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Which Is The Best Club Med Summer Holiday Resort In Europe? 2024 Guide
**Club Med Offers: up to 15% off last minute + up to 15% off winter Dream Deals + half term from £979pp**
Club Med specialises in luxury, all-inclusive family summer holidays. They’ve got nine resorts across Europe including hotels and villages in France, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Sicily. Club Med also has luxury resorts in Asia, Africa and South America but this guide will focus on Europe.
But which is the best Club Med for a summer holiday in Europe?
Our short summary is that:
For our comparison of Club Med’s summer holidays in Europe we looked at ratings from customers, travel time from the UK, typical cost of a holiday for a family of four, onsite activities and location.
But which is the best Club Med for a summer holiday in Europe?
Our short summary is that:
- Club Med Cefalù in Sicily is the best resort if a) money is no object and b) you are either a couple or a family with older children.
- Club Med Palmiye in Turkey is the best value resort for families who want lots of activities, kids' clubs and a range of places to eat. The resort's Palmiye Hotel is more affordable than the apartments. It's a longer journey from the UK than most of Club Med's European summer resorts.
- Club Med Da Balaia is better for families who want a shorter flight, loads of activities and a smaller resort.
- Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage is best for golfers and is one of the cheaper Club Med summer resorts.
- Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique is best if your priority is watersports.
For our comparison of Club Med’s summer holidays in Europe we looked at ratings from customers, travel time from the UK, typical cost of a holiday for a family of four, onsite activities and location.
Club Med Palmiye in Turkey is a winner with customers and it is good value if you stay in the hotel
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Club Med Cefalù in Sicily has a place in the prestigious Club Med Exclusive Collection, which means it is extra posh
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Which Club Med summer holiday resort gets the best reviews?
To kick things off, let's look at reviews for Club Med’s European summer holiday resorts on TripAdvisor and Google Reviews. We'll add the scores together to create a mini league table:
As you can can see, there isn't a 'bad' Club Med resort. All of them receive very positive reviews from customers. However, there are marginal differences which put a handful of resorts ahead of the rest. We checked review scores in November 2023.
*Club Med Palmiye in Turkey is a large resort made up of a village of apartments (known as the ‘villagio’) and a hotel. They are listed separately on the Club Med website as ‘Club Med Palmiye’ and ‘Club Med Palmiye Hotel’ but you can book either and still use the excellent restaurants and facilities. In all, there are 724 rooms at Club Med Palmiye. We reckon that makes it the largest Club Med summer resort in Europe.
**Club Med Cefalù is only suitable for children aged eight and over. There are plenty of activities for children and teenagers, but there isn't a kids' club for parents to drop off children.
- Club Med Palmiye/Palmiye Hotel* - Turkey/Türkiye - TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.7/5 = 9.2/10
- Club Med Cefalù** – Sicily - TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.6/5 = 9.1/10
- Club Med Bodrum Palmiye - Turkey - TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.6/5 = 9.1/10
- Club Med Da Balaia - Portugal - TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.5/5 = 9/10
- Club Med Magna Marbella - Spain - TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.5/5 = 9/10
- Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage - France - TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.4/5 = 8.9/10
- Club Med Gregolimano - Greece - TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.3/5 = 8.8/10
- Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique - France – TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.2/5 = 8.7/10
- Club Med Opio en Provence - France - TripAdvisor 4.5/5, Google Reviews 4.1/5 = 8.6/10
As you can can see, there isn't a 'bad' Club Med resort. All of them receive very positive reviews from customers. However, there are marginal differences which put a handful of resorts ahead of the rest. We checked review scores in November 2023.
*Club Med Palmiye in Turkey is a large resort made up of a village of apartments (known as the ‘villagio’) and a hotel. They are listed separately on the Club Med website as ‘Club Med Palmiye’ and ‘Club Med Palmiye Hotel’ but you can book either and still use the excellent restaurants and facilities. In all, there are 724 rooms at Club Med Palmiye. We reckon that makes it the largest Club Med summer resort in Europe.
**Club Med Cefalù is only suitable for children aged eight and over. There are plenty of activities for children and teenagers, but there isn't a kids' club for parents to drop off children.
Which Club Med summer resort in Europe is closest to the UK?
Next, we'll look at travel times by adding together the flight time from a London airport with the transfer time. Personally, I prefer short flights and don't mind longer transfer times but you may be the other way round!
So, there's a difference of about five hours travelling between Club Med Opio en Provence and Club Med Gregolimano. For a return journey, that's a whopping 10 hours of extra travelling. If you are travelling as a family then you might prefer to stick with a shorter journey!
- Club Med Opio en Provence - France - 2 hours 7 minutes flight, plus 31 minutes transfer = 2 hours 38 minutes
- Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique - France - 1 hour 37 minutes flight, plus 1 hour 14 minutes transfer = 2 hours 51 minutes
- Club Med Da Balaia - Portugal - 2 hours 50 minutes flight, plus 45 minutes transfer = 3 hours 35 minutes
- Club Med Magna Marbella - Spain - 2 hours 50 minutes flight time, plus 45 minutes transfer = 3 hours 35 minutes
- Club Med Cefalù - Sicily - 3 hours flight, plus 90 minutes transfer = 4 hours and 30 minutes
- Club Med Bodrum Palmiye - Turkey - 3 hours 50 minutes flight, plus 45 minutes transfer = 4 hours 35 minutes
- Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage - France - 1 hour 15 minutes flight, plus 3 hours 45 minutes transfer = 5 hours
- Club Med Palmiye (and Palmiye Hotel) - Turkey - 4 hours 10 minutes flight, plus 1 hour transfer = 5 hours 10 minutes
- Club Med Gregolimano - Greece - 3 hours 55 minutes flight, plus 3 hours 30 minutes transfer = 7 hours 25 minutes.
So, there's a difference of about five hours travelling between Club Med Opio en Provence and Club Med Gregolimano. For a return journey, that's a whopping 10 hours of extra travelling. If you are travelling as a family then you might prefer to stick with a shorter journey!
Club Med Opio en Provence is the quickest Club Med summer resort to reach from the UK...
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...whilst Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique is another French resort which is easy to reach
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Which of Club Med's resorts in Europe is cheapest?
Here's my favourite part!
We will now search for a week long family holiday in August 2024 at each of Club Med's European resorts. We'll look for the cheapest holiday excluding upgrades but will include flights from a London airport, where available. We will then rank them from cheapest to most expensive. Our prices will be for two children aged 10 (very young children are free with Club Med).
Our price comparison was only for one set of dates but it's still an interesting set of figures. Two of the resorts with good reviews were amongst the cheapest holidays - that's Club Med Magna Marbella and Club Med Da Balaia.
To confuse things slightly, Club Med has three resorts with the word 'Palmiye' in the title. To clarify, Club Med Palmiye and Club Med Palmiye are two halves of the same resort. Meanwhile, Club Med Bodrum Palmiye is a different resort altogether which is nowhere near the other two.
Club Med Palmiye refers to the apartments at the resort (the 'Villagio' or Village) whilst Club Med Palmiye Hotel refers to the large hotel building at the resort. The apartments were slightly cheaper in our price comparison.
The cheapest was Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage but we couldn't find prices including flights.
We will now search for a week long family holiday in August 2024 at each of Club Med's European resorts. We'll look for the cheapest holiday excluding upgrades but will include flights from a London airport, where available. We will then rank them from cheapest to most expensive. Our prices will be for two children aged 10 (very young children are free with Club Med).
- Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage - France - £5562 (flights not included with this one)
- Club Med Magna Marbella - Spain - £8970
- Club Med Da Balaia - Portugal - £9146
- Club Med Opio en Provence - France - £9220
- Club Med Bodrum Palmiye - Turkey - £9262
- Club Med Cefalù - Sicily - £10878
- Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique - France - £10968
- Club Med Palmiye Hotel - Turkey - £11004 (the apartments in the 'Villagio' were about £300 less expensive than the hotel)
- Club Med Gregolimano - Greece - £11618
Our price comparison was only for one set of dates but it's still an interesting set of figures. Two of the resorts with good reviews were amongst the cheapest holidays - that's Club Med Magna Marbella and Club Med Da Balaia.
To confuse things slightly, Club Med has three resorts with the word 'Palmiye' in the title. To clarify, Club Med Palmiye and Club Med Palmiye are two halves of the same resort. Meanwhile, Club Med Bodrum Palmiye is a different resort altogether which is nowhere near the other two.
Club Med Palmiye refers to the apartments at the resort (the 'Villagio' or Village) whilst Club Med Palmiye Hotel refers to the large hotel building at the resort. The apartments were slightly cheaper in our price comparison.
The cheapest was Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage but we couldn't find prices including flights.
Which Club Med European summer resort is the most luxurious?
The quick answer is Club Med Cefalù in Sicily, but I will give a bit more background and explanation.
Club Med uses its own grading system to give an indication of how posh each resort's accommodation is. Each resort is graded in 'Tridents' which are the prongs on the Club Med logo.
The less posh resorts are given a score of 3 Tridents whilst mid-range Club Med resorts get 4 Tridents. The poshest resorts previously received a 5 Trident rating but this has now changed to the Club Med 'Exclusive Collection'. (You will still see mentions of '5 Trident' resorts but my understanding is that it has been phased out).
Nearly all of the Club Med's European summer holiday resorts have a '4 Trident' rating.
The exception is Club Med Cefalù in Sicily which is part of the Exclusive Collection. That is the modern equivalent of a 5 Trident rating.
There are some Club Med summer resorts which had 3 Tridents, but these seem to all be closed and not currently available for booking. These include Club Med Vittel Le Parc in France, Club Med Kemer in Turkey and Club Med Kamarina in Sicily.
Club Med uses its own grading system to give an indication of how posh each resort's accommodation is. Each resort is graded in 'Tridents' which are the prongs on the Club Med logo.
The less posh resorts are given a score of 3 Tridents whilst mid-range Club Med resorts get 4 Tridents. The poshest resorts previously received a 5 Trident rating but this has now changed to the Club Med 'Exclusive Collection'. (You will still see mentions of '5 Trident' resorts but my understanding is that it has been phased out).
Nearly all of the Club Med's European summer holiday resorts have a '4 Trident' rating.
The exception is Club Med Cefalù in Sicily which is part of the Exclusive Collection. That is the modern equivalent of a 5 Trident rating.
There are some Club Med summer resorts which had 3 Tridents, but these seem to all be closed and not currently available for booking. These include Club Med Vittel Le Parc in France, Club Med Kemer in Turkey and Club Med Kamarina in Sicily.
Which Club Med summer resort in Europe has the most activities?
For our next comparison, we will look at the number of activities at each Club Med summer holiday resort in Europe.
Typically, these include spa facilities, golf, local excursions, tennis, swimming, trapeze or circus skills, archery, watersports and fitness classes.
A lot of things are included in the cost of a Club Med holiday, so you could certainly just fill your time with the ‘free’ things. However, you would typically pay for things like scuba diving, horseriding, golf, or parasailing. It varies a little by each resort but that’s a starting point.
For simplicity, we will add together the number of included activities and ‘on demand’ activities which are the ones you pay extra for. Of course, this doesn’t tell you anything about the quality or variety of the activities but it gives you an idea of the scale of each resort.
We will then rank them from the resort with the most number of activities to the least.
So, we can see half of the Club Med resorts have more than 50 activities. Club Med Da Balaia is the winner followed by Club Med Magna Marbella . However, if you are hoping to just do the included activities then Club Med Cefalù and Club Med Gregolimano are joint winners with Club Med Magna Marbella and Club Med Palmiye close behind.
Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage in France has quite a lot less to do than the others. The total is about half that of Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal. However, Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage is very much a resort for golfers with free access to the course and lessons included.
Typically, these include spa facilities, golf, local excursions, tennis, swimming, trapeze or circus skills, archery, watersports and fitness classes.
A lot of things are included in the cost of a Club Med holiday, so you could certainly just fill your time with the ‘free’ things. However, you would typically pay for things like scuba diving, horseriding, golf, or parasailing. It varies a little by each resort but that’s a starting point.
For simplicity, we will add together the number of included activities and ‘on demand’ activities which are the ones you pay extra for. Of course, this doesn’t tell you anything about the quality or variety of the activities but it gives you an idea of the scale of each resort.
We will then rank them from the resort with the most number of activities to the least.
- Club Med Da Balaia - Portugal – 62 activities (25 included, 37 on demand)
- Club Med Magna Marbella - Spain – 59 activities (28 included, 31 on demand)
- Club Med Cefalù – Sicily – 56 activities (29 included, 27 on demand)
- Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique - France – 56 activities (24 included, 32 on demand)
- Club Med Opio en Provence - France – 53 activities (26 included, 27 on demand)
- Club Med Palmiye (and Palmiye Hotel) – 48 activities (28 included, 20 on demand)
- Club Med Gregolimano - Greece – 47 activities (29 included, 18 on demand)
- Club Med Bodrum Palmiye – 44 activities (23 included, 21 on demand)
- Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage - France – 32 activities (19 included, 13 on demand)
So, we can see half of the Club Med resorts have more than 50 activities. Club Med Da Balaia is the winner followed by Club Med Magna Marbella . However, if you are hoping to just do the included activities then Club Med Cefalù and Club Med Gregolimano are joint winners with Club Med Magna Marbella and Club Med Palmiye close behind.
Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage in France has quite a lot less to do than the others. The total is about half that of Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal. However, Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage is very much a resort for golfers with free access to the course and lessons included.
Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal has a big range of activities...
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...as does Club Med Magna Marbella in Spain
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Which Club Med summer resort in Europe has the most bars and restaurants?
There is some variation in what a holiday company means when they describe themselves as ‘all inclusive’.
Club Med all inclusive holidays include ‘meals and snacks all day long’ as well as ‘wine, beer and branded spirits’ and the ‘cocktails and the daily cocktail special’.
Having a good choice of restaurants and bars makes the whole thing more appealing. Some of the larger resorts have a range of different places to eat and drink whilst others are much smaller.
Let's add together the number of bars and restaurants at each resort and rank them from most to least:
Club Med Palmiye including its attached hotel is the clear winner here. It has the best choice of restaurants and the best choice of bars. Personally, I am more interested in the number of restaurants, so I would lean towards a resort with at least three restaurants. That gives us Club Med Palmiye, Club Med Cefalù and Club Med Opio en Provence.
Club Med all inclusive holidays include ‘meals and snacks all day long’ as well as ‘wine, beer and branded spirits’ and the ‘cocktails and the daily cocktail special’.
Having a good choice of restaurants and bars makes the whole thing more appealing. Some of the larger resorts have a range of different places to eat and drink whilst others are much smaller.
Let's add together the number of bars and restaurants at each resort and rank them from most to least:
- Club Med Palmiye (and Palmiye Hotel) – 11 restaurants and bars (including 4 restaurants and 7 bars)
- Club Med Da Balaia - Portugal – 7 restaurants and bars (2 restaurants, 5 bars)
- Club Med Cefalù – Sicily – 6 restaurants and bars (3 restaurants, 3 bars)
- Club Med Bodrum Palmiye – 5 restaurants and bars (2 restaurants and 3 bars)
- Club Med Magna Marbella - Spain – 5 restaurants and bars (2 restaurants, 3 bars)
- Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique - France – 5 restaurants and bars (2 restaurants, 3 bars)
- Club Med Opio en Provence - France – 5 restaurants and bars (3 restaurants, 2 bars)
- Club Med Gregolimano - Greece – 3 restaurants and bars (2 restaurants, 1 bar)
- Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage - France – 3 restaurants and bars (1 restaurant, 2 bars)
Club Med Palmiye including its attached hotel is the clear winner here. It has the best choice of restaurants and the best choice of bars. Personally, I am more interested in the number of restaurants, so I would lean towards a resort with at least three restaurants. That gives us Club Med Palmiye, Club Med Cefalù and Club Med Opio en Provence.
Club Med Palmiye has the best choice of bars and restaurants
What is the best time of year to visit the different Club Med summer resorts in Europe?
You may well be deciding which Club Med resort to visit for a summer holiday based on when you are able to travel, or based on the climate.
Club Med gives its own guidance, which is rather useful. We’ve tweaked it a little to give a month by month guide. This is only really relevant if you are after a summer holiday at the start or end of the UK summer season.
Club Med gives its own guidance, which is rather useful. We’ve tweaked it a little to give a month by month guide. This is only really relevant if you are after a summer holiday at the start or end of the UK summer season.
- May – Club Med recommends its resorts in France, Greece, Portugal and Sicily for holidays at the start of the summer season. That includes Club Med Cefalù, Club Med Da Balaia, Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique, Club Med Opio en Provence, Club Med Gregolimano and Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage
- June, July, August and September – Club Med suggests that all of its European resorts are good to visit during the peak four months of the summer.
- October – Club Med suggests that its resorts in Greece and Sicily are best if you want a holiday in October. That includes Club Med Gregolimano and Club Med Cefalù. One page on the Club Med website also says that Club Med Magna Marbella is suitable for an October holiday ‘if you are one of those holidaymakers who prefers their beaches less busy’.
Which Club Med resort is hottest?
Personally, I am not a big fan of holidays where you are so warm that you spend the entire time indoors next to the air conditioning unit. I prefer temperatures in the low to mid-twenties so you can get out and about. You might prefer an absolutely sweltering holiday where you can achieve a tan in 30 seconds. Let's not fall out over it.
We looked up the average temperature in August at each Club Med resort to see what sort of weather you can expect. Bear in mind that this is an average, so there will be higher peaks from time to time. From hottest to coolest:
So, if you like it hot go for one of the resorts in Turkey or Greece. If you like it cool then France is the obvious choice. Spain and Portugal are somewhere in the middle but still pretty warm in my book.
We took these figures from Climate To Travel and rounded to the nearest degree. Keep in mind that European summers are gradually getting hotter. These temperatures are based on data from the last 20 years (ish) so don't be surprised if your holiday is hotter!
We looked up the average temperature in August at each Club Med resort to see what sort of weather you can expect. Bear in mind that this is an average, so there will be higher peaks from time to time. From hottest to coolest:
- Club Med Palmiye (and Palmiye Hotel) - Turkey - 29 Celsius
- Club Med Bodrum Palmiye - Turkey - 29 Celsius
- Club Med Gregolimano - Greece - 29 Celsius
- Club Med Magna Marbella - Spain - 27 Celsius
- Club Med Cefalù - Sicily - 27 Celsius
- Club Med Da Balaia - Portugal - 24 Celsius
- Club Med Opio en Provence - France - 24 Celsius.
- Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique - France - 21 Celsius
- Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage - France - 20 Celsius
So, if you like it hot go for one of the resorts in Turkey or Greece. If you like it cool then France is the obvious choice. Spain and Portugal are somewhere in the middle but still pretty warm in my book.
We took these figures from Climate To Travel and rounded to the nearest degree. Keep in mind that European summers are gradually getting hotter. These temperatures are based on data from the last 20 years (ish) so don't be surprised if your holiday is hotter!
Club Med Palmiye is the place to go if you like to get hot on holiday (ooerrr missus)
Which Club Med summer resort in Europe is most family friendly?
Club Med suggests that five of its resorts in Europe are more family friendly than the others.
Most of these offer kids clubs for 0-17 year olds. You generally pay extra for childcare for preschoolers but activities for older children are included. As far as I can tell, Club Med Gregolimano only provides childcare for 4-17 year olds.
The other resorts mentioned in this guide are suitable for children, but the facilities are more limited. For example Club Med Cefalù doesn't have kids' clubs but children aged 8+ can join in with some activities.
- Club Med Magna Marbella in Spain
- Club Med Gregolimano in Greece
- Club Med Palmiye in Turkey
- Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal
- Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique in France
Most of these offer kids clubs for 0-17 year olds. You generally pay extra for childcare for preschoolers but activities for older children are included. As far as I can tell, Club Med Gregolimano only provides childcare for 4-17 year olds.
The other resorts mentioned in this guide are suitable for children, but the facilities are more limited. For example Club Med Cefalù doesn't have kids' clubs but children aged 8+ can join in with some activities.
Club Med Magna Marbella is one of the best summer resorts for kids
What are the other notable differences between the Club Med summer holiday resorts in Europe?
- There is a significant difference in scale between the Club Med resorts in Europe. Figures aren't available for every resort but we do know that Club Med Palmiye has 724 rooms between the 'Villagio' and Hotel sections of the resort. Meanwhile several resorts have a much fewer number. Club Med Gregolimano has 381 rooms, Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal has 389 rooms and Club Med Cefalù in Sicily has 311 rooms. Club Med Magna Marbella in Spain is somewhere between the two at 486 rooms.
- As the name suggests, Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage is a golf resort. Using the course is included in the cost of your holiday, whereas golf is a paid activity at some other Club Med summer holiday resorts.
- Club Med Gregolimano and Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique are considered by Club Med to be their best European resorts for watersports.
- If you want to be next to a beach then your choice narrows down to six Club Med European resorts including Club Med Palmiye (and Palmiye Hotel), Club Med Cefalù, Club Med Bodrum Palmiye, Club Med Da Balaia, Club Med Gregolimano and Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique. Meanwhile, Club Med Magna Marbella is about 10 minutes drive from the beach and Club Med Opio en Provence is half an hour's drive from the coast. Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage is nowhere near the coastline (it is six hours drive inland!).
- Club Med recommends four of its European summer holiday resorts for couples. That includes Club Med Palmiye Hotel in Turkey, Club Med Cefalù in Sicily, Club Med Opio en Provence in France and Club Med Gregolimano in Greece.
Inland resort Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage is the obvious choice for golfers
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Club Med Gregolimano is one of the best summer resorts for watersports
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Conclusion - which is the best Club Med for European summer holidays?
All of the Club Med resorts mentioned earlier get exceptionally good reviews, so there isn't a 'bad' choice. This is unusual for a holiday company but Club Med is at the luxury end of the market so works hard to maintain its reputation.
However, there are notable differences between the Club Med summer resorts depending on what you are looking for in a holiday.
The two standout resorts for me are Club Med Cefalù in Sicily and Club Med Palmiye in Turkey.
Club Med Cefalù is considered the poshest of the Club Med resorts featured - but it was also the most expensive in our price comparison. It is also quite a long distance from the UK and isn't considered one of Club Med's most family-friendly resorts. It is only suitable for 8+ and doesn't have kids' clubs so it is one for children who will enjoy activities with their parents (and for parents who will enjoy activities with their children...).
Meanwhile, Club Med Palmiye is our pick for its excellent reviews. It's a large resort and has the best choice of restaurants and bars. Club Med Palmiye has a relatively short season, so it's not so good for the start and finish of the season (May and October). Its other downside is that it's a relatively long journey from the UK.
If you are looking for a family-friendly holiday between June and September, then I would also consider Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal. It gets terrific reviews and it's a more reasonable travel time from the UK than the Sicilian or Turkish resorts. The resort has the best range of activities and it is considered one of Club Med's most family friendly locations for summer holidays in Europe. On price, it ranks somewhere in the middle.
However, if you want a family holiday in May or October and you enjoy watersports then Club Med Gregolimano may be better for you. The travel time is long and the price is high, but the coastal location is appealing. Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique is another good option for watersports, but only really from May to September. It's a lot closer than Club Med Gregolimano and was slightly cheaper in our price comparison.
For couples looking for a luxurious holiday, I favour Club Med Cefalù in Sicily. It is within the prestigious Club Med Exclusive Collection making it unique amongst the European Club Med summer resorts. It has a good choice of bars and restaurants and has a long season which stretches from May to October. The fact that Club Med Cefalù doesn't allow children under eight may well add to the appeal for couples! Club Med Palmiye Hotel in Turkey is another good choice if you want a bigger choice of restaurants.
Finally, a mention for Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage which is the obvious choice for golfers. It isn't near a beach but it still gets good reviews.
However, there are notable differences between the Club Med summer resorts depending on what you are looking for in a holiday.
The two standout resorts for me are Club Med Cefalù in Sicily and Club Med Palmiye in Turkey.
Club Med Cefalù is considered the poshest of the Club Med resorts featured - but it was also the most expensive in our price comparison. It is also quite a long distance from the UK and isn't considered one of Club Med's most family-friendly resorts. It is only suitable for 8+ and doesn't have kids' clubs so it is one for children who will enjoy activities with their parents (and for parents who will enjoy activities with their children...).
Meanwhile, Club Med Palmiye is our pick for its excellent reviews. It's a large resort and has the best choice of restaurants and bars. Club Med Palmiye has a relatively short season, so it's not so good for the start and finish of the season (May and October). Its other downside is that it's a relatively long journey from the UK.
If you are looking for a family-friendly holiday between June and September, then I would also consider Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal. It gets terrific reviews and it's a more reasonable travel time from the UK than the Sicilian or Turkish resorts. The resort has the best range of activities and it is considered one of Club Med's most family friendly locations for summer holidays in Europe. On price, it ranks somewhere in the middle.
However, if you want a family holiday in May or October and you enjoy watersports then Club Med Gregolimano may be better for you. The travel time is long and the price is high, but the coastal location is appealing. Club Med La Palmyre Atlantique is another good option for watersports, but only really from May to September. It's a lot closer than Club Med Gregolimano and was slightly cheaper in our price comparison.
For couples looking for a luxurious holiday, I favour Club Med Cefalù in Sicily. It is within the prestigious Club Med Exclusive Collection making it unique amongst the European Club Med summer resorts. It has a good choice of bars and restaurants and has a long season which stretches from May to October. The fact that Club Med Cefalù doesn't allow children under eight may well add to the appeal for couples! Club Med Palmiye Hotel in Turkey is another good choice if you want a bigger choice of restaurants.
Finally, a mention for Club Med Vittel Golf Ermitage which is the obvious choice for golfers. It isn't near a beach but it still gets good reviews.
Note: Club Med Kamarina closed in 2022.
