Family Christmas break ideas for 2006

Sun with Santa in Tenerife

Spend Christmas Day on the beach soaking up the sun, then enjoy a quick snowball fight. In Tenerife, this strange combination is perfectly possible. Just off the coast of Africa, this charming Canary Island has an enviable year-round climate for sun lovers.

Don't forget to pack a jumper though, for a trip up Mount Teide, an imposing dormant volcano whose peak is permanently draped in snow. Christmas is celebrated in style on the island, with the main meal on Christmas Eve night featuring dishes such as sweet-potato pie and nutty sweetmeats. New Year's Eve means fireworks and all-night street parties, and traditions that include wearing new clothes for good luck and eating 12 grapes at midnight.

Where to stay
The five-star Mare Nostrum Resort is right on the beach just outside Los Cristianos and has all the facilities you would expect. It is actually made up of five separate hotels, with 13 restaurants in total and a full complement of swimming pools. Mums will love the Mare Nostrum spa, especially when the kids are being looked after at the special Christmas workshops.

Four nights at the Mare Nostrum Resort over the Christmas period costs from around £350 per adult and £320 per child on a B&B basis. The price includes either a free foot massage or a stress relief massage per adult, free access to the Mare Nostrum Spa Marine Park, a complimentary whale-watching excursion on the Lady Shelley catamaran plus various special activities and seasonal workshops for children.

You will need to book the gala Christmas dinner separately, however. Flights are not included. Low-cost airline Monarch operates scheduled flights from Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester to Tenerife. Fares, including taxes, start from £61.99 one way (£109.99 return).
For details:
Mare Nostrum Resort www.expogrupo.com
Monarch www.flymonarch.com

The town itself is great for shopping, but major sights are few and far between. Children of a certain age will enjoy the gruesome skulls and mummies at the Archaeological Museum, while the rest will probably prefer the simpler delights of the municipal park with its playground and petting zoo.

Mount Teide is a must-see - if only for the snow - and fortunately there are roads almost to the summit and a cable car to take you even further. Stop in one of the bars on the way down for a grown-up lumumba - hot chocolate with brandy - for the over 18s only, of course!

Nature-lovers can go to sea to spot orcas, pilot whales and dolphins from the comfort of the Lady Shelley catamaran, or get really close to the marine life by learning to scuba dive (over 12s only). Loro Parque, originally a sanctuary for parrots near Puerto de la Cruz, now boasts everything from Bengali tigers to penguins in spacious enclosures.
For details:
Tenerife tourist board www.webtenerife.com
Loro Parque www.loroparque.com