GOING on holiday with teens is not easy. I have a 13-year-old daughter and at that age, understandably, she doesn’t want to hang out with her dad all day.
Equally I don’t want her to spend her whole holiday on Instagram and YouTube. That’s why we both love Neilson Beachclubs.
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The Messini Beachclub is right down in the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. As such, it benefits from blistering hot summers and a reliable breeze that builds in the afternoons, ensuring excellent sailing and windsurfing conditions.
But good water sports for adults and kids are just part of the offer in this all-inclusive resort (well, inclusive except for dinners on three of the seven nights, when guests are encouraged to venture out to tavernas or nearby Messini and Kalamata).
Like most Neilson Beachclubs this one offers extensive cycling, exercise classes and a particularly good tennis centre.
And that’s what I do in the mornings — play endless tennis before the temperature gets into the 30s. The afternoons are more about lying on the beach before end-of-the-day yoga on an ocean-front platform (they even let you take along your happy hour cocktails!)
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All this time my daughter is at kids’ club. Now I say “kids’ club”, but actually Neilson’s great attribute is that it creates a tailored experience for particular age groups, so my daughter is hanging out with fellow 12 and 13-year-olds.
There are groups for older teens as well. They often choose to have lunch, sometimes dinner too, with their new-found friends, when they’re not playing supervised games, out on the water or chilling by the pool.
What’s so nice for teenagers is that they are given freedom within a safe environment. The “nannies” and “mannies”, most in their 20s, seem a sensible bunch, striking the right balance between fun and responsibility.
In fact Neilson Messini is largely run by youngsters who have recently left college or are taking a gap year.
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Based in southern Greece between Easter and the end of October, they form into distinct tribes — the “beachies” who run the watersports, the tennis coaches who lose their voices by the end of the day, the cool and grungy cycling crew, and so on.
This environment is almost enough to make a middle-aged dad feel young again. Certainly the active nature of a Neilson holiday — with its brand motto “Relax as hard as you like” — should make you feel fitter and leaner afterwards.
As well as its young staff, Neilson’s other big investment is in the equipment. Thankfully the boats, windsurf boards and bicycles all seem top-notch, despite the intense wear and tear they get over a season.
If you prefer to relax, there’s a popular bar area with nightly entertainment, a nice, large pool and a long beach with sun loungers. But if we’re honest, this is a holiday for the sports lover.
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The clue is in the timetable, with many activities beginning at 8am — hence the bar area tends to be empty well before midnight.
Yet it doesn’t feel one-dimensional because there are many day trips and excursions on offer — to mountain waterfalls, archaeological sites and even to ancient Sparta.
These are not covered by the all-inclusive price and often one needs to pay in cash, which I find slightly bizarre. But this is Greece.
The food is plentiful, if slightly predictable. All drinks except mineral water cost extra to the all-inclusive. If one wants to eat healthily there is a vast salad selection, even if one can tire of feta cheese after a while. Your kids, if they’re like mine, will tend to veer towards the always-present pizzas, burgers and pasta.
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What’s great is that the kids’ activities — movies, pool games, talent shows, beach parties — carry on into the evening.
My daughter continues to stay in touch with all her Neilson friends throughout the year. The customer loyalty on these holidays is incredible, with most families you meet having been on at least a couple of the holidays before.
Yes, it’s formulaic, but it’s a formula people seem to like — particularly middle-aged parents.
GO: GREECE
GETTING/STAYING THERE: Seven nights’ club board (breakfast & lunch daily plus four evening meals) at Messini Beachclub is from £729pp including flights from Heathrow.
See neilson.co.uk/beach or call 0333 014 3350.
