The Balearics give families something useful: four islands with four different temperaments, so the destination can match the family rather than the other way around. Mallorca is the all-rounder, pairing long sandy beaches and shallow water with the mountain villages of the Serra de Tramuntana and the deepest bench of family resorts in the group, the kind with kids' clubs, baby facilities, and pool landscapes that swallow a whole afternoon. Menorca is the gentle one, a UNESCO Biosphere ringed by sheltered calas where the water is clear and the pace is slow, which makes it the easy pick for families with toddlers. Both sit a short flight from most of Europe, which keeps the first day from vanishing into travel.

The other two surprise people. Ibiza, despite its reputation, has a calm northern half around Santa Eulària full of stylish, low-key hotels and quiet beaches well away from the clubs, and Formentera is barefoot simplicity with water so clear it reads as Caribbean, best for older kids and families who want nothing more complicated than a beach. Across all four, the infrastructure is excellent and the accommodation ranges from polished resorts to boutique finca hotels and apartments with interconnecting rooms and children's menus. The real Balearic advantage is that dependable Mediterranean sun and safe, shallow beaches come without a long-haul flight, which is why families return year after year, often graduating from one island to the next as the children grow.