10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts in the Caribbean for Families

Fronting the widest stretch of Negril’s famous Seven Mile Beach, Beaches Negril ticks nearly every box when it comes to planning the perfect family-friendly tropical getaway. There’s a pirate-themed waterpark complete with waterslides and dump buckets, restaurants that range from a theatrical teppanyaki experience to a more low-key seafood joint on the sand, and free non-motorized water sports galore (daily scuba-diving trips to the offshore reef are even included for the certified divers in your group). The property’s Sesame Street-themed kids camp is an extra perk for young parents looking to keep their infants engaged.

With its white sands and turquoise seas, Turks and Caicos excels at the Caribbean-as-paradise paradigm. Although exceedingly popular with couples and honeymooners, families will find lots to love on the beaches of Providenciales, too, during a stay at the all-inclusive Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa in Grace Bay. The sprawling property features a collection of villages themed after Key West, France, and Italy along with a slew of family-friendly amenities that include a 45,000-square-foot waterpark, a fleet of hydrobikes and Hobie Cats, a disco club for teens, and a kids club for younger ones—making it easy for parents to slip off to the spa or enjoy some alone time at one of over 20 on-site restaurants and bars.

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New this year to Montego Bay's all-inclusive resort scene, Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa has become a fast favorite among families looking for a carefree vacation with lots of authentic Caribbean appeal. One-, two-, and three-bedroom villas (all with butlers at the ready) allow families to spread out, no matter their group's size. Activities for teens include chef-led cooking classes, there’s a great splash pad for the younger set, and parents can relax in the Himalayan Salt Therapy Lounge at the Grande Spa.

Club Med Columbus Isle on San Salvador in the Out Islands of the Bahamas makes for a carefree vacation with the kids. Among the many reasons to choose this colonial-style, all-inclusive on Bonefish Bay are its incredible white-sand beach, Club Med’s justifiably celebrated gourmet cuisine, bungalow-style guest rooms, and the Junior Club Med experience—included in rates for kids ages 11 to 17—that features thrilling activities like windsurfing and beach volleyball.

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Resort-riddled Cancun has no shortage of family-friendly all-inclusives, but Club Med Cancun Yucatan, just outside the Hotel Zone in quiet Punta Nizuc, stands out with perks like a new "family oasis" pool fronting the sand, an included kids club for ages four to 17, and specialty restaurant Estancia—a sexy Argentine grill with a newly extended oceanfront terrace. When you’re not enjoying the pools or pretty beach, your entourage can also challenge each other to a round of archery or tennis or take a lesson at the flying trapeze school.

With over 670 rooms and suites, Punta Cana's beachfront Grand Palladium Bavaro Suites Resort & Spa is far from intimate—but for families seeking non-stop entertainment, this resort goes above and beyond, making it one of the best kid-friendly hotels in all of Punta Cana. The kids club (ages 1 through 12) is the largest in the Caribbean with its own mini waterpark, theater, and video lounge, and there’s a separate club just for teenagers where they can play billiards and foosball. FYI: this property is one of just a handful of Certified Autism Centers in the Caribbean and offers specialized experiences catered to kids with autism.

It’s the rare resort that manages to be as appealing for couples as vacationing families, and Fairmont Mayakoba—about 45 minutes from Cancun, in Playa del Carmen—is one of them. Although not all-inclusive per se, the hotel's all-inclusive options make enjoying this level of luxury that much easier. We're talking golf cart shuttles for zipping around the huge property, five swimming pools, a private beach lined with palapas, and nature trails and scenic boat tours for exploring the grounds. While the kids are occupied at the Discovery Club (there’s free daily access for ages 4 through 12), make time for a treatment at Willow Stream Spa or head out to snorkel the surrounding coral reefs.

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Another Playa del Carmen-based family favorite, Paradisus Playa del Carmen la Esmeralda has a dedicated family concierge to help map out fun activities both off and on property, like arts and crafts workshops for the kids and tango lessons and tequila tastings for parents. At 488 rooms, the property is massive, but guests are treated to individualized service courtesy of personal butlers, who can aid with everything from ironing to making dinner reservations.

The name "Panama Jack" might be a throwback to your own childhood, but there’s lots of modern amenities for families to love at Panama Jack Resorts Cancun. Kids will lose their minds over the property's pirate ship-themed water park (complete with twisting water slides) and mini golf course, and adults can have their own kind of fun with cocktails in a private beach cabana or treatments at Aura Spa. The kids club, Camp Jack, is included and makes it simple to enjoy some downtime (you’re on vacation, after all) while resting assured the little ones aren’t bored. At day's end, reunite over dinner—be it Caribbean, Mexican, Mongolian, or Italian cuisine—at the more than 13 bars and restaurants onsite.

There's not a bad view to be found at Curtain Bluff Resort, a gorgeous all-inclusive property built along a terraced hill on the southern shore of Antigua whose 72 beachfront accommodations all look right out onto the ocean. Families have plenty of reason to breathe easy, here, too, thanks to all-included amenities that go beyond gourmet cuisine—we're talking top-shelf beverages and snorkeling trips to nearby Cades Reef. Kid-centric activities are equally diverse and include a “basecamp” down on the beach, where they can race crabs, learn to mix up mocktails, and design their own wind chimes.