Canaries or Cyprus for Christmas?

Travel Info
I have a 3 and 4 year old and budget of 拢2000.00

Travel Tips

I think your children would prefer Cyprus, it really is an all-rounder holiday place. Ayis Napa for nightlife and beach, Limassol for nice hotels, and Paphos is pretty. I would suggest Protaras, it's near Ayia Napa but tamer and has lovely amenities and beach. There are also waterparks in both Ayia Napa and Limassol, which are great fun.

In the winter you could also go skiing in the Troodos mountains for a day, or two.

I really wouldn't recommend the North Turkish side of Cyprus. It's not very touristy, which can be a good thing, but i found it to be dirty, dull and not very entertaining. I also had a number of unpleasent experiences there, namely food poisoning and being leered at and a man tried to feel up my friend. I'm sure this isn't the same as everyone but the North side is very different, it's Muslim and not as civilised or "Western". you will get stares from some people too, especially if you are very fair.

However most people i met there were extremely kind.

If you do pick the Canaries, then i would recommend Tenerife. Fuerteventura is too cold and windy, Gran Canaria is too humid and Lanzarote is a bit dull and the beaches are cr*p to be quite honest!!

I hope this helped and have a great time, wherever you decide to go :) If you have any questions just email me from my profile page, because i've been to both the places you're talking about :)

PS I'm not 100% about temperatures and weather in Cyprus or Canaries.
Others

With young kids I would suggest Cyprus for your family as it is an island really geared towards kids . Maybe the Canaries (many islands to choose from) in a year or two when they are older to appreciate what is on offer.
Canaries.
I'd say Cyprus. Excellent hotel units with great facilities for children.
canaries
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if i were you i'd prefer the northern part of the island which is the turkish part. prices are much less then the greek part and the people are much friendlier. i ve been there last summer and everything was perfect..you wont believe the prices also...very cheap
Canaries is warmer. Cyprus will be too cold for sea swimming, so the fact that the Med is generally quieter water (and therefore beaches more suitable for kiddies than the Atlantic) is irrelevant at Christmas. On the whole, I'd opt for Canaries, purely on the basis of weather. Even there, it can be a bit cool at that time, but it's about the furthest south you can go at a reasonable price, without needing anti-malarial medication, which is not worth the unnecessary risk, with kids.

Does your budget include a babysitter? I'll come!

PS Madeira is wonderful. I would choose it for me! But there are probably more child-friendly facilities for you in the Canaries, unless the contributor who mentioned Madeira can give you some specific pointers. Madeira is not that good for children even in summer, because the sea-bottom drops away steeply to enormous depths and you don't get sandy beaches which shelve gently - but there are a few of these on the southern coasts of the Canaries. Canaries tends to be a cheaper destination too, and is further south and so a bit warmer.