Spain or Portugal
 

Hi Folks

Looking for some advice as I've never been to this region. I am arranging a family reunion for a dozen people...it will probably take place in August or late July. Group is made up of young and old and some very young kids. We are looking to base ourselves near a beach for the kids but also convenient for sighseeing/ shopping and dining out in the evenings...

There are a few of us looking to play some golf so we'd like to be close to several golf courses... i understand that both countries have an abundance of golf courses to choose from, but i'm stuck on location.
I originally thought Cascais near Lisbon would be good, but i hear that the sea water is icy so not great for the kids...

Look forward to any input or help... thanks !

This is one of those rare occasions I'd recommend the Algarve over anywhere else in Portugal.

Cascais/Estoril is basically Lisbon-on-sea: the local beaches get very very crowded. The further out west-facing beaches such as Guincho are directly on the Atlantic and can often be windy with strong currents, waves and colder water.

The Algarve has more gently shelving beaches more sheltered from the forces of the Atlantic. The water is warmer - though unless you find some out-of-the-way beach, it will be crowded in August.

If you want warmer water, you basically need to get east of the Strait.

What level of shopping are you after. There's lot of places in Murcia and Almería that would be great, but it's not exactly Oxford Street in terms of available shopping.

The Costa del Sol in Spain or the beaches more towards Almeria, as LupineChemist suggested, could be a good fit. The water over there tends to be warmer. Or maybe Valencia?

Mar Menor area in Murcia it would great for the kids, where the water is not icy and they can practice a lot of water sports, and also you can find a lot of golf courses and huge shopping malls.

Places such as San Javier, Los Alcazares, La Manga, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Menor

Second either Algarve or Costa del Sol.

I would think you'd have a touch easier time finding English-speaking establishments in Spain, but that's only based on my own experiences. Tons of Germans and Brits vacation around Malaga.

My personal recommendation would be Malaga/Torremolinos/Benalmadena - great beach, relatively short car ride to neat cities like Cordoba or Granada or even Sevilla (~2 hours in the car).

We're not after malls or Oxford Street that's for sure... more on the quaint side of things...
I'll check out Murcia and Almeria though..thanks !