Great Family Resorts

[Regions of Italy]

Venice is sure to delight your kids, but if you're worried they'll get tired of plying the canals in vaporetti, try staying at the Lido. It has well-equipped beaches and plenty of games and activities, and if you're touring with a car, it's the only part of Venice you can drive to. Here are two affordable hotels:
Cristallo (Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta, Lido; tel. 41/526-5293, fax 526-5615). This well-located 24-room hotel is run by a congenial family and has access to a nearby beach. Parking available. Open April-Oct., $50-100./double. Lido vaporetto stop.
Le Garzette (Lungomare Alberoni 32, Malamocco, Lido; tel. 41/731-078). Downstairs is a rustic trattoria run by a well-known chef and his family; meals are produced using organic vegetables, fresh fish and seafood. Upstairs are five simple rooms. The beach and an 18-hole golf course are nearby, and guests can use bikes, kayaks and canoes. Parking available; half board recommended. Open Feb.-Nov., inexpensive.

Castro Marina, on the southeastern coast of Apulia, is actually a fairly elegant resort, with plenty of good seafood restaurants in the fishing harbor. What makes this a great kids' attraction is the Grotta Zinzulusa, a huge cave featuring a saltwater lake and a freshwater lake, as well as countless stalagmites and stalactites. Near the ticket office are a good restaurant and a swimming pool; take a 30-minute boat ride from here to the Grotta Romanelli, where you can see the oldest cave paintings ever found in Italy. The Grotta Zinzulusa is open daily 10-1 and 2-6 in winter and 10-6 in summer. Tel. 836/97326. Click here for information about Orsa Maggiore, a nearby hotel.

Cesenatico

Cesenatico to Ravenna. This entire 15-mile stretch of coast in Romagna is perfect for children in every way. The fine, sandy beaches are wide and seemingly endless, the sea floor is extremely shallow, the water is calm, and there are loads of structures such as water slides, beachside playgrounds, pedalò (the two-seater boats you "pedal" with your feet), swimming pools and organized games. There is an amusement park in Gatteo a Mare, and Rimini is a virtual Disneyland of the Sea. All these opportunities make this a nice choice for parents too, because the kids will be able to entertain themselves safely while you relax. And as commercial as the seaside may be, Cesenatico and Rimini both have nice Old Towns. For an educational outing, take the kids to Italia in Miniatura, an open-air park designed by the creator of E.T. It features over 250 miniature replicas of Italian monuments, sights and daily life. Open daily in Via Popiglia 239, Viserba di Rimini; tel. 541/734-2004, fax 732-203).

More beaches that are suitable for children are:

San Remo has long breakwaters that create small natural pools. Click here for accommodations.

Lerici is in the calmest part of huge La Spezia Bay. You'll find lots of safe beaches, attractions and games, and you can take a nice side trip to see the fairy tale sanctuary dedicated to St. Peter: it looks like it was built for King Arthur.

Viareggio to Forte dei Marmi is virtually one long stretch of wide sandy beaches with a gently sloping sea floor. Villa Riviera Toscana has a private beach and gated garden.

Lake Garda

Lake Garda. Italy's hundreds of lakes are great places for safe family swimming. We picked Garda because of nearby Gardaland, an American-style amusement park with water slides, rides and other attractions. It's located in Peschiera del Garda, open daily from March-Sept. Click here for two wonderful accommodations, Castello Belvedere and Garda Lakeside Residence.

Club Città del Mare is a family-oriented Club Med-style holiday village on the beach just 15 miles from Palermo. Accommodations are in air-conditioned double rooms with sea-view terraces and plenty of modern amenities. There are snack bars, a pizzeria, restaurant, piano bar, cabaret and discotheque. Activities include water slides, windsurfing, a diving school, sailing, tennis, basketball, volleyball, yoga, aerobics, miniature golf, and a swimming pool. Multilingual group leaders keep your kids busy during the day. Open March 22-Oct. 24. Daily rates range from $63.-144./person including breakfast and dinner (7-night minimum). Air-conditioning costs $13./day. Città del Mare Hotel Club, 90049 Terrasini; tel. 091/868-7555, fax 868-7500.

[Regions of Italy]