Best Surf Holidays for Children

As you gear up for a surfing holiday with your toddler, we suggest you think of your young travelling companion as someone who’ll add a whole new dimension to your travel experiences. Be sure you dial down your expectations, set realistic goals, and take it nice ‘n’ easy. Here are some parent-tested suggestions for travelling with a young child:

Be flexible with your plans

Travelling with children can be a wonderful experience — if you go with the flow. Your toddler might get bored having to sit still or sightsee for long periods of time instead of being able to run around and explore at her own energetic pace, so keep your itinerary simple. Limit it to one activity a day and you’ll find it much easier to make last-minute adjustments if your child gets tired or just wants to spend time splashing in the hotel’s wading pool.

Pick a family-friendly destination

Choose a relaxing destination that’s used to young visitors, so you don’t have to sweat the details. We recommend a lazy beach retreat, family camp, nature resort, or similar kid-friendly place. Skip the crowded, over-stimulating tourist destinations, places without shade, and other spots that will pose an added challenge when you have a young one in tow. Look for family-friendly hotels and resorts that let kids stay for free in their parents’ rooms and provide free meals to children or buffet-style breakfasts included in the price of the room. Many of our surfing destinations are child friendly.

Bring drinks and snacks

Make sure you take along plenty to drink and even a bag of snacks on any trip. Children can get dehydrated during a flight, and toddlers can’t always wait for food service (or they refuse the airline meal when it arrives). You might be able to pre-order a children’s meal — check with your airline to find out. Whether you’re in the air or on the road, best bets for toddlers include easy-to-pack snacks like baggies of whole grain cereal, pre-cut fruits and vegetables, small cartons of fruit juice, animal crackers, and other age-appropriate nibblers. Dispensing snacks at pre-announced intervals will give your toddler something to look forward to. Consider bringing along moist towelettes for easy cleanup.

Our Top Nine Kid Friendly Surfing Locations

• Loredo, Spain (March – November)
• Ericiera, West Portugal (March – November)
• Tamraght, Morocco (September – May)
• Loredo
• Carcans
• Hossegor
• Tamraght
• Barbados
• Bali
• Sri Lanka
• Maldives