resorts

THE weather might be about to turn in the UK but in Europe there’s still time to enjoy the sunshine.

So for affordable yet full-of-activity stays, we’ve rounded up 10 best Eurocamp resorts from Croatia to Italy where temperatures are still about 20C in autumn – and stays can be as cheap as £6 per night.

hu Park Albatros Village, Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany still has temperatures of up to 22C during the autumn, so families can make great use of its six swimming pools, waterslides.

Make sure to try out its treetop adventure course and mini golf too.

The new entertainment complex overlooks the beach – it also has a restaurant, pizzeria, ice cream kiosk and there’s a free kids’ club for ages 4-17.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a Comfort three bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to six guests starts from £236.20 per party – or £35.62pppn.

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Holacamp Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal

Holacamp Albufeira is perfect for those wanting to blend beach and camping.

As the stretching sandy beach is five-minute drive away and with highs of 22C you can enjoy it well into autumn.

On-site are three swimming pools to splash about in, along with space to sunbathe and don’t forget to try out some watersports or a friendly game of padel.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a two bedroom ‘Tiny House’ holiday home that sleeps up to four guests starts from £194.80 per party – or £6.95pppn.

Alannia Costa Blanca, Costa Blanca, Spain

Just a few hours away in on the Costa Blanca, this Eurocamp has enormous palm-tree lined swimming pools.

There’s also a splash zone for little kids and a spa with sauna and steam room.

When it comes to activities try out tennis, archery, padel tennis, mini golf and there’s a soft play area for the little ones too.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a Premium two bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to five guests starts from £642.17 per party – or £18.34pppn.

Camping Fabulous Village, Rome, Italy

When in Rome, head to Camping Fabulous Village – kids will love the swimming pools.

Make sure to head to the on-site restaurant for classic Italian dishes.

The park is a 30-minute drive from Rome too so it’s easy to go sightseeing and book excursions to Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Pompeii and Naples through the parc.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a Classic two bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to six guests starts from £200.85 per party – or £6.78pppn.

Saint-Aygulf Plage, Riviera, France

Along the French Riviera is this impressive Eurocamp with views across the water. It also has a lagoon-style pool.

The towering waterplay area with tipping buckets and slides actually looks over the Mediterranean Sea.

There are plenty of sporting activities to try out like basketball, volleyball, archery and football – not to mention there’s direct access to the beach where guests can try kayaking and high-octane jet skiing.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a Comfort two bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to four guests starts from £274.10 per party – or £9.78pppn.

Camping Village Simuni, Dalmatia, Croatia

The Dalmatian Coast can bask in temperatures between 22C and 25C between September and October.

So it’s easy to take advantage of the fact that Camping Village Simuni has access to six beaches – one even has an inflatable obstacle course.

It has four restaurants including Pescaria which serves fresh seafood and Mali Raj where traditional Croatian dishes are cooked right in front of you.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a Classic three bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to six guests starts from £350 per party – or £8.33pppn.

La Masseria, Puglia, Italy

This Eurocamp is on the Puglia coast – it has a huge swimming complex with an impressive an outdoor pool, paddling pool.

There are also two Jacuzzis, diving boards and the private beach is minutes away on foot.

There are three restaurants on-site and adults can try out wine tours and tastings at the on-parc vineyard.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a Comfort three bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to six guests starts from £229.30 per party – or £5.45pppn.

El Garrofer, Costa Dorada, Spain

Described as having an “air of quiet” this resort is much quieter than other Eurocamp sitse.

But it still has swimming pools, waterslides, kids’ clubs and plenty of sport activities to try out.

If you want to see the sights of Barcelona, the city is only a 40-minute drive away so it’s perfect distance for a daytrip.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a Comfort three bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to five guests starts from £449.95 per party – or £12.85pppn.

Les Dunes, Roussillon, France

This Eurocamp has all you need from a holiday – swimming pools, watersides, restaurants, snack bars all just metres from the beach.

If you visit during September, the parc will be hosting new activities for babies and toddlers.

During October, there will be ‘Day of the Dead’ themed activities like mask-making, games and mini-discos.

Seven nights from September 28 staying in a Classic two bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to four guests starts from £223.23 per party – or £7.97pppn.

Bella Italia, Lake Garda, Italy

On the very tip of Lake Garda is the Bella Italia Eurocamp which has access to the lakeside beach where guests can try out parasailing, para-flying and banana-boat riding.

The resort has four swimming pools with features like waterslides and mushroom fountains.

Not to mention it’s a 10-minute drive away from family-friendly theme park, Gardaland.

Seven nights from September 28, staying in a Classic two bedroom holiday home that sleeps up to six guests starts from £318.07 per party – or £7.57pppn.

MY childhood summer holidays began and ended with me squashed into a hatchback car with tents, campbeds and pool floats, as my family travelled to Europe for a week’s camping.

The only luxuries were a wine and cheese evening (for my parents), the morning croissant run to the bakery on site (my sister and I) and our mains-powered coolbox (my dad).

Oh, how the world of camping has changed since then.

This summer, a school-mum pal and I took our kids to one of the top-rated sites of camping specialist Eurocamp — and 5* Les Prairies de la Mer, on the French Riviera, just 15 minutes from St Tropez, could not have been more different from those breaks of my early years.

This huge beachfront site even has its own spa, that bakery on site, which also features seven kinds of fresh bread, a seriously glam pool and a supermarket stocking about 30 different types of rosé wine.

Oh, and some of those wines were just 4.50 euros a bottle — and perfectly drinkable.

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There are also further delights — a petting zoo, small fairground, two beachfront bars and restaurants, a hair salon and an inland bar that plays really decent live music every night.

If you can hack the heat, there are plenty of sporting activities, too, from sailing and archery to tennis and football.

I could lie and say I did all of the sports — but I didn’t.

In 35C heat in May, with three seven-year-old boys in tow, most days we pinballed between pool and beach, fairground and playground.

The huge, lagoon-shaped beachside pool, with its own palm tree, is a joy in itself — and only more so for its stylish bar, serving enormous pitchers of rosé for six euros, and French fries.

But it would be criminal to visit the French Riviera and not explore.

Les Prairies de la Mer is next to Port Grimaud, a car-free seaside town with waterfront Provencal-style houses that each have their own mooring for a boat.

You can see why the place is nicknamed the Venice of Provence.

We had a great time wandering the streets and visiting the Sunday market, which sells everything from local olives to honey and flowers.

The campsite also lays on a land train (€10 adults and €6 kids) to the medieval hillside village of Grimaud where you will find cobblestone streets, a 12th-century church and an even older ruined castle, all with great views over the surrounding countryside.

We also made it down to glamorous St Tropez, famed for its annual film festival.

The place is worth a visit just to ogle the huge yachts in the marina, wander the old town and eyeball the rich tourists who head to upscale shopping street Rue Francois Sibilli for high-end stores such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Hermes.

But my favourite day was when we rented a speedboat — through SamBoat, an app that bills itself as “the AirBnb of boats”.

It allows you to search locations, near where you are holidaying, for more than 50,000 chartered boats and yachts, that come with or without a captain.

We opted for a large speedboat that could take up to 12 people, as it could pick us up from the neighbouring marina — and it was super-easy to book.

The speedboat hire was 380 euros without a skipper, otherwise 630 euros.

We opted for the latter and, if there are 12 of you, this works out at just over 50 euros a head — not bad for a day on the water.

We bought cheese, wine, cakes and other goodies beforehand, at the marina supermarket, then toured the beautiful coastline before mooring in one of the many bays, where we swam, played on lilos and generally had the best time.

On the way home, we stopped off in the St Tropez marina to check out again the beautiful people and yachts.

This fabled French town is also the setting for the upcoming fourth series of TV hit The White Lotus, expected to air next year — and this corner of France is a serious magnet for celebrities.

Indeed, on our flight alone there were THREE famous faces.

Glamour girl Kelly Brook was in Business Class with actor husband Jeremy Parisi, while Pixie Geldof and sister Tiger Lily Hutchence-Geldof roughed it with us in Economy.

They were all (like us) taking advantage of British Airways’ newest route from London City Airport to Toulon-Hyeres in the South of France, which operates twice-weekly during the summer months.

The seaside city of Toulon is a taxi ride away from St Tropez and other A-lister holiday destinations such as Grimaud and Sainte Maxime.

Or if you don’t have deep pockets like the celebrities, there is a coach to St Tropez that leaves twice daily from the airport and costs 2.50 euros per person.

It also stops at a number of other holiday destinations en route.

It took us nearly all the way to our Eurocamp site, from where it was just a ten-euro cab ride.

So, plenty of spare cash for the lashings of rosé.

TO ESCAPE the chaos of summer and enjoy the delights of quieter hotels, lots of us like to book holidays between September and November.

Those three months have lots of names like the ‘magic period’ or ‘shoulder season‘ and taking a break then can save you some serious cash.

Whether you want a quick trip to Spain or a holiday to African resorts for winter sun, there are some great deals out there, and lastminute.com have helped us find some of the best.

They told us: “Once the peak summer period has passed, travellers can often find significantly better value on flights and holidays, while still enjoying warm weather and everything a destination has to offer, proving that it is better to leave it until the last minute.”

The cheapest spot is Costa Dorada in Spain where on average holidays cost £79pppn.

The Costa Dorada is a region along the Mediterranean coastline and includes popular spots like Tarragona and Salou.

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What’s even better is that you can definitely still spend time on the beaches too as in October there are average daytime temperatures of around 22C.

It’s also home to the enormous PortAventura World which is one of Europe’s biggest theme parks – and is home to Europe’s tallest and fastest accelerator coaster Red Force in Ferrari Land.

If it tickles your fancy, check into Hotel Best Negresco in Salou.

It’s a beach front spot with rooms that have views of the coast along with a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, sun terrace and spa.

A four-night stay for two with return flights to London Luton in October starts from £248pp – or £62pppn.

If you want to add half-board to have breakfast and dinner included it’s an extra £26pp.

The second cheapest destination for autumn is Sousse in Tunisia.

The coastal resort city is known for having bright blue waters and plenty of beach clubs.

Visitors can explore the Medina of Sousse – a historic walled quarter that is an open-air market where you can pick up ceramics, leather bags, shoes and jewellery.

With lastminute.com you can book to stay at the Hotel Royal Jinene Beach & Spa from £66pn – and it includes return flights and half board.

The hotel has an indoor pool, outdoor pool with a big slide, bar, restaurant and coffee house as well as activities like tennis and mini golf.

There’s also a spa and live music nights and a short walk away is the sandy Plage El Menchia.

A four-night stay for two people with half board and return flights to London Southend in October is £264pp – or £66pppn.

It’s back to Spain for the third cheapest destination in autumn which is the Costa Brava where on average a holiday is £87pppn – although there are cheaper deals to be found.

The coastal region in northeastern Spain has lots of beaches with cliff backdrops and coves.

The Costa Brava has 300 days of sunshine every year and is mild throughout September and October.

Hotel Tahití Playa & Suites 4Sup is right on the Mediterranean coastline and is just a few steps away from the beach.

It also has a swimming pool, restaurant with themed dinner nights, sun terrace, pool bar, activities like table tennis and yoga classes.

There’s also a spa as well as live performances and entertainment.

A four-night room only stay for two in October at Hotel Tahití Playa & Suites 4Sup including return flights to London Stansted is £153pp – or £38pppn.

The Albanian Coast is emerging as a cheap alternative to other coastlines – with white sand beaches, no wonder it’s loved by celebs like Dua Lipa.

Sarandë is known as the the ‘city’ of the Riviera.

It’s surrounded by the blue waters of the Ionian Sea with seafood restaurants and cheap beer, with pints as little as £1.30.

Here, you can book a stay in the four-star Bougainville Bay Hotel which is considered a gallery itself full of sculptures, paintings and mosaics.

The hotel is next to the sea and you can enjoy the views from its beautiful infinity pool.

It also has four bars, two restaurants and four swimming pools.

In October, temperatures in the daytime sit around 21C – although they do drop in the evening.

A four-night stay for two including breakfast in October at the Bougainville Bay Hotel including return flights to London Stansted is £229pp – or £57.25pppn.

Coming in fifth position for being one of the cheapest spots for a holiday in autumn is Hammamet.

The coastal resort town in northeastern Tunisia boasts golden beaches and there’s plenty of historical sites to explore if you fancy a wander.

Hammamet is a great spot for anyone wanting a dose of sunshine and heat as in October temperatures can be as high as 26C.

For Brits it’s ideal as it’s as little as three and a half hours away from the UK.

The Yocca Hotel Residence is slightly outside of the city with spacious rooms some of which have balconies, swimming pool, garden, terrace and restaurant.

A six-night stay for two at the Yocca Hotel Residence including return flights from London Gatwick is £308pp – or £51.34pppn.

THE best holiday parks and resorts around the UK have been announced from luxury resorts to lakeside lodges with incredible views.

Which? has found the top stays by looking at price, accommodation, cleanliness, food and drink to value for money – so who is taking the top spot?

At the very top of Which’s? list is Potters Resorts which has two five star resorts in Norfolk and Essex.

Every break is all-inclusive with meals, snacks, accommodation, and activities included in the price- so there won’t be any surprises.

Depending on which park you’re in, activities range from rally karts to boating, tennis, archery, yoga and clay shooting.

When it comes to entertainment, there’s live music and quizzes throughout the day and West-End quality shows in the evening.

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In Hopton-on-Sea, guests can choose to stay in cosy bungalows, hotel rooms, or go all out with a stay in the Penthouse which has views over the Resort and out towards the sea.

At Five Lakes in Essex, there’s a choice of The Village, which is set within the grounds of the holiday park, hotel rooms and suites.

The holiday park came at the top of the table for recommended resorts with an average price of £87pppn.

It received five-stars for customer service, along with facilities, food and drink.

Second on Which?’s list is Hoburne Holidays which has seven resorts across the country in Dorset, Hampshire, the New Forest, Devon, the Cotswolds and Somerset.

Hoburne Park in Dorset was the very first to open in 1912 which is right by the coast and has cosy caravans and lodges.

A few minutes away is the soft sandy Avon beach and further along is Mudeford Quay and Hengistbury Head.

When it comes to activities, there is a heated indoor pool, seasonal outdoor pool, adventure golf, games area, paddle boats, crafts as well as steam room sauna and a gym.

Another popular resort is in Gloucestershire, called Cotswolds Reach it has lovely lodges to settle down in – and a heated outdoor pool.

The average price starts from £63pppn and it received a customer score of 81 per cent.

Its highest star rating was in food and drink, followed by value for money, facilities, activities and entertainment, cleanliness and quality of accommodation – for which it got four-stars.

Darwin Escapes came third on the list – and some of its holiday parks have incredible lakeside lodges with mountain views.

Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat is a great spot for anyone wanting to see more of the Lake District.

There’s an on-site restaurant, spa, relaxation suite which you can book to have for yourself, a gym, and a corner shop.

Some of the self-catered, countryside-retreat style lodges have wooden beam ceilings and a woodburner with a deck to enjoy in the summer, even hot tubs.

Darwin Escapes had an average price of £50pppn with a customer score of 80 per cent – a family of four can book a lodge at Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat in November from £195 or £12.18pppn.

Landal Green Parks in fourth place was also recommended by Which? and one of its most impressive holiday parks is Dylan Coastal Resort in South Wales.

The holiday lodges sit high up on a hilltop looking out over the Taf Estuary which make for very impressive views.

The lodges range from 1-4 person to six- person stays – and some with hot tubs too.

Below the holiday lodges is Milk Wood House, which is home to facilities including an infinity pool, outdoor spa area, and lots of therapy treatments.

It’s also where guests will find the bar and restaurant which can be enjoyed on one of the three terraces.

Nearby, guests can try out watersports and bouldering at Wild Lakes, explore the National Botanical Garde, n and the beautiful fishing village of Tenby.

It came fourth on the table with an average price of £58pppn and a customer score of 80 per cent.

Other well-known brands like Away Resorts were also mentioned – it came in seventh on the list with a customer score of 75 per cent.

In the last five places on the table were Center Parcs, Haven Holiday Parks, Parkdean, Butlins and Pontins.

These are the full list of the best UK holiday parks from Which?

1. Potters Resorts
2. Hoburne Holidays
3. Darwin Escapes
4. Landal Green Parks
5. Waterside Holiday Group
6. Shorfield Holidays
7. Away Resorts
8. Bluestone Wales
9. Park Leisure UK
10. Highland Holidays
11. Lyons Holiday Parks
12. Largo Leisure
13. Park Holidays UK
14. Warner Leisure Villages
15. Forest Holidays
16. John Fowler Holiday Parks
17. Center Parcs
18. Haven Holiday Parks
19. Parkdean Resorts
20. Butlins
21. Pontins

AN ICONIC English pleasure pier has been forced to close while “essential works” take place this month.

The seaside structure shut today but is expected to reopen soon.

Weymouth Pleasure Pier will be closed for two weeks while essential surfacing repairs are carried out.

A refurbishment of the beach access steps is also set to take place during this period, while the new handrails will be finished off too.

Dorset Council has said that the beach access will be open in time for the town’s annual Ironman event, which will take place on Sunday, September 20.

News of the closure was shared via the council’s Facebook page in a post that read: “A reminder that the Weymouth Pleasure Pier will be closed for two weeks from Monday 7 September while surfacing works are completed along the wall.”

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It continued: “The beach access steps at the end of the wall will also be closed during this period to enable refurbishment works and completion of the new handrails.

“The beach access steps will be reopened ahead of the Ironman event taking place in Weymouth.

The council thanked residents for their “understanding and cooperation” while the essential works are carried out.

Weymouth Pleasure Pier was previously closed for seven weeks between June and July for more “essential maintenance”.

The site was shut down over the summer months to replace failing harbour walls and safeguard the seafront for the future.

The repairs are part of a wider plan in place to address longstanding deterioration in the seafront defences around the peninsula.

Other problem areas including corrosion and voids behind existing harbour walls, and small sinkholes near footpaths also cropped up in investigations.

Previous repair work to the structures was last completed in 1970, meaning they were no longer viable for withstanding pressure from rising sea levels and more frequent storm surges.

Work has been carried out to strengthen the existing structures to ensure they can serve their purpose for decades to come.

THE best hotels in the world have been revealed from luxury resorts to former celebrity escapes in LA.

Two that are in the UK have also made the cut – one in London and the other in Scotland.

The list has been drafted by The World’s 50 Best who have released the best hotels from 51-100.

If you want to know The World’s 50 Best Hotels from 1-50, these will be revealed on September 15.

Landing at number 56 is the Rosewood London which is a luxury hotel in Covent Garden.

In the rooms, guests can enjoy fluffy bathrobes, even choose their own pillows and take advantage of 24-hour-in-room dining.

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Inside the Junior Suite is a marble bathroom with a tub and walk-in shower and a personal bar.

The hotel currently offers an immersive afternoon tea inspired by the works of Claude Monet.

It has its own Pie Room as well which as it suggests in the name is dedicated to pie making – guests can book private dining or even give it a go themselves in a pie masterclass.

The Scarfes Bar has a Heroes and Villains-style cocktail menu with specially curated drinks with names like Diva and Foul Play.

When the sun shines, spritzes and Italian pizzas can be enjoyed on the Mediterranean terrace.

The other UK entry comes in 100th position and it’s Gleneagles in Auchterarder, Scotland.

The 232-room hotel boasts 10 restaurants and bars ranging from fine dining to casual spots like The Chicken Coop and organised picnics.

It has luxurious bedrooms and suites with a “mix of homeliness and glamour.”

Outdoorsy guests can make the most of the activities, with everything from falconry and archery to horse riding and off-road driving available.

It’s known as one of the best places to golf too with three of the top courses in Scotland.

Plenty of other impressive hotels made the list too – some of the most beautiful include Il San Pietro di Positano.

The beautiful five-star hotel in Italy is literally carved into the cliffside.

It even has its own lift which guests can take down to the private beach, there’s also a tennis court by the water.

For swimming, there’s a beautiful pool with a sun terrace looking over the sea.

The Beverly Hills Hotel is a Hollywood classic that featured on the cover of the Eagles album, Hotel California.

Found on Sunset Boulevard, the famous hotel is as LA as it gets – surrounded by palm trees with Barbie pink accents and even its own red carpet.

Rooms range from Hollywood glamour-style Superior Rooms to restored bungalows – one of which was a favourite of frequent guest, Marilyn Monroe.

There are over 100 Four Seasons hotels across the world and two have made the list.

The one in Hong Kong boasts views across the skyline and Victoria Harbour from a rooftop infinity pool.

It has three fine-dining restaurants and plenty of luxury touches.

The second Four Seasons on the list is in La Manzanilla and it’s super luxurious reachable only by private plane or boat.

It has beachfront casitas and hillside villas with regular sightings of humpback whales, dolphins and sea turtles from private plunge pools.

Another private resort to make it onto the list is Soneva Fushi in the Maldives.

It’s found on an island called Kunfunadhoo in the Baa Atoll with huge villas, open-air bathrooms with plenty of experiences all arranged by a barefoot butler – shoes aren’t a thing here.

Hotel das Cataratas is the only luxury resort situated inside Brazil’s Iguazu National Park right next to Iguassu Falls.

Guests even get special entry to the waterfalls before the park opens and after it closes to visitors.

It also has a huge outdoor swimming pool, tennis court and spa.

The list of the World’s Best Hotels…

Here is the list of the World’s Best Hotels – from 51-100…

• La Réserve Paris, Paris
• Janu Tokyo, Tokyo
• Park Hyatt Tokyo, Tokyo
• Palacio Nazarenas, Cusco
• Soneva Fushi, Maldives
• Rosewood London, London
• Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
• Il San Pietro di Positano, Positano
• Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Splendido, Portofino
• Mandapa, Bali
• Castiglion del Bosco, Montalcino
• Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, Panama City
• Hotel Esencia, Tulum
• The Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles
• Orient Express La Minerva, Rome
• Montage Los Cabos, Cabo San Lucas
• Forestis Dolomites, Brixen
• The Okura, Tokyo
• Rosewood Bangkok, Bangkok
• Amangalla, Galle
• Ritz Paris, Paris
• Palace Hotel Tokyo, Tokyo
• Four Seasons Tamarindo, La Manzanilla
• La Mamounia, Marrakech
• Maçakızı, Bodrum
• Hotel das Cataratas, Iguassu Falls
• The Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
• Hotel The Mitsui, Kyoto
• Carlton Cannes, Cannes
• Capella Hanoi, Hanoi
• Huka Lodge, Taupō
• The Calile, Brisbane
• Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi
• Hoshinoya Tokyo, Tokyo
• Four Seasons Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Aman New York, New York
• Borgo Egnazia, Savelletri
• Waldorf Astoria Osaka, Osaka
• Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen, Shenzhen
• Villa Treville, Positano
• The Greenwich Hotel, New York
• The Maybourne Riviera, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
• The Johri, Jaipur
• Reschio, Lisciano Niccone
• Wynn Palace, Macau
• Capella Singapore, Singapore
• The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
• The Peninsula Shanghai, Shanghai
• Gleneagles, Auchterarder

FIVE fantastic Spanish holiday resorts have topped a list of our favourite holiday destinations this summer.

Online travel giant LoveHolidays studied the reviews from thousands of customers who have travelled since the schools broke up.

Families were asked to rate their hotels out of five across seven key criteria: holiday experience, location, service, value for money, cleanliness, facilities and food and drink.

The Costa Dorada resort of Cambrils took the top spot with a score of 4.55 out of five, followed by Santa Ponsa in Majorca; Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote; Puerto Rico in Gran Canaria and Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol.

“Families have a shortlist of destinations they know and trust,” says Al Murray from loveholidays.

“But our ranking shows some of the strongest hotel experiences are happening in resort towns people might be less familiar with.

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“That’s why the customer reviews we’re now sharing on our hotel listings are so useful. They give people access to real-time feedback from other LoveHolidays travellers, making the all-important decisions of where to go and which hotel to pick that bit easier.”

Here, we’ve dug into the details as to why each destination scored so highly – and there’s a great deal for each one so you can try yourself this autumn.

Cambrils, Costa Dorada

This former fishing village has a strong reputation for seafood and Catalan cuisine so it’s no surprise it scored well for food and drink, earning an average of 4.53 from guests.

Families were also impressed with the location of hotels in the area, with a score of 4.76, and service, at 4.63.

Seven nights’ B&B at the 3* H10 Cambrils Playa is from £279pp including flights from Luton on October 17.

Santa Ponsa, Majorca

Families gave hotels in the town 4.51 and scored the destination high for holiday experience (4.61) and location (4.78) thanks to its sheltered bay, walkable seafront and easy access to Palma.

Seven nights’ self-catering at the 3* Residence Mallorca Portofino by Pierre et Vacances is from £179pp including Stansted flights on October 15.

Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote

The resort’s mix of beaches, marina and seafront restaurants scored highly at 4.41 with hotels in the town rated well on location (4.56), holiday experience (4.53) and service (4.51).

Seven nights’ self-catering at the 3* Hyde Park Lane is from £219pp including flights from Southend on December 2.

Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria

With an overall score of 4.40, hotels here stood out for food and drink, earning the highest score at 4.75, reflecting its growing reputation for quality dining.

Seven nights’ self-catering at the 3* Holiday Club Puerto Calma is from £189pp including Stansted flights on September 16.

Fuengirola, Costa del Sol

Fuengirola scored 4.34 and hotels were rated well across the board, with strong numbers for holiday experience (4.34), cleanliness (4.60) and location (4.46).

Seven nights’ room-only at the 3* Ilunion Miramar is from £179p including flights from Luton on October 27.

Prices may not include luggage or transfers. See loveholidays.com.

IT’S half nine at night on the summer solstice.

The light is doing the golden hour thing it only does in June, and my four-year-old is scattering dragonflies as she launches herself into the cold water.

“Can we go in the ‘cold pool’ again?” she asks the next morning. Again. She has asked roughly 200 times this week.

The pool in question is the natural swim pond at Tanylan Farm, on the coast road between Ferryside and Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire.

We stayed in Ty Llo (Calf House), one of a handful of holiday barns on site — and the pool was the single best thing that has ever happened to my daughter.

Rain or shine, morning or night, she was in it.

SUITE DEAL

I found a London hotel where you get a SUITE to yourself for £32.50pp a night

RIDE ON

Seaside theme park to finally reopen closed ride – after nearly three years

There was a sauna next to it for the grown-ups, a private hot tub outside our holiday cottage, and the beach was 400 yards down the lane.

My wife and I, our daughter and baby son had travelled by train to Swansea then picked up a hire car and made our way to Carmarthenshire — that bit of Wales everyone drives past on the way to Pembrokeshire. Their loss.

On day one, the sun was out so we visited Pembrey Country Park — 500 acres of woodland backing on to Cefn Sidan, an eight-mile stretch of sand that was the first beach in Wales to win a Blue Flag.

The sand is absurdly fine and the water so shallow that by mid- afternoon it had warmed up like a paddling pool.

For small children, it is close to perfect.

The park itself is the showstopper, though.

There’s a dry ski slope, a toboggan run, crazy golf, a pirate adventure playground and miles of flat, traffic-free cycling on rental bikes.

We arrived planning to stay two hours and left after seven.

Next day, the National Botanic Garden of Wales, just over half an hour’s drive from the farm, was one of the most relaxing family days out we’ve ever done.

Monty Python fame

Think Eden Project but at a size you can easily get round with a buggy and a pre-schooler.

The Great Glasshouse, packed with plants of six Mediterranean climates, sits in the landscape like a dropped raindrop.

We ate our picnic sandwiches in the “Canary Islands”, with the smell of cedar and lavender.

Outside is 568 acres of restored Regency parkland, lakes, waterfalls — and a Gruffalo trail themed on the kids’ book character.

Kidwelly Castle, of Monty Python movie fame, is a 20-minute drive away.

“Let’s climb to the top, Daddy,” my daughter begged. So we did — and the views over the Gwendraeth estuary are worth the effort.

From on high, I told my princess-obsessed daughter about a real one, Gwenllian, who rode out from this castle to lead an army into battle against the Normans.

I left out how it ended (head lopped off) and she was suitably impressed.

Our final stop was the British Bird of Prey Centre which recently moved to a purpose-built site at Idole, near Carmarthen, after years at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

It flies golden eagles, red kites, owls and peregrines, with three shows a day and an indoor arena for when the Welsh rain sets in.

We did get four days of rain but it barely affected our week’s getaway.

There was always a glasshouse, a castle, an indoor flying arena — or that cold pool.

We’ll be going back for more — she’s already asked.