Big adventures
Gulet cruise, Turkey
One-parent families looking for a trip full of exploration and outdoor adventure with similar families should consider a Holidays for Single Parents gulet cruise with a "house party atmosphere". In groups of up to 12, you sail from the port of Fethiye past small fishing villages and beautiful stretches of sand, stopping for sea kayaking, swimming and snorkelling sessions, and to play games on the beach. In the evenings parents can enjoy drinks on deck while the kids watch DVDs below.
Seven-night holidays, departing on 26 July and 23 August now have £100 off per person and cost from £795 per adult and £595 per child, including flights from Gatwick, full-board in a cabin sleeping one adult and one child aged six-15 – there are other cabin options available. 0871 200 2228, holidaysforsingleparents.com
Mountain trek, Morocco
KE Adventures arranges serious treks to some of the world's highest mountains, but it has also turned its hand to less strenuous family breaks. This summer there's a guided group adventure through some of Morocco's highlights, for anyone aged six and over. After a few days combing Marrakech's maze-like medina for treasures to take home, you head into the High Atlas mountains near Oukaimeden to go trekking with Berbers for three days, staying in a village gite where you'll take long lunches under the walnut trees. Then it's off to the beach at Essaouira for camel rides and swimming.
A 10-day all-inclusive trip costs £495pp, excluding flights, from 23 July. 017687 73966, keadventure.com
Cowboy life, Arizona
The beautiful Rincon mountains are incentive enough to book a trip to Arizona, but then the Tanque Verde Ranch in the foothills also has classes in cowboy horsemanship, tennis, hiking, mountain biking, followed by tales around the campfire, rodeos, line dancing lessons and even a honkytonk disco. Kids with strong nerves might like to make friends with the nature centre's snakes and spiders.
Seven nights cost from £1,649 per adult (£577 off) and £699 per child aged up to 12, including return flights from Heathrow and full-board, departing 6 July, or £1,549 and £599 departing 24 August. 0871 664 0273, not available online
Eco-camp, Belize
Belize is a great option for a first family adventure in Latin America; tropical, beautiful, but English-speaking, safe and good fun. If your children want a bit of independence and the chance to hang out with other children rather than mum and dad, the Chaa Creek Eco summer camp, at Macal River Jungle Camp, in the Cayo area, could be just the thing. The kids sleep in their own cabins on stilts close to the river, which are lit by oil lamps, while parents stay at the more upmarket cottages, with verandas and electricity. By day everyone can go horseriding, hiking to Mayan ruins, canoeing, birdwatching or walking together.
Seven days from £791 per child and £1,171 per adult, excluding international flights, 18-24 July. 020-8747 8315, journeylatinamerica.co.uk
Himalayan highs, Nepal
Imagine your children's faces when you announce, "forget CenterParcs kids, this year we're off to the Himalayas!" A family holiday among some of the most stupendous landscapes you'll ever lay eyes on will be a life-changing experience. Starting in Kathmandu, this two-week family adventure tour with Nepal Uncovered takes in a camping trek into the Annapurna foothills, cycling to sacred caves, whitewater rafting, hill village and school visits, and a safari in the Chitwan national park, where you will get to help out at elephant bathtime. The trips are suitable for anyone aged over six, and can be done with a small group, or independently, for which there's a £50pp supplement.
Departures 25 July and 15 August, £845pp, excluding flights – £90 off per child aged six-11. 0845 130 4849, nepal-uncovered.com
Get active
On the river, Slovenia
The stunning Soca valley is the ideal spot for skiers in winter, and watery thrills in summer. Its turquoise water is beautiful to behold . . . but don't just stand and stare, that's boring, instead jump in and try kayaking, canyoning, whitewater rafting on a mixed activity holiday for families that also includes guided walks, mountain biking and half-board hotel accommodation.
£699pp (10% discount for children under 14 – to take part children must be eight or over) for departures 7, 14 and 21 August, excluding flights. 01926 330223, vamostravel.com
A holistic retreat, Italy
Known for its unique take on relaxation and yoga holidays (such as the F**k It! retreat), The Hill That Breathes near Urbino combines wellbeing classes in a clear, geodesic dome in a gorgeous forest setting with proper Italian food (including pizza and ice-cream of course). Kids take separate yoga classes, play in the woods, swing in the hammocks, swim in the pool and bounce on the trampoline; adults can get stuck into the wine and the serious business of doing nothing.
Seven nights from 12 or 19 August costs €845pp (30% off for ages four-11, 20% off aged 12-16), including transfers, accommodation, meals, yoga and activities – but not flights. thehillthatbreathes.com
Ardeche adventure, France
The Ardeche has one of the most beautiful national parks in France; canoeing along the river gorges is one of the south of France's best experiences. When youngsters' arms tire of paddling, they can set their legs to work hiking or mountain biking in the green valleys and vineyards, surrounding the Hotel Les Cedres, the base for this multi-activity trip with Headwater. The hotel also has private river access for swimming, plus basketball and table tennis.
Eight days from £529 per adult, £349 per child (£539 for 24 July) including flights from Gatwick to Marseille, half-board, and activities. Departures all summer. 01606 720 199, headwater.com
Summer skiing and biking, Austria
Mayrhofen in Austria is a fantastic ski resort in winter, with charming wooden buildings, mountain cafes and spas. But in the summer there's no shortage of thrills either, whether you want to try mountain biking on proper mountains, rafting, tackling a via ferrata or even warm-weather skiing – on a glacier. Alpine Elements' activity holiday includes transfers, bike hire, maps and activities, plus accommodation at the Hotel Brucke which has a wellness centre with sauna and steam room for those aching limbs after all the action.
There's £195 off per person, meaning a week costs £458pp for 17 July departures, including flights from Gatwick to Munich. 0844 770 4070, alpineelements.co.uk
Alpine chill, France
This summer, the Alps resort of Morzine, in the Portes du Soleil area, is offering families multi-activity passes for the area's 12 villages for just €1 per day. Passes give entry to ice skating rinks, tennis, swimming pools and museums. One family chalet, run by Chilly Powder, which has a sauna, mezzanine library, pool table, playroom with widescreen TV and a PlayStation, plus a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, is offering a two-week trip for a 10-night price.
Price for two adults, two children, half-board sharing a family room is £1,928 for 14 nights, not including flights. 020 7289 6958, chillypowder.com; activity pass at morzine.com/multipass/index_en.html
Hit the beach
Tropical getaway, Thailand
White sands, fantastic food, boat trips and sea kayaking among limestone islands . . . Thailand's Phang Nga Bay has lots for active families and those wanting some chill-out time. Phuket is well developed with lots of family-friendly activities, restaurants and attractions, but you can still escape to deserted beaches and hike in tropical forests. Near Karon beach, the Centara Karon Resort has three pools, tennis courts and a kids' club.
A week departing 22 August costs £725pp (or £370 per child sharing one adult room), or £2,190 for a family of four, including B&B, transfers and flights to Phuket from Gatwick. 0871 664 0246, hayesandjarvis.com
Child's play, Antigua
It sounds a bit like a 60s psychology experiment, but at the Rex Resorts, your child's playtime is taken so seriously, they have enlisted the advice of a child psychologist, Dr Richard Woolfson, to design a "play diet". Dr Woolfson reckons he's come up with the perfect balanced programme of activities (rather than just a room full of plastic things with wheels) to combine physical fun, imaginative and creative pursuits and ones where they will learn and discover something new, much of it linked to the island's history with tales of pirates and treasure. If all that sounds a tad contrived, you can just hit the beach – the hotel is right by the white sands of Dickenson bay.
Seven nights' all-inclusive from £755pp based on two adults and two children travelling, for midweek departures between 18-25 August, including flights. The same deal costs £709pp between 9-16 October Travel City Direct. 0844 557 6965, travelcitydirect.com
Classical appeal, Greece
Holing up in a villa by the sea in Greece is a classic family holiday that can be as lazy or as active as you like, whether you spend your days swimming, hiking and doing watersports, or simply slobbing around in the sun by the pool. CV Travel has a number of villa deals for families still available, including a stone villa above the sea on the Ionian island of Cephalonia for eight (handy for sun-seeking couples with sextuplets, single parents with septuplets or even two bog-standard families).
The villa is available 17, 24 and 31 July, which now costs £735pp (a discount of £95pp) for a week, including flights and transfers. 020-7401 1026, cvtravel.co.uk
Sun, sea and fun, Spain
There are several beaches between the city of Tarragona and the delta of the river Ebro that offer activities for kids. Near a lovely sandy beach between Cambrils and Miami Playa on the Costa Dorada, the campsite Camping Els Prats (cue lots of name-calling) has a pool, kids' playground, basketball court, plus scuba diving, sailing and windsurfing available from the beach. Other things to see nearby include the city of Reus, the harbour of Cambril, the countryside upriver from the coast or the giant Port Aventura theme park.
A seven-night stay between 17 July and 14 August for up to six in a fully equipped tent now costs £458, excluding ferry or flights (a discount of £281) through Vacansoleil. 0333 700 5050, vacansoleil.co.uk
Island idyll, Cape Verde
Set on seven miles of white sand, the Parque das Dunas Hotel on the island of Boa Vista, renowned for its beaches and turtles, is a barefoot chic complex of apartments and bungalows clad in tropical flowers, surrounded by palms and set around a huge pool. The sea is warm and windsurfing or kitesurfing classes for youngsters can be booked on the beach. Alternatively, take a spin in a dune buggy.
