hidden Travel Gems? Please leave a comment below and tell me where you have been or where you are going?
I would like to nominate:
Kim Tracy Prince of The House of Prince
Shanna Coady of My Favorite Everything
Summer at teamjessee.com
Nancy at Kidsintowtravel.com
Lee Vandeman of momswithoutblogs.com
TAG you’re it!
Trip Base Blog Tag
