Family Surf & Yoga Camp in El Palmar: 7-Night Full-Board Surf Holiday for All Ages

A typical day starts with the big breakfast — muesli station, bread and rolls, plus a rotating special like croissants, eggs, smoothie or chia pudding. Surf groups are split by age and experience, and lessons run at the same time for everyone, so a 10-year-old beginner and a parent with some experience can both be in the water at once without one waiting on the other. Sessions are scheduled around the tides and the day's conditions, and instructors use video analysis and surf theory to help you actually understand what you're doing rather than just paddling out.

Lunch is a power lunch buffet with dessert, and water, coffee, organic tea and fruit are out all day. Dinner is a three-course meal five nights a week, with the kitchen able to do vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free versions if you ask in advance. Two evenings are left free so you can eat out in the village.

What separates this from a standard surf camp is the family setup. Your accommodation is a private house rather than a shared dorm — each casa has its own garden or terrace, a fully equipped kitchen with stove and fridge, a living room and a bathroom. There's a playroom with toys and books for under-5s, plus children's bikes, balance bikes, bike seats, high chairs and cribs. Childcare is €18 per hour for one child, dropping to €15 per hour per child when several are looked after together, and +€5 per hour for each additional sibling from the same family.

All instructors hold the SLSA lifeguard license and the ILS surf instructor license. That's a real qualification, not a marketing line, and it matters when you're handing your kids over for a week of water time. The camp runs family weeks on five dates a year, when the programme is most heavily focused on families, though families are welcome all season.

Groups are divided by age and ability, so nobody is stuck in a session that's too far above or below their level. The beach at El Palmar is forgiving — long, sandy, no reef — which means wipeouts are soft and progress comes quickly. Yoga is offered as open classes five times a week for an extra fee, and it's a good counterbalance to a week of paddling.

What's included

- 7 nights in your own casa near the beach (private garden or terrace) - Fully equipped kitchen, living room and bathroom - Daily cleaning - 7 x large breakfast - 5 x lunch (power lunch buffet with dessert) - 5 x 3-course dinner - Water, coffee, organic tea and fruit throughout the day - 5 x surf sessions (from age 8) - Surf theory and video analysis - Surf equipment (Billabong wetsuits and surfboards) usable all week, including outside lesson times - Free Wi-Fi - Toys, children's bikes, balance bikes and playroom access

What's not included

- Flights and travel to El Palmar - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Optional yoga classes (for a fee) - Childcare (€18/hour for one child; €15/hour per child when shared; +€5/hour per additional sibling) - Dinners on the two free evenings - Personal expenses