Where the Taurus Mountains meet the sparkling Mediterranean, Turkey is made for family adventures. At Club Med, everything is taken care of in one simple price — flights, transfers, all your meals and drinks, endless included activities and kids' clubs for ages 4 to 17. While the children learn the flying trapeze or make a splash at watersports, you can drift between the beach, the spa and the adults-only Zen pool. Add warm Turkish hospitality, ancient ruins to explore and just a short flight from the UK, and you have a family holiday everyone will remember — for all the right reasons.
Turkey offers families a remarkable wealth of experiences beyond the beach. Close to Club Med Palmiye, the ancient harbour city of Phaselis invites children to explore streets built two thousand years ago, with a swim in the neighbouring bay as the perfect reward. The rock-cut tombs of Myra and the Düden Waterfalls both make rewarding half-day excursions, while Antalya's historic quarter, Kaleiçi, delights visitors with its cobbled streets, harbour cruises and welcoming cafés.
For families seeking a grander adventure, Cappadocia's extraordinary rock formations and underground cities offer a landscape unlike anywhere else in the world, while a short internal flight opens up Istanbul — home to the Grand Bazaar, a world-class aquarium and memorable boat trips along the Bosphorus.
And there's no need to leave the resort to keep the whole family entertained. Flying trapeze, archery, sailing, waterskiing, paddleboarding and pools for all ages are included in your package, ensuring every day holds something new.
The Mediterranean setting of Club Med Palmiye places an exceptional range of water activities at your family's doorstep. Waterskiing, wakeboarding, sailing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are all included in your package, with expert instruction available for every level — from first-time beginners to experienced enthusiasts. On land, three distinct pool areas cater to every member of the family: a spacious family pool at the heart of the resort, a dedicated children's pool with waterslides, and a tranquil adults-only Zen pool overlooking the Taurus Mountains. Supervised watersports sessions are also woven into the kids' club programmes, giving children the opportunity to develop new skills in a safe, structured environment while parents enjoy time to themselves.
One of Turkey's best-kept secrets for families? Just how easy it is to reach. Direct flights from UK airports take around four and a half hours to Antalya — short enough for little ones to manage happily, especially with the promise of a beach at the other end.
From Antalya Airport, Club Med Palmiye is roughly a one-hour transfer along the coast, with return transfers included when you book a package with flights. That means no car hire, no navigating and no stress — you could leave home in the morning and be in the pool by mid-afternoon.
British passport holders can currently visit Turkey visa-free for tourist stays of up to 90 days, though it's always worth checking the latest FCDO travel advice before you fly. Turkey is two hours ahead of the UK, so jet lag won't trouble even the smallest travellers, and the local currency is the Turkish lira — handy for market days and excursions beyond the resort.
If there's one thing that defines a holiday in Turkey, it's the warmth of the welcome — and the food runs it a close second. Turkish cuisine is a dream for families: freshly baked flatbreads, sizzling grills, colourful meze to share and sweet treats like baklava and lokum (Turkish delight) that children adore. Even the pickiest eaters find plenty to love, and at Club Med the buffets blend authentic Turkish specialities with familiar international favourites.
Beyond the table, Turkey's culture is wonderfully family-friendly. Children are welcomed everywhere with open arms, and a few words of Turkish — merhaba (hello) and teşekkürler (thank you) — will be met with beaming smiles. Try a traditional hammam for a taste of centuries-old bathing rituals, haggle playfully in the markets, and let the call of the Mediterranean lifestyle slow your family down to holiday pace. By the time you leave, you'll understand why so many families return to Turkey year after year.
Set on a long, pearl-grey beach south of Antalya, where the Taurus Mountains meet the Mediterranean, Club Med Palmiye is our flagship family resort in Turkey. Spacious bungalow rooms sleeping up to six sit among gardens of pine, palm and banana trees, and the resort is purpose-built for active families: waterskiing, sailing, archery and the famous flying trapeze school are all included in your package, alongside pools for every age — including a children's pool with waterslides. Supervised children's clubs cater for every stage from 4 months to 17 years, with Mini Club Med and Passworld included for ages 4 to 17, while restaurants celebrate Turkish cuisine alongside international favourites, complete with dedicated children's corners. With Antalya Airport just an hour away, Palmiye is the ideal choice for families who want it all.
Sharing the same magnificent setting between the mountains and the sea, the Palmiye Hotel offers a calmer, more intimate take on the resort experience. Ideal for families who prefer a quieter base, the hotel combines refined accommodation with full access to the wider resort's facilities — so you can enjoy peaceful mornings and relaxed evenings while the children make the most of the clubs, watersports and activities just moments away. The adults-only Zen pool, its dark stone reflecting the Taurus Mountains, sits alongside the spa and traditional Turkish hammam, making the hotel a natural choice for parents who value restoration as much as recreation. It's the best of both worlds: the energy of a great family resort, with a serene retreat to return to.
Perched on its own protected peninsula above the crystal-clear Aegean, Club Med Bodrum is a secluded gem shaded by umbrella pines. The atmosphere here is more intimate and laid-back, making it well suited to families with older children and teenagers — particularly those drawn to the water. Bodrum's position in one of the Mediterranean's finest sailing and windsurfing spots means days spent skimming across the waves, exploring rock pools and secret coves along the wooden boardwalks, or simply admiring the panoramic views from the pine-covered summit. Add fresh Aegean cuisine, authentic Turkish flavours and evenings by the sea, and Bodrum offers a gentler pace of all-inclusive escape on Turkey's most stylish stretch of coast.
Choose Palmiye for the full family experience — the widest range of children's facilities, spacious family accommodation and non-stop included activities. Choose the Palmiye Hotel if you love everything Palmiye offers but prefer a more tranquil setting to retreat to at the end of each day. Choose Bodrum for a quieter, watersports-led escape with older children, in a breathtaking Aegean setting. Whichever you choose, flights, transfers, meals, drinks and activities are all wrapped into one simple package — so the only thing left to decide is where the memories will be made.
