10 Top Vacation Ideas for Families with Teens
Curious and active, teens can be great travelers, especially when they’re involved in the decision-making and given plenty of downtime for relaxing and bonding. But you may need some help getting started, depending on what you and your teen are interested in—outdoor adventures, lounging by the sea, gorging on local culture, or gorging on local cuisine. Here are some ideas for putting together a vacation that everyone in the family will cherish for years to come.

Jungle Adventure: OARS Costa Rica
On a weeklong OARS multisport trip in the summer, sample Costa Rica’s eco-adventures paired with lodge-based comforts. From riverside Rios Tropicales Lodge, not far from the Gulf coast, you and your teens paddle the swift-moving Pacuare River, glide through the rainforest canopy on a zipline, and cool off by jumping into waterfalls. Also on the itinerary: Tortuguero National Park, where you’ll wake up to the grunts of howler monkeys. While kayaking the creeks, keep an eye out for sloths slumbering in the tree branches. On a guided nighttime tour of Tortuguero’s beach, if you’re lucky you may spot one of the Atlantic green sea turtles that, from June through October, climb the sands, dig nests, lay eggs, and then cover the nests before slowly lumbering back to disappear into the waves.
Hiking and Hokum: Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina
Beach Break: Aruba

Aruba’s constant breezes and stretches of calm seas make it a wind-sports mecca. The epitome of Caribbean cool is to glide across the water, changing direction with ease. Head over to Hadicurari Beach to watch the experts, or sign up for kiteboarding and windsurfing lessons on Palm Beach, a popular spot good for socializing and people-watching. For off-the-sands fun, take a guided jeep tour of the rugged northern coast, a landscape of rocky shores and fast-breaking surf. Animal lovers can ride horses at Arikok National Park and meet the big birds at the Ostrich Farm.
Urban Exploration: Barcelona
Barcelona, a flamboyant mix of wide boulevards, medieval neighborhoods, and beaches, gives teens plenty of places to meander—and the Spanish rhythms of afternoon siestas and late–night dining match adolescent scheduling preferences. On La Rambla, the city’s premier promenade, surrender to a whirl of cafes, shops, flower stalls, and street performers. The creations of architect Antoni Gaudí should give everybody something to talk about, especially his Sagrada Familia, an unfinished cathedral of twisting shapes and spiral staircases. He was also responsible for the brightly colored, almost hallucinatory Park Güell (pictured) on Carmel Hill. The Museu Picasso, meanwhile, displays many of that master’s early works, even some he did when he was a teenager himself.
All-Inclusive Fun: Club Med Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

If you pick an all-inclusive resort, you can play the good cop for a change, saying yes to pretty much anything because most activities and meals are covered in your room rate. The Dominican Republic’s Club Med Punta Cana keeps teens busy with action-packed activities: sailing, tennis, archery, and windsurfing during the day, followed by beach parties and movies in the evenings. The resort’s circus arts program invites guests of all ages to learn how to fly on a trapeze, dance on stilts, and build structurally sound human pyramids.
Thrills at Sea: Royal Caribbean Ships
Pedal Pushers: Cycling in Croatia
Island Culture: Maui, Hawaii

Maui is nothing like your typical beach destination. Take surfing lessons, learn to paddle an outrigger canoe, and snorkel in a semi-submerged volcanic crater. Inland, hike rainforest trails and explore Haleakala, the island’s dormant volcano (pictured, at sunrise). Intrepid visitors can bike the windy roads that lead from the peak’s nearly 10,000-foot-high summit down to sea level. For some local culture, reserve tickets to Napili Kai Beach Resort’s Wednesday evening slack-key guitar show and get to know one of Hawaii’s homegrown music styles.
In the Mountains: Park City, Utah
Park City is a top-rated ski resort, but even without snow the place delivers thrills. In the warmer months, you can zoom through the treetops on a zipline, soar above the countryside in a hot air balloon, play disc golf, and glide down a 3,000-foot alpine slide. Ride the chairlift up the mountain and either pedal down on bikes or hike along woodsy trails. Instead of a hotel, book a condo to get more space for your money—and, if possible, a separate room for the kids for when everybody needs some time apart.
Resort Sports: Kiawah Island, South Carolina

The focus of Kiawah Island Golf Resort might be right there in the name, but the tennis instruction is excellent, too. Located on South Carolina’s coast, the resort has separate programs for adults, tweens, and teens at various levels of play, from beginner to ready for Wimbledon. Off the court, stroll the 10-mile-long beach, swim in the ocean, kayak the creeks that lace the marshes, and go on a day trip to nearby Charleston, about 45 minutes south, for historic sights and shopping.