Summer 2012: Sun guaranteed

Head to the far south of Italy for sun-drenched days on Puglia's beaches. Long Travel (01694 722193; long-travel.co.uk) is offering free B&B at Masseria Torre Coccaro, near Fasano, for children aged up to 12 this summer. This 39-room five-star hotel is set in a 17th-century masseria that counts a chapel among its charming buildings.

Facilities are thoroughly modern, including a slick beach club and a children's mini-club. Restaurant options include a fish, oyster, and sushi bar on the beach. Soccer, beach volleyball, ceramics, and cookery lessons are just some of the activities available. A week for a family of four costs from £2,604, excluding flights. Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com) flies to Bari from Stansted from £119; British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) flies from Gatwick from £248.

Mauritius dodges the extreme monsoon weather that can hit the Indian Ocean in summer and is still pleasantly warm, hovering around 21C. Following a £60m rebuild, Trou aux Biches Resort & Spa on the island's north-west coast is laid out like a village with 333 suites and villas set in tropical gardens along the shore, within easy reach of bustling Grand Baie. Among its many attractions are kids' clubs for those aged three to 16 years and a Clarins spa. Beachcomber Hotels (01483 445685; beachcombertours.co.uk) offers seven nights in a two-bedroom suite from £6,350 for a family of four, including return flights from Heathrow with Air Mauritius, transfers and half board.

Take an early summer holiday to avoid the risk of Caribbean storms at Mount Cinnamon Beach Club & Resort (001 473 439 4400; mountcinnamongrenadahotel.com) in Grenada. This small property – which has 21 suites and villas, all with kitchenettes – has rustled up some useful deals to lure holidaymakers to its white-sand shores. They include free child places and meals, and babysitting discounts. Caribtours (020-7751 0660; caribtours.co.uk) offers seven nights for the price of five from £4,822, based on two adults and two children sharing a two-bedroom suite, room only, with return Virgin Atlantic flights from Gatwick and transfers.