One of the best things about staying at a resort is that you’ll often have all you need right on the property. You can enjoy a relaxed getaway without having to rent a car, and usually plenty of activities, beautiful pools, a range of dining and drinking venues, and sometimes even water parks. In the Caribbean, you’ll find properties that offer the chance to enjoy idyllic beaches as well as a myriad of ways to swim, float, slip, and slide, which is sure to thrill the kids and the kids at heart.
These family-friendly properties in the Caribbean offer some of the best, from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Puerto Rico to the beautiful islands of Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and St. Lucia.
Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun, Mexico
Moon Palace The Grand is one of the best water park hotels in Mexico, with its water park with multiple slide towers and a surf simulator. There’s also a kids’ club with mini-golf, video games, bumper cars, an indoor playground, and more. So while the younger ones play, the parents can take advantage of pampering treatments at the spa or relax with a drink at the speakeasy. There’s also a beach nearby where guests enjoy free non-motorized watersports, while dining can be enjoyed at an array of restaurants serving everything from seafood and steaks to Mexican cuisine. Rooms are spacious and even include liquor dispensers with premium spirits.
Key Amenities:
-
Water park with slides and a surf simulator
-
Kids’ club with mini-golf, video games, bumper cars & more
-
Full-service spa and multiple on-site eateries
Cancun - Chetumal KM 36.5, Riviera Maya, 77500 Cancún, Q.R., Mexico— +1 800-817-1792
El Conquistador Resort - Fajardo, Puerto Rico
If you want to enjoy the Caribbean without the need for a passport, Puerto Rico is ideal. And, even if you’ve got your passport, it’s worth considering a stay at the El Conquistador Resort, one of the top luxury beach resorts in Puerto Rico. It overlooks the Caribbean from its cliffside perch on the Island of Enchantment, accessed via a free ferry. The water park is a highlight and includes the Torre de Yochau Tower, a practically vertical waterslide with a 60-foot drop, splash pools, and more. There are seven pools, a world-class golf course, a 26,000-foot spa, a fitness center, and multiple bars and restaurants serving everything from Italian to Asian.
Key Amenities:
-
Seaside water park with 60-foot drop waterslide + 7 pools
-
Huge spa and golf course on-site
-
Multiple dining and drinking venues, including a martini lounge
1000 Avenida El Conquistador, Fajardo, 00738, Puerto Rico— +1 787-863-1000
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach - Montego Bay, Jamaica
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach is a five-star Jamaica resort that not only offers a prime spot in the North Beach area of Montego Bay, but it hosts AquaFun, a water park with slides and a lazy river. There are numerous pools, from a huge sea-view infinity pool with a swim-up bar to family-friendly pools, while the kids’ club offers organized games for ages four through 12. Adults can enjoy a blissful treatment in the lavish spa which includes a hydrotherapy pool and salon, take dance lessons, test their luck in the casino, or enjoy the nightclub. All meals and drinks at the variety of restaurants and bars on-site are included.
Key Amenities:
-
Water park with slides and a lazy river + multiple pools
-
Kids’ club for ages 4 to 12 with organized games daily
-
Spa, casino, and nightclub on-site
Branch Developement, Rose Hall Main Road Little River, Montego Bay, Jamaica— +1 876-680-0000
Beaches Turks and Caicos - Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Beaches is well-known for its family-friendly fun in the Caribbean and here in Turks and Caicos, you’ll find a 45,000-square-foot pirate-themed water park with eight waterslides, a lazy river, water cannons, a children’s pool, and a swanky swim-up bar just for the kids. There is also a surfing simulator and a half-dozen swimming pools. A wealth of complimentary land and watersports are included, even unlimited scuba diving. There’s a junior golf club with instructors, plus karaoke, arcade games, and drive-in movies too. Plus, the little ones will be thrilled with the daily appearances by Sesame Street characters.
Key Amenities:
-
Pirate-themed water park & multiple pools
-
Complimentary water sports, including unlimited scuba diving
-
Wide range of restaurants and bars, including five swim-up bars
Lower Bight Rd, The Bight Settlement TKCA 1ZZ, Turks and Caicos Islands— +1 888-232-2437
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa - Saint Lucia
Located on the breathtaking south coast of Saint Lucia Island, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa has an enormous water park called CocoLand. It includes the twisty 300-foot Coconut Coaster slide, the thrilling 400-foot Coconut Cannon waterslide, and a quarter-mile-long lazy river where you can get soaked by the waterfalls. There’s a water playground for the little ones and they’ll have their own swim-up bar with a mocktail menu. Guests can also enjoy a beautiful and long stretch of beach and take advantage of the fully supervised kids’ club with a pirate ship and an indoor playroom. The adults might take an intro to windsurfing, indulge in a treatment at the oceanfront spa, or relax around one of the many gorgeous pools.
Key Amenities:
-
Water park with waterslides and a lazy river + a water playground
-
Supervised kids’ club with a pirate ship
-
Oceanfront spa + multiple on-site dining and drinking venues
000, Vieux Fort Lighthouse, St. Lucia, St Lucia— +1 877-252-0304
Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana - Dominican Republic
The Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana is often ranked No. 1 when it comes to all-inclusive family resorts in the Caribbean and this one offers it all, from splash pads for the little ones to waterslides and a lazy river. Plus there are mass “slimings” to join. An all-inclusive property, nearly all activities, entertainment, food, and drink are included. It also has an oceanfront infinity pool with poolside service, an adult-only pool with a swim-up bar, and a soft sandy beach with loungers. The many dining and drinking venues include everything from a food truck to a spaceship-turned-restaurant serving interstellar cuisine. Rooms come with balconies or terraces, and some have swim-up access.
Key Amenities:
-
Water park with waterslides, a lazy river, and splash pads
-
Beach with loungers
-
Numerous dining and drinking venues on-site
Carretera Uvero Alto Parcela, Punta Cana 23002, Dominican Republic— +1 844-733-6425
Sandos Caracol Eco Resort - Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Located right on the beachfront overlooking Cozumel and one of the world’s best water park resorts, Sandos Caracol Eco Resort has a water park with something for everyone, tiny tots, older kids, teens, and adults. It includes 29 waterslides divided into areas for various age groups with some thrilling looping slides along with a smaller water play area. The property even has a cenote on-site for snorkeling and swimming in crystal-clear blue water. There are clubs for babies and children so parents can relax, perhaps at the swim-up bar or in the luxurious spa which offers massages and beauty treatments. There are multiple bars and a mix of buffet and a la carte eateries, while rooms come with private furnished balconies and are divided into adults-only and family-friendly sections.
Key Amenities:
-
Water park with 29 waterslides divided into various age groups
-
On-site cenote for swimming and snorkeling
-
Babies’ and kids’ clubs
Cancun - Chetumal km 295, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico— +52 984 873 4444
Beaches Negril - Negril, Jamaica
One of the top family friendly resorts in Jamaica, Beaches Negril hosts the Pirates Island Water Park which includes multiple water attractions with a lazy river, waterslides, dump buckets, misting, and plunge pools. There are plenty of other things to do too, including relaxing on Seven Mile Beach, one of the most beautiful in Jamaica. The all-inclusive rates also include a variety of water toys like snorkeling gear, paddleboards, and water bikes. Scuba diving and on-site certification are available too. After a day of play, there’s a spa with a menu of pampering treatments parents might take advantage of while the younger ones enjoy the clubs for kids or teens, or the arcade room and Xbox lounge. There are numerous bars and eateries serving everything from sushi to Mediterranean with offerings to please all.
Key Amenities:
-
Home of the Pirates Island Water Park
-
Direct access to Seven Mile Beach and complimentary watersports gear
-
Kids and teens clubs + a full-service spa
8M77+H2C Long Bay, Norman Manley Blvd, Negril, Jamaica— +1 888-232-2437
The Coral at Atlantis Paradise Island - Nassau, Bahamas
Atlantis Paradise Island is one of the most renowned aquatic themed resorts in the world with a water park. It’s home to the huge Aquaventure water park that includes 20 different areas for kids, families, and adults only. There’s a 200-foot body slide, and a 120-foot-tall tower slide, among many others, as well as a lazy river, a mile-long series of rapids for tubing, and forts for all ages. Afterward, you can relax on one of the property’s three white sandy beaches. There are multiple properties here that include access to the beaches and water park, including The Coral at Atlantis Paradise Island known for its family-friendly accommodation with private balconies. Guests enjoy a wide range of dining choices too, from casual pool bars and grills to upscale restaurants.
Key Amenities:
-
Aquaventure waterpark
-
Three white sandy beaches
-
Multiple dining and drinking outlets on-site
One Casino Drive, Suite 21, 1 Casino Drive, Paradise Island, The Bahamas— +1 242-363-2000 ext. 66774
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana - Dominican Republic
The Hard Rock Hotel might have a reputation as a party brand, but its property in Punta Cana is a destination resort ideal for all types of visitors and is one of the best kid-friendly resorts in Punta Cana. The children’s pool has waterslides and a lazy river, and there’s also a mini-golf course and an arcade room sure to please older kids and teens. The HardRock Roxity Kids Club offers a variety of activities like cooking classes, face painting, and Spanish lessons too. There’s plenty for the adults as well, including an 18-hole golf course, a Vegas-style casino, and a luxurious spa. And, with 13 pools there’s a pool for everyone.
Key Amenities:
-
Water park, mini-golf, arcade room and kids’ club
-
Vegas-style casino and nightclub
-
18-hole golf course and luxurious spa
Km 28, #74, Blvd. Turístico del Este, Punta Cana 23000, Dominican Republic— +1 809-687-0000
Hotel Riu Ocho Rios - Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Hotel Riu Ocho Rios is one of the top all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica for families and it hosts Splash Water World with water attractions for kids and adults alike. There are high-adrenaline slides as well as an area for the little ones with a pool and slides. There are five pools on the property and parents can enjoy some adult fun while the kids head to RiuLand Kids, a club with a covered park that has mazes, slides, and a ball pool. Guests can also enjoy the large, private beach with pristine sands that are never crowded, a spa with beachfront huts, 24-hour entertainment, and all-inclusive dining with six restaurants and a jerk chicken shack.
Key Amenities:
-
Splash Water World + five pools
-
Large private beach
-
Kids’ club, spa with beachfront huts + all-inclusive dining at all eateries
Mammee Bay, Ocho Rios, Mammee Bay Road, Ocho Rios, Jamaica— +1 876-972-2200
Bahia Principe Grand Coba - Akumal, Mexico
An all-inclusive mega-resort, the Bahia Principe Grand Coba offers two huge pools, one that has a lagoon-style water park with slides leading down to shallow water, filled with colorful statues of frogs, sharks, and elephants. There are dumping buckets, a wading pool, and palm tree waterfalls too. Down at the beach, enjoy complimentary non-motorized sports like snorkeling and kayaking. You’ll find a golf course, a spa, multiple bars and restaurants, and clubs for babies, kids, and teens. There are Family Suites available that come with all sorts of extras for the kids, including special toiletries, mini-robes and slippers, and activity packs.
Key Amenities:
-
Lagoon-style water park with slides and a wading pool
-
Beach and complimentary non-motorized water sports
-
Spa, golf course, multiple eateries + baby, kids, and teens’ clubs
