With everything from lazy rivers and splash pads to wave pools and water slides, outdoor water parks are a fun and action-packed way to pass the time on a family vacation. When there’s a water park right at your resort, that’s even better. You can walk right out of your hotel room and you’re pretty much there, no car ride needed. It’s even better when you’re staying at one of the best Caribbean resorts with water parks because you’re practically guaranteed sunny weather whenever you visit.
With plenty of sunshine, tropical breezes, and sandy beaches to go along with all the swimming and splashing, staying at a Caribbean family resort with an on-site water park is a dream come. And the good news doesn’t stop there. At the best Caribbean resorts with water parks, there are enough thrills to satisfy everyone in the family from toddlers to teenagers.
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1. Atlantis Paradise Island
Paradise Island, Bahamas
Be warned: Once the kids experience the Aquaventure water park at the iconic Atlantis Paradise Island resort, all other Caribbean resorts with water parks may pale in comparison. The 141-acre water playground, one of the largest water parks in the world, offers high-speed thrills like the Leap of Faith waterslide, which starts with an almost-vertical drop from the top of the resort’s Mayan Temple and sends riders through a submerged acrylic tunnel surrounded by all kinds of cool marine life.
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There’s nothing lazy about the Rapids River, either. In this “lazy river,” waves push you through an action-packed mile-long loop. Five miles of white-sand beach and multiple pools provide more easygoing ways to get wet. And the water park is just one of the slew of amenities and experiences at this sprawling Bahamas resort with five different lodging options (The Cove, The Royal, The Reef, The Coral, and The Harborside Resort).
2. Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa
Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia
At Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa, you and the kids can make a whole day of it at the resort’s enormous CocoLand waterpark, the largest on the island of Saint Lucia. Brave the speedy 400-foot Coconut Cannon waterslide, take on the twists and turns of the 300-foot Coconut Coaster slide, or relax in the quarter-mile-long lazy river (unless you’re getting soaked by one of its waterfalls, that is).
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There’s also a water playground for little ones and, just for the kiddos, a swim-up bar with a mocktail menu and bartender. Coconut Bay is split into different wings for different guest experiences, and the family-friendly wing (called Splash) offers easy access to all the wet-and-wild fun, along with other amenities like a 30,000-square-foot paintball course.
3. Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
At the all-suite beachfront Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, the water slides, splash pads, and spray grounds of the Aqua Nick water park are all done up in the kid-centric TV network’s classic colors and themes. When you’re not screaming down the slides, hang out in the slower-paced lazy river that circles it all. You’ll even have the chance to participate in interactive games and a signature Nickelodeon sliming.
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This on-site water park is part of a larger Nickelodeon-themed entertainment zone at the resort called Nickelodeon Place, where your kids can also enjoy character interactions with faves like SpongeBob and the Paw Patrol crew. And if the kids just can’t stay out of the water, book a suite with access to one of the resort’s swim-up pools or a private plunge pool.
A similar Nickelodeon resort with a water park in Mexico, Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya, features all of the same perks and themed suites as the Punta Cana location.
4. Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa
Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica
This stylish Jamaica all-inclusive resort features an oceanfront setting, white sandy beach, and plenty of food and beverage options. But when you stay at Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa, your kids might only have eyes for the Sugar Mill Falls water park, billed as the second-largest water complex in the Caribbean. A 280-foot waterslide brings the thrills, while the lazy river and three terraced pools offer plenty of places to chill.
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Young guests can also make a splash in the park’s waterfalls or venture across a rope-and-wood suspension bridge in the jungle garden area. Live music, daily activities and games, and a swim-up bar add to the fun for the whole family, who can also enjoy other amenities at the resort like beach volleyball, pickleball, and kids’ and teens club spaces that are among the best offered by any Caribbean resorts with water parks.
5. Royalton Splash Punta Cana, an Autograph Collection Resort and Casino
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
The name says it all at the 525-room all-inclusive Royalton Splash Punta Cana, where you can definitely make a splash at the on-site water park. There are some major waterslides to choose from here, including a rollercoaster-style slide and a multilane water slide where riders hit speeds of nearly 45 feet per second.
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Little ones will love the splash pads and special water slide area that’s just their size, and the whole family can bob around in the wave pool that ranks among the best among any Caribbean water park resorts. For even more time in the surf, head to the beach at the adjacent Royalton Punta Cana Resort for some snorkeling or paddle boarding. And the grownups in the family can enjoy the water in a totally different way with a hydrotherapy circuit at the resort’s spa.
6. Beaches Turks and Caicos
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
A perennial favorite among Turks and Caicos all-inclusive resorts, family-friendly Beaches Turks and Caicos features 758 guest rooms and suites spread out over 95 acres (read our full review here). With all that space, this Caribbean water park resort offers amenities like more than 20 dining options, 10 pools, and kids’ clubs and programming that includes the chance to hang out with favorite Sesame Street characters.
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But of course the main attraction for water park lovers is the 45,000-square-foot Pirates Island Water Park, which features thrilling waterslides (and smaller versions for the little ones), a surf simulator, a relaxing lazy river, a splash zone, and even a swim-up bar serving up slushies and other treats just for kids. You’ll also find similar Caribbean resorts with water parks at Beaches Negril and Beaches Ocho Rios, the two all-inclusive Beaches Resorts in Jamaica.
7. Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton
Willemstad, Curacao
King Cobra isn’t just a clever name for one of the waterslides at the all-inclusive Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao‘s on-property water park. It also inspired the twisting slide’s look, with bright stripes resembling its namesake snake. Better yet, that’s just one of six total waterslides you can enjoy at the waterpark, which also includes a splash playground for the younger set and the Aquabar for food and drinks for the whole family.
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And like many of the other resorts with water parks in the Caribbean, cool amenities abound at this property with 399 guest rooms and suites: There’s also a private beach, four pools, nine different dining outlets, an on-site dive center for snorkeling and scuba diving, and a spa where you can enjoy treatments in thatch-roofed cabanas on the beach.
8. Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
You can do more than waste the day away with a margarita at this classic all-inclusive Caribbean resort in Nassau resort from Jimmy Buffett’s hospitality brand. The Fins Up Water Park at Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau offers plenty of water sports action on its four water slides, FlowRider boogie board simulator, and 10-foot dive board that sends guests splashing into an ultra-deep pool.
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But since this is Margaritaville, you can also take it easy with a float in the lazy river or a dip in the zero-entry pool. The resort also offers access to a stretch of white-sand beach and offers amenities like the Parakeets Kid’s Club for young guests, St. Somewhere Spa for the grownups, and dining options the whole family will enjoy.
9. El Conquistador Resort
Fajardo, Puerto Rico
All 368 guest rooms and suites at El Conquistador Resort overlook the Caribbean Sea at this Puerto Rico family resort, which offers amenities like four pools, five restaurants and bars, an 18-hole golf course, and tennis courts.
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But it’s the on-site Coqui Water Park, with its high-octane speed slide and peaceful lazy river, that elevates it to one of the best Caribbean water park resorts, bar none. When you need a break from the water slide action, head to the water park’s infinity pool and admire its sweeping Caribbean views, or take one of the resort’s shuttle boats out to its 100-acre private island, where you can lounge on a white-sand beach with a drink in hand.
10. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
The all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana takes an all-inclusive approach to its Rockaway Bay Water Park, too, with 26 water slides that offer options for the whole family. Eight kid-friendly slides are just right for the little ones, nine slides offer fun for older kids and up, and nine high-speed water slides will really get your heart pounding.
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This Caribbean family resort with a waterpark also has a family pool for more low-key cool downs and a food truck area for refueling amidst all the activity. And for even more fun, the kids can head to the resort’s Hard Rock Roxity Kids Club for cooking classes, crafts, and games, while the adults can take an exercise class at the fitness center or lounge at one of the many pools.
What to pack for Caribbean family resorts with water parks
For stays at resorts in the Caribbean with water parks, there are a few extra things you should definitely pack. Since kids tend to want to head to the water park for at least some part of every day, not to mention pool and beach time, packing two to three bathing suits per person is a good idea.
Sunscreen that’s not a total pain to reapply throughout the day is another must, as are sun-blocking swim gear like rash guards and hats that don’t mind getting wet. And if you’re planning on joining in the fun and want to keep your phone with you for pictures, be sure to bring along a waterproof phone pouch.
