The Independent Parent: Where can we go in July for a family activity holiday - plus a little poolside lounging for me?

Q. Our children (Max, 13, and Chloe, nine) want an activity holiday in July. We're thinking about the Pyrenees, with canoeing for my husband and son, riding for Chloe, and a pool or beach for me. But I'm having difficulty meeting all these criteria.

J Rayner, York

A. It's not as tall an order as it might first appear. You will, however, need to decide if you would like to book your holiday with a company that will arrange everything for you, or whether you would like to stay in a hotel or self-catering accommodation. If it's the former on both counts, Activities Abroad (www.activitiesabroad.com; 0870 444 5320) offers holidays in several countries including Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, Slovenia and Croatia. A large proportion of its customers are families who have grown out of beach holidays and want something more active, but with time to relax, too.

What's good about Activities Abroad is that all the activities are optional and the holidays are hotel-based, so you can lounge around the pool while your children and husband enjoy the sporting options.

As you suggest, the Pyrenees is an excellent location for a holiday of this nature. Activities Abroad offers several options, including one in the beautiful Catalan Pyrenees. You could all stay at the Hotel Pey in the town of Sort in the Pallars Sobira region, around 40km west of Andorra and a three-hour drive from Barcelona. The hotel offers family apartments and has an outdoor heated swimming pool and garden. There are plenty of tapas bars and restaurants nearby.

Most of the activities, which include kayaking, white-water rafting, canyoning and mountain-biking, take place in the nearby Aigues Tortes National Park. Activities are suitable for children aged nine and above. Horse riding is not featured but can be arranged for your daughter for an additional cost of around £15 an hour. Departing on 17 July, the basic price for a week, excluding flights, is £455 per adult and £385 per child under 14. This includes accommodation with breakfast and transfers from Barcelona. If you do one activity, the week costs £495 per adult and £425 per child; for five activities, it rises to £635 per adult and £565 per child. British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) is offering an online fare of around £114 per person departing on 17 July from London Heathrow to Barcelona.

If you are not wedded to the idea of the Pyrenees and are happy to organise your own activities, you might like to consider Cantabria, on the northern coast of Spain. Still relatively undiscovered, it offers miles of deserted, sandy beaches and the dramatic scenery of the Picos de Europa mountain range. Casas Cantabricas (www.casacantab.co.uk; 01223 328721) offers a broad range of self-catering properties including the beautifully-situated Hacienda de Maria, in the village of Torices, within easy reach of the Picos de Europa National Park.

The apartments have a pool and barbecue and there are several beaches within an hour's drive. Ventura (00 34 942 732 161; www.cantabria.com/picosawentura), in neighbouring Potes, can arrange pursuits including canoeing and riding.

Spanish National Tourist Office: 020-7486 8077 or visit www.tourspain.es