As most parents know (often having learned the hard way from experience), children can feel bored, restless and downright unhappy during a hotel stay. Unless, of course, there are plenty of wonderful things to see and do that will guarantee their screen remains well out of reach. We’re talking about places that offer tranquility, fresh air and eye-opening beauty in the embrace of nature, spiced up with memorable activities that get everyone from toddlers to adults deep into the great outdoors.
The options are as enticing as they are numerous, whether it’s getting down and dirty on a working farm where children can learn first-hand about the circle of life and how to care for the land and animals or by seeking adventure in a cosy mountain lodge surrounded by green slopes and spanning views.
So why not plunge headlong into the most entertaining aspects of agritourism, or simply spend the hours in the lap of nature, playing with your children, eating healthy and delicious farm-to-table meals and connecting to a sense of peacefulness away from the cacophony and enclosed spaces if the city? This article is an invitation to explore unspoilt landscapes and find joy in the simplest pleasures, at places that are open throughout the year, offering different gifts each season.
Ktima Bellou Farm Hotel
Just a stone’s throw from Thessaloniki, in Agios Dimitrios of Pieria, this amazing hotel built in the heart of a verdant estate offers guests a luxurious and comfortable stay. There is an outdoor swimming pool, a playground, and plenty of opportunities to participate creatively and educationally in various agricultural activities that will delight young and old alike.
With only seven one-bedroom apartments and five stone-built cottages, Bellou offers young visitors the chance to discover the fascinating world of nature by taking part in experiences like beekeeping, distilling ethereal oils and other rural tourism activities. The beehives in particular will fascinate children, who will be able to taste pollen, propolis and different types of honey. At the same time, they’ll discover how an apiary works and become familiar with the management of a beehive. WEBSITE
Crystal Mountain
In mountainous Nafpaktia, surrounded by a forest of fir and chestnut trees, this beautiful hotel becomes a paradise for young children and a haven of relaxation for adults. Located in the picturesque village of Ano Chora, at an altitude of 1,100 metres and just 52 kilometres from Nafpaktos, Crystal Mountain is a well organised winter resort that offers guests a series of events almost every weekend of the year, promising to keep you busy for days on end.
Three and a half hours from Athens, Crystal Mountain has extensive facilities including sports grounds, two indoor/outdoor playgrounds and a vegetable garden where you and your kids can discover the “secrets” of growing vegetables. The hotel also organises fun workshops in cooking, pastry-making, gardening and painting. At the same time, weather permitting, the action moves outdoors, where you can enjoy organised walks in the woods, bike rides or picnics in the countryside.
The breakfast served at Crystal Mountain Restaurant is both flavoursome and filling, and on certain days of the year you can also indulge in an amazing buffet brunch before you leave. The restaurant offers an economical menu for lunch and dinner, as well as a children’s menu with foods that children will love.
The breakfast buffet is rich, filled with handmade delicacies that are different every day, and there are always plenty of vegan options. In summer, children can spend hours playing in the resort’s pool, while a lending library operates year-round for bookworms who enjoy reading amidst nature. WEBSITE
Ninemia Stay & Play
Just outside Karpenisi, on the road to Prousos, you’ll find family friendly Ninemia Stay & Play, which over the years has become synonymous with delighting in the outdoors and having fun.
On the large green farm here, you’ll play with the charming dog and the cats that roam the farm and will also meet the farm’s chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, sheep and goats, horse and a pony.
On the farm you’ll also come across a plentitude of trees: apple, walnut, quince and cherry trees, whose fruits are used to make the farm’s delicious jams, homemade sweets and tasty compotes. You’ll be able to taste them in abundance at breakfast, along with other homemade treats. Visitors can choose to take part in the fruit harvest and composting process, stack firewood and care for the animals for an even richer farm experience. And don’t miss the chance to take a daily ride on the hotel’s train, which takes children all around the estate, stopping at the small pond where the little friends of Ninemia Stay & Play can feed the ducks and geese. WEBSITE
Nymfes Mountain Resort
In Zarouchla, Achaia, the small hotel complex Nymfes Estate welcomes its guests in traditional wooden houses that have a fireplace in their living room as well as a fully equipped kitchen and fantastic views. The estate offers visitors carefree relaxation combined with adventurous activities intimately close to nature. For those who prefer to spend a few hours relaxing in their rooms, all the cottages have a living room with a fireplace, a fully equipped kitchen, an en-suite bathroom, a large bed and stunning views, as well as a TV and DVD player.
After a fresh, tasty breakfast served daily in the hotel’s restaurant, playtime begins in the green spaces surrounding the estate. Children can play on the swings in the playground, ride through the woods on the wooden train and meet the farm’s animals such as ponies, ducks, dogs and cats, while in the summer there is a lovely children’s pool in the hotel’s grounds. WEBSITE
Amfikaia Farm
Sixteen very comfortable stone cottages, each with its own fireplace and beautiful views of the estate’s greenery, form the central setting of the beautiful Amfikaia Farm, a hotel that inspires its young visitors acknowledge and enjoy the value of rural life and realise how important it is for all of us to be active in protecting the environment and animals. At the farm, you’ll be able to get close to Thessalian horses (an endangered species) and taste products freshly picked from the fields surrounding the hotel. At the same time, the farm’s huge garden serves as an alternative playground where children can learn the “secrets” of farming, gardening and the importance of a proper, balanced diet.
Located just two hours from Athens, Amfikaia Farm offers the opportunity to enjoy outdoor action at its football pitch and a swimming pool that is designed like a lake, filled with crystal clear water from the springs of Mount Parnassus, making it the perfect starting point for those who love excursions in the mountains. From here you can go on long walks in the countryside or cycle along the slopes of Mount Parnassos. WEBSITE
Mouzaki Palace Hotel & Spa
Ideal for those who love nature excursions and enchanting journeys through dreamy landscapes such as at Lake Plastira and Meteora, this hotel serves as an idyllic base for exploring the magnificent surrounding area.
Set on a scenic hill among oak, chestnut and pine trees, just outside the village of Mouzaki in Karditsa, the hotel has an indoor playground with bouncy castles where children can spend endless hours of fun. During the summer months, the large outdoor area of the hotel has a swimming pool as well as a playground for letting off steam.
If you are travelling with young kids and want to minimise the amount of moving around, you will find everything you need here, as the hotel also has a restaurant that is open morning, afternoon and evening. For those who wish to unwind in a calm and serene space, the spa at Mouzaki Palace offers the perfect refuge for a little personal pampering and peace and quiet. WEBSITE
Montana Spa Hotel
Situated at an altitude of 1,250 metres, the Montana Spa Hotel is one of the most prestigious and long-established hotels in Karpenisi.
Indeed, in a place like the capital of Evrytania, boredom is out of the question. From the picturesque villages of Mikro and Megalo Chorio to the ethereal beauty of Panta Vrechei, there are dozens of things to see and do in the surrounding area. But even if you just want to spend most of your time on the hotel grounds, Montana Spa Hotel has plenty to keep the kids occupied, including a large indoor playground, an outdoor playground, an outdoor pool for the warmer days, and a stock of numerous board games for endless family fun. Parents can recharge and unwind in the spa area with an amazing range of specialised treatments. WEBSITE
