When you have children, everything changes. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the holidays you choose to go on, with buggies, travel cots and favourite cuddly toys in tow.

For a while you might fight the change from doing something cultural and exploring foreign cities, but while it’s great to expose your offspring to new worlds and different cultures, the trips doing so can sometimes feel like a bit of an endurance test until your kids are old enough to appreciate the benefits.

One way around this is to mix up those interesting trips with some out and out fun-time holidays, and one of the best places to do this is on Spain’s Costa del Sol. This is an area that is absolutely made for family holidays with miles of golden beaches and plenty of other attractions that are suited to the whole family.

Four of Europe’s biggest theme parks are on the Costa del Sol and that includes both water parks and fun fair ride theme parks. You’ll also find some great sea life centres and animal parks. It’s really easy to alternate your time between days on the beach and days at different attractions, all of which will have your children begging for more.

And, of course, there’s a huge choice of fantastic accommodation to choose from. Whether you opt for self-catering villas with private pools, an apartment complex that has communal facilities or go for all-inclusive hotels, the range of prices and locations is staggering. Start off by deciding where you want to be and narrow the choice down from there.

Costa del Sol may not be the exotic trip you always dreamed of, but when you’ve got children in tow they can be great for creating magical family memories that all of you will cherish forever.