Mauritius Vs the Mediterranean for Family Holidays

Why Compare Mauritius and the Mediterranean for Families?

When planning luxury family holidays for 2025, 2026 and beyond, two destinations regularly crop up on our customers’ wish lists, Mauritius and the Mediterranean. Both have great beaches, stacks of activities and top-notch food. But which does family holidays better? Take the Family is a UK-based travel agent who can offer all the advice you need about picking the right destination for your family break. We can then arrange a holiday that encompasses everything you need from a family getaway, combining relaxation for parents with exciting adventure for kids. 

Family Holiday Overview: Mauritius

'Mauritius has plenty of off-site excursions on offer, such as rainforest treks, swimming in tropical waterfalls and exploring local wildlife parks.'

With its Bounty-advert beaches, all palm-fringed with powder sands, heavenly turquoise waters and lush nature parks, Mauritius is a big draw. Home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, such as Flic-en-Flac and Belle Mare, it also has cool wildlife – pink pigeons, flying foxes and century-old turtles – and a rich Creole culture. Of course, Mauritius does luxury family-friendly resorts brilliantly, with excellent kids’ clubs, fun family activities and water sports galore.

On the other hand, the many Mediterranean resorts dotted across Greece, Italy, Spain and France all offer classic European family holidays involving balmy days on the beach, long leisurely lunches by the sea, and oodles of culture.

But which is better for families? That is, which offers the best value, the most fun for kids, and the kind of all-inclusive luxury that lets parents truly relax. Let’s find out...

Mauritius Vs the Mediterranean for a Family – Which is Cheaper?

Mauritius holiday packages are now just as competitive as those in Europe’s top resorts. But what sets the island apart is that many Mauritius all-inclusive family resorts embrace more dining options and a more extensive range of water sports, often including motorised ones, in the price.

For example, Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa, one of the best luxury family hotels in Mauritius, has a top-class kids’ club, spacious family rooms and a beachside golf course. A family of four can stay for 11 nights in August 2025 for approx £9,100 in a Deluxe room or £10,000 in a two-bedroom family room. Compare this with a Neilson holiday at the Messini Beach Club on similar dates – it comes in around £10,000, making Mauritius pretty good value for money.

You can also compare this to the several Grecohotels in Greece, where a family room over the same period can be £8,500 and upwards, not including all the water sports that would be included in Mauritius holiday packages.

Check out Shangri-La Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, a stylish, sophisticated yet super-child-friendly luxury family resort in Mauritius. It has kids’ and teens' clubs, babysitting services and an Ayurvedic spa, plus access to the exclusive Ilot Mangénie island and two championship golf courses. Several dining options, including à la carte and fine dining, are included in the all-inclusive packages.

The One&Only Le Saint Géran is considered among the very best luxury family resorts in Mauritius. Set on a private peninsula on the east coast, it has heavenly white-sand beaches and a secluded lagoon where kids can safely learn paddleboarding, kayaking and snorkelling. There's a KidsOnly Club for nippers aged up to 11, while teens have their own dedicated One Tribe space. For a real treat, book one of the huge beachfront suites and wake up to paradise every morning.  

With its gorgeous backdrop of Le Morne Brabant Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, St Regis Le Morne Resort is one of the best family hotels in Mauritius. Its all-inclusive packages feature many water sports, including kitesurfing instruction – the island is one of the best places in the world for the sport – a Kite Flyers Club for kids aged four to 12, and the Pure Spa for the grown-ups.

Mauritius Versus the Mediterranean: Which is Better for Activities?

For water-sports fans, Mauritius family resorts with all-inclusive packages hit the top spot when it comes to activities. Many luxury family hotels and beach resorts here offer a wide range of water sports, such as paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkelling and sailing, as part of their all-inclusive packages. Other activities such as tennis, volleyball and football, plus all kids’ clubs, always come as standard. And there are plenty of off-site excursions on offer, such as rainforest treks, swimming in tropical waterfalls and exploring local wildlife parks.

Mediterranean holidays with kids certainly don’t fall short when it comes to activities, either – particularly if you choose one of the all-inclusive family holidays in Europe offered by our partners Neilson, Mark Warner or Club Med. At these sports-focused resorts, most land and water sports, such as sailing tuition, tennis clinics and mountain-bike excursions, are included.

And Mediterranean resorts are also often within a stone's throw of culture-packed cities, historic villages and other big European attractions.

Neilson Messini Beachclub on the Peloponnese coast of Greece is perfect for families who want a truly active holiday, with windsurfing, dinghy sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, water skiing and wakeboarding included in the price – only kite-surfing and scuba diving cost a little extra. Add in the many Neilson kids’ clubs, mountain-biking excursions and tennis clinics, and you're guaranteed to return home with more than just a good tan.

Tucked away under the Taurus Mountains on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, Club Med Palmiye is another great spot for an all-inclusive family holiday in Europe. Just an hour's transfer from Antalya airport, it includes a wide array of land and water sports, including waterskiing and sailing.

For something a little different, Sun Gardens on Croatia's gorgeous Dalmatian Coast offers indoor and outdoor lagoon pools, several water sports, and the Campioni Soccer Academy. It's also only a stone's throw from the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik, where you can take a Game of Thrones tour around the Old Town. And it's only a short transfer from Dubrovnik Airport, so you could be sipping a cool glass of Pošip within an hour or so of landing.

Is the Flight Time from the UK to Mauritius Worth It?

Nearly 10,000km from the UK in the heart of the Indian Ocean, Mauritius involves a long-haul flight. Direct flights from the UK take around 12 hours, but there is a manageable 3- to 4-hour time difference, so jet lag is minimal.

And most luxury family resorts in Mauritius have an easy transfer from the airport – some as quick as 10 minutes' drive – so you can be in that hammock with a Mai Tai in moments.

Some Mauritius holiday packages include a stopover in Dubai, or you might want to book a two-centre holiday in Dubai and Mauritius, blending city and beach.

As for European family holidays, flights to Mediterranean resorts entail a maximum three– to four-hour flight. However, you do need to factor in transfer times, particularly in destinations such as Greece or Turkey, which can often take three hours or more and sometimes involve a ferry.

Does Mauritius or the Mediterranean Have the Best Weather?

Both offer plenty of fun in the sun, but Mauritius comes in top for year-round rays. The best months for a Mauritius holiday with kids are April to June and September to December, when temperatures hover around 25°C and there's little rainfall. High season is November to April, when it's hot, busy and at its priciest. Low season runs from May to September and is slightly cooler at 20-25°C. Just keep in mind that the East Coast can get a little breezy during these months, so in low season, consider staying in one of the luxury family hotels on the more sheltered West or North Coasts.

In Europe, family holidays are best between May and October. Peak season is July and August, when the mercury can hit temperatures as high as 35°C in Greece and Turkey. It's also the busiest time. Spring and autumn holidays tend to offer a more comfortable climate, with temperatures hovering around 20-25°C.

And as climate change starts to take hold of Europe (and the world), October half-term is becoming an increasingly good time for European family holidays. It still promises plenty of sunshine and mild to warm weather, just lower prices and smaller crowds.

Mauritius Versus the Mediterranean: Which Has Better Food?

Let's just say, you'll never be disappointed – or hungry – in either destination! On a Mauritius holiday with kids, the must-try dishes are dholl puri, thin flatbreads stuffed with split peas, Creole cari, a fragrant curry with seafood or chicken, and mine frite, fried noodles popular with kids. But all luxury family resorts in Mauritius offer child-friendly international dishes, and many hotels offer cooking classes so you can learn to prepare local dishes.

In my experience, some of the best family holidays in Europe revolve around food. Mediterranean cuisine is mainly about great salads, fresh seafood and grilled meats. In Greece, home-cooked moussaka, stifado and souvlaki are popular with kids, while Turkish meze and Italian pasta dishes include something for every whim. And honey-laced Greek orange cake, Turkish baklava and gelato always win even the smallest of hearts.

By Tracey Davies

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