With the first day of summer just around the corner, families are looking forward to heading off on their long-awaited summer vacations, but what are the best options for kids in the Caribbean this year?
As tourism continues to recover in the region, families will find an increasing number of options. Caribbean resorts with children’s programs are particularly well-equipped to support family vacations, offering kids plenty of fun options for both play and learning opportunities.
Here are some popular children’s programs for families vacationing around the Caribbean.
Anguilla: Zemi Beach House and Maliouhana, Auberge Resorts Collection
One of Anguilla’s upscale, family-friendly hotels is the boutique Zemi Beach House in Shoal Bay East, where the kids’ club offers activities like arts and crafts, cooking classes, treasure hunts and coconut bowling. Plus, kids can sign up for the Mermaid Experience program, where they can take swimming lessons in the infinity pool (with a mermaid tail, of course).
Credit: 2022 Zemi Beach House
Also in Anguilla is Auberge Resorts Collection’s Maliouhana, whose Mini Explorers program offers morning, afternoon or all-day sessions that include activities such as cooking classes, traditional Anguillan-style kite making, boat racing, tea parties, fishing, make-your-own salt scrub classes and snorkeling.
Aruba: The Ritz-Carlton Aruba, Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba makes organizing a luxury family getaway easy. Ritz Kids offers educational activities such as Something Fish, a preschool program focusing on local marine life, Cultural Exploration classes introducing island cultures from around the world, and Nature Scouts, a complimentary family adventure activity.
Meanwhile, at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, kids can enjoy a variety of activities, from cupcake making and marble racing on the beach to “dive-in” movies by the pool, while the nearby Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino hosts a treasure hunt with mystery prizes for winners.
Cayman Islands: The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman
Kids staying at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman can learn about the Caribbean’s rich natural resources and how to protect them by signing up for the Ambassadors of the Environment family program, created by Jean-Michel Cousteau. (The program is also available at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico.) Snorkeling lessons, mangrove kayaking and nature photography are just a few of the featured activities, many of which parents can join in on.
Dominican Republic: Club Med Punta Cana, Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda, Royalton Splash Punta Cana, Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino
The two Club Med properties in the Dominican Republic offer a variety of exciting experiences for children. Club Med Punta Cana organises activities for four age groups, from 4 months to 17 years. Beach sports include windsurfing and volleyball, while the on-site Club Med Circus School offers acrobatics and trapeze lessons.
Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda offers similarly fun activities as part of its Amazing Family program, including trapeze classes and movies under the stars, and there’s also an immersive “Little Gardener’s House” that teaches kids about planting, growing fruit and vegetables, recycling and composting.
Elsewhere in the Dominican Republic, Royalton Splash Punta Cana, Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino offers two programs for different age groups: Clubhouse Kids Club (ages 4-12) and Hangout Teens Club (ages 13-17).
Credit: 2022 Amanyara
Nevis: Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies
Kite-making, monkey-watching tours and domino lessons are just some of the memorable activities offered in the recently revamped Kids for All Seasons program at Four Seasons Resort Nevis in the West Indies. In addition, the resort also offers a family-friendly “Summer Camp” package that includes educational activities about sea turtles.
Puerto Rico: Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico and Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Cultural experiences are a big part of Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico’s appeal, with children’s classes focusing on local cultural traditions such as dominoes and bomba dancing. Other activities include a children’s pool, tennis and pickleball courts, water sports and adventure tours.
The Fairmont El San Juan Hotel, near San Juan, offers activities such as a sandcastle-building contest every Sunday.
Turks and Caicos: West Bay Club and Amanyara
Family-friendly hotels in Turks and Caicos include West Bay Club, with a children’s program offering recycled and natural crafts, snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding and sailing, and Amanyara, which partnered with Miami’s Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science to launch its Science Explorers and Environmental Keepers (SEEK) program in 2021. The program offers nature-focused activities for a range of ages, from lessons on wave and coral reef ecosystems to coastal walks and beach cleanups.
