Whether introducing children to diving or deepening your bond over bubbles, these destinations will have the whole family hooked for life…
Gozo
Just a hop, skip and a jump from the UK (or, more precisely, a three-hour flight), Gozo has something suited to everyone. Malta's little sister, this tiny island boasts the best diving in the Mediterranean, with calm, turquoise waters more reminiscent of the tropics than Europe. Most of the dive sites are accessible from the shore and with sheltered bays aplenty this is the perfect place to learn, while for more experienced divers wartime wrecks, caves, caverns and even the mysterious Blue Hole await.
Grenada
Sitting pretty on the serene south-west coast of Grenada, Mount Cinnamon is a haven for families, boasting spacious family friendly villas, a superb Montessori Kids Club and its very own five-star PADI dive centre. Introduce the whole family to the world of diving straight from the resort's shores in warm, calm waters above colourful reefs that are a pleasure to dive. Just 25 minutes south of the resort, in Molinere Bay, is the world's first underwater sculpture park, which is shallow enough to appreciate while snorkelling.
Maldives
They say you never forget your first drive, and that will certainly be true in the Maldives. The lagoons and atolls here offer the perfect conditions for beginners, with clear, calm waters and colourful reef fish aplenty, while the deeper channels between the islands (for more advanced divers) are a magnet for pelagics (think: hundreds of manta rays, whale sharks and more). The cherries on the top are some of the most luxurious, and family friendly, resorts on the planet.
Oman
Whether learning to dive off Oman's glorious coastline; snorkelling over the fish-filled reefs of the Daymaniyat Islands; dune bashing in the Wahiba Sands; haggling for Arabian treasures in Muscat's souqs; climbing the towering Hajar Mountains or canyoning down spectacular wadis (mostly dry river valleys), Oman will ignite the whole family's adventurous spirit. Add in shortish haul flights, a handful of marvellous family friendly hotels and a warm winter climate, and you're talking the holy grail of family escapes.
Belize
Boasting no less than seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, dozen of Mayan ruins, thick tropical jungles home to a large population of jaguars and 250 miles of glistening Caribbean coastline, Belize is a smorgasbord of adventure. Out to sea, Belize is adds to it accolades with the longest stretch of coral in the western hemisphere. Whether diving or snorkelling, explore the Turneffe Atoll's most remote sites, including Elbow Reef, and Lighthouse Reef, spotting clouds of fish dancing over pristine coral reefs. If you're a bunch of advanced aquatics, the mysterious Blue Hole awaits.
