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Set your sights on exotic Greece; experiencing this Mediterranean paradise can easily become your next family beach vacation.

As the summer heat begins to hit in full force, start planning your family’s next beach getaway, and take a real chance to “get away” by going to Greece.

Though it may seem expensive or too exotic for a family beach vacation, the Greek islands have plenty of inexpensive resorts where your family can get some much-needed alone time. Most importantly, Greece has some of the best beaches in the world, where the only decision your family will have to make is whether they like tan, white, or black sand beaches; and blue, green, or clear waters.

Besides the beach, Greece is known for its spectacular archaeological sites and ancient history. Greece enjoys mild winters and hot, rain-free summers that are cooled by seasonal breezes known as “meltemia”.

My family-friendly list of the 10 Best Family Beach Resort Getaways in Greece contains both budget and splurge-happy hotspots, and you can choose from the well-organized, luxurious beaches or a secluded and isolated local hideout. Beaches in Greece won’t be as swarmed by tourists during the summer as American beaches usually are, so you and your children can be happily exposed to the unforgettable culture of the Mediterranean.

1. Aquis Silva Beach Hotel
193, El. Venizelou Street
Hersonissos
Crete 70014 Greece
30/28970 22850
$$-$$$
Experience the true resort atmosphere in Greece at the all-inclusive Aquis Silva Beach Hotel located on the East Side of Hersonissos, Crete. This four-star hotel is built like a traditional Cretan village with low stone walls and small piazzas. Families can participate in the Greek cooking lessons at the hotel or venture out of the inclusiveness and explore the beautiful sites to be found on the island. The hotel has four bars, including a beach bar and a romantic bar, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets are included in the nightly hotel price. Hersonissos is close to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Diktaion Antron, the cave where Zeus was born. If your family visits the cave, be sure to bring good walking shoes, as the stairs leading down to the cave are steep. For children ages 4-12, a Mini Club is available to keep them entertained during the day. Tennis, beach volleyball, and archery are a few sports offered that parents and children could enjoy while waiting for dinner. With the hotel’s Family Special Deal, one adult and one child under 3 can stay in a double room at single charge. 

2. Sgouros Hotel
3. N Pagalou St.
Agios Nikolaos
Crete 72100 Greece
30/28410 28931
$-$$
Stay at the Sgouros Hotel in Crete’s Agios Nikolaos at any time of the year and your family will be just a few steps from the sandy beaches along the Mediterranean Sea. Located within walking distance of Agios Nikolaos’s city center, the hotel offers European-style hotel rooms with their own bathroom, refrigerator, and balcony. Family discounts include the first child under 6 staying free and children over 12 have a 30% reduction. Baby cots are free. Rooms have air conditioning, satellite TV, hairdryer, Internet access, and most of them have a sea view. There are also 4 interconnecting rooms (a rarity in European hotels) for larger families who want to stay together. The hotel is 40 miles from the nearest International airport and eight miles from Elounda, where you can snorkel free of charge through the sunken city of Olous, which some believe to be the basis for the legend of the lost city of Atlantis.

3. Louis Grand Hotel Corfu Island
P.O. Box 44
Corfu
Glyfada 49100 Greece
30/26610 94140 5
$$$-$$$$
Situated at the foot of a hill and surrounded by wild, unspoiled greenery and the Ionian Sea sits the Louis Grand Hotel, a sprawling white stone resort where families can choose from a short weekend stay or an all-inclusive holiday visit. The hotel is located on the island of Corfu in Glyfada, a notorious beach area where the sea is clear enough for your kids to see their toes through the water. During the summer months, swim in one of hotel's pools or go to one of the numerous festivals where visitors can see the traditional music, dancing and costumes worn throughout the ages in Corfu. Be sure to try cumquats, a small orange that Europeans can only find in Corfu, and tiganites, which are fried doughnuts full of syrup and sugar (children will love these!). Some of the more popular beaches in Corfu include Agios Gordios, Agios Stefanos, and Kalami Beach. For more adventurous families, there are numerous deserted caves and bays throughout the island just waiting to be explored. It is said that Nausicaa, the daughter of King Alkinoos, saved the shipwrecked Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey in a bay off Corfu Island.