Crete has been named as Europe’s most family-friendly beach destination.
The Greek island tops a chart of 50 destinations across ten countries – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Turkey – compared by On the Beach.
A survey of 1,000 British families found that overall value for money was the number one consideration when choosing a family holiday destination for more than half (54%) of parents.
When it comes to the lowest cost holiday destinations, breaks to the lesser known Canary Island of La Palma offers the best summer holiday value, followed by the Costa Calida and the Costa Brava on the Spanish mainland.
The Greek island of Kefalonia is named the fourth best value holiday destination for families, followed by the Algarve.
The OTA used five criteria, each listed by parents as important considerations when choosing a family holiday spot.
The five criteria, combined and weighted to calculate an overall score out of 100, were:
• Average temperature
• Average sea temperature
• Family friendly attractions (waterparks and theme parks)
• Flight duration
• Average cost for a family of four during 2018
Crete, which attracts more than four million visitors a year, took top spot with an index score of 85.2.
The island boasts the highest number of family-friendly water and theme parks (ten) out of all destinations in the study, and has average temperatures of 24O during the summer.
The Costa Blanca region is second with an index score of 84.3, due to its short flight duration from the UK, warm sea and air temperatures, and large number of water and theme parks (seven).
Cyprus came third with an index score of 83.2. Despite having a longer flight time, the eastern Mediterranean island scored highly for its warm sea temperatures, numerous water and amusement parks, and the low average cost of a family holiday.
Costa Brava is fourth followed by the Costa Dorada region in fifth, also scoring high points for its how average holiday price and short flight duration.
A total of 16 Spanish beach destinations feature in the top 50.
On the Beach marketing director Alan Harding said: “Our family beach index provides a data-driven look at Europe’s very best family beach destinations.
“We know that researching a perfect family holiday can take time, so we’ve used the holiday criteria that parents told us matter most to them, and crunched the numbers to create this comprehensive list.”
“Topping our family beach index, Crete is a fantastic choice with warm waters, balmy temperatures and lots of fun-filled water parks and theme parks to keep the family entertained.
“If reaching your resort in record time tops your list of priorities, then Spain provides a range of fabulous beach holiday options less than two and a half hours from the UK.
“If higher temperatures and beautiful warm waters are what you’re looking for, then Turkey could be the perfect option for you.”
Top 10 most family friendly beach holiday destinations:
1. Crete: 85.2
2. Costa Blanca: 84.3
3. Cyprus: 83.2
4. Costa Brava: 82.9
5. Costa Dorada: 82.8
6. Majorca: 82.6
7. Malta: 81.9
8. Corfu: 80.6
9. Sardinia: 82.6
10. Costa De la luz: 80.5