Water parks, dinosaurs & hidden caves: Best family cruise excursions in Spain

Spain cruise holidays are an ideal option for keeping everyone happy, whether you fancy sangria or sandcastles – here’s what to enjoy on your shore excursions to the Spanish islands.

Mallorca

Cruises to Spain and Portugal are seriously cheap this summer. And when we say cheap, we quite literally mean next to nothing,

Ambassador Cruise Line still has spots left on its Multi-Generational Summer Balearics Getaway – and kids can sail for just £1!

While there’s enough to keep kids busy onboard (think pirate parties and scavenger hunts) there’s also plenty of incentive to adventure ashore.

Ambassador – which cruises to Spain and Portugal from the UK – has an array of family-friendly shore excursions to pick from. Let’s check out which might suit your little ones…

Porto

Porto shore excursions – what to do with kids in Porto

Your first port of call on this family cruise from London Tilbury is Leixoes for Oporto in Portugal – so you’ll all be ready to stretch out those sea legs and explore.

The charming city is renowned for its rich history, exquisite architecture and yummy port wine. Nestled along the picturesque Douro River, Porto (as it’s otherwise known) is home to colourful, narrow streets lined with medieval buildings and Baroque churches while its UNESCO-listed historic centre, Ribeira, offers bustling cafes and scenic riverfront views.

To avoid the faff of public transport on your cruises to Spain and Portugal, the Oporto On Your Own Ambassador shore excursion is a good choice – you simply need to hop onboard your coach at Leixoes port and you’ll be whisked to Porto’s city centre easy as pie (or should that be pastel de nata?).

Another benefit of the stress-free trip into town is that an English-speaking escort will be on hand to offer advice and answer any questions, plus city maps will be provided.

Guests then have a full three hours at their disposal to explore the beauty of this Portuguese city. Children will enjoy Porto’s interactive museum World of Discoveries, iconic bookshop Livraria Lello (said to have helped inspire the Harry Potter books), a riverfront ride along Porto’s historic Tram Line 1 and the city park, to name a few of the city’s attractions.

Palma de Mallorca cathedral

Palma de Mallorca shore excursions – what to do with kids in Palma de Mallorca

Next up on this Spain cruise from the UK is Palma de Mallorca where there are plenty of family-friendly shore excursions.

Want to hit the beach? Ambassador offers a Beach Transfer to Palmanova trip which departs from the port on an approximate 30-minute unguided transfer along the south coast to Palmanova, a coastal gem on the southwest coast of Mallorca.

Expect fine golden sands and clear turquoise waters for relaxing and paddling, along with a host of water sports activities, from paddleboarding to jet-skiing.

Need to fuel up or take a break from the Spanish sun? There are plenty of restaurants, bars and shops along the promenade (perhaps it’s time for that sangria mums and dads?).

You’ll get four hours of free time on the beach with this Spain cruise excursion – and if that’s not enough time to beat granddad at beach volleyball we don’t know what is.

Aqualand Water Park

If you seek more active fun, then swing by Aqualand Water Park on your cruise to Spain. Ambassador’s shore excursion to the popular water park (just 30 minutes away from the port) makes a wet ‘n’ wild day out easy.

Race on the Multipista, feel the thrills on Grand Canyon or test your surfing skills at Surf Beach. Aqualand Water Park is also home to the biggest playground in Mallorca, with 12 thrilling slides specially made for kids!

There are plenty of areas for tots to have fun, while older adrenalin junkies will love such rides as Tsunami, Kamikaze, King Cobra or Banzai.

Don’t fancy getting wet? On this multi-generational Spain cruise, Ambassador shore excursion Hams Caves & Dinosaurland offers interesting history as well as Jurassic jollies (but sadly no ham).

Hams Caves, on the east coast of Mallorca, are millions of years old and are one of the island’s top tourist attractions. There are three caves to uncover, and visitors can learn about the island’s original inhabitants and enjoy an audio-visual timelapse.

Next, armed with new-found knowledge, you’ll head to Dinosaurland where the family can walk among more than 100 life-sized recreations of dinosaurs; prepare to be dwarfed by the towering 50m-long Titanosaurus replica – the beast is one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered! Here kids can play at being palaeontologists, settle into games and puzzles, or try their hand at drawing.

Ibiza

Ibiza shore excursions – what to do with kids in Ibiza?

The next day your Ambassador family cruise calls at Ibiza. The Balearic island is a great choice for a family holiday thanks to its safety, beautiful beaches, water sports and more.

Ambassador offers a guided Caves of Can Marca shore excursion in Ibiza on this cruise to Spain from the UK. This impressive cave – it’s around 100,000 years old! – is tucked inside a cliff in Port de Sant Miquel de Balansat.

The ancient limestone caves are adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, creating an otherworldly spectacle. Your guide will take you deep into the heart of the caverns, where you’ll discover intriguing rock formations and learn about the caves’ storied past.

Kids will love the tales of the smugglers who once used the 14m-high caves as hiding places for contraband goods! And don’t miss the magical interplay of light and shadows as sunlight filters through openings in the cave ceiling; maybe you can come up with your own legends for what has happened here over the ages?