Top 17 Family-Friendly Beach Resorts for Unforgettable Vacations

Beach vacations with the family are the best. Visiting a seaside destination means building sand castles, collecting shells, and swimming in the ocean. Moreover, staying at a resort with first-class service, ample amenities, and on-site restaurants makes everything a whole lot easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Parents and kids will find tons to do together, but guests can also peel off for some age-appropriate fun thanks to kids clubs and adults-only spots. Consequently, family beach resorts offer ideal combinations of activities and relaxation.

1. Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth, St. Barts

Yes, Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth ranks among the largest and most luxurious resorts on St. Barts. However, what makes it so fantastic for families is the long list of vacation-making amenities. These include two pools, sandy beaches with wave-free water, paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing lessons, tennis courts, babysitting services, and the Rosewood Explorers club for kids ages four to 11 years old. Plus, the resort has sumptuous suites that can accommodate up to seven guests.

2. Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica

The splurge-worthy Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo is tricked out with every conceivable amenity for a fabulous family beach vacation. It has a stellar kids club as well as a teen clubhouse. While youngsters climb the jungle gym and play soccer, parents can sip cocktails in a shaded cabana by the adults-only pool or on a daybed feet from the ocean. Surf lessons and nature walks are some of the many fun things everyone will have a blast doing together.

3. Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort, Sagres, Portugal

Surrounded by the sun-kissed beauty of the Algarve, Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort is tailor-made for families. Villas feature multiple bedrooms, kitchens, and washers and dryers. The kids club welcomes little jet-setters ages six months to 16 years old. There’s an epic playground, five swimming pools, and a beach hangout area with shaded loungers. Furthermore, the dedicated baby concierge allows parents to reserve must-haves such as bottle warmers, cots, and potties, all free of charge.

4. Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

The perfect place for families to relax in a beautiful natural setting, Banyan Tree Mayakoba also provides ample eco-oriented activities, so there’s no concern of anyone getting bored for even a second. Through the Rangers Kid’s Club, young guests get to swim in cenotes, go on boat tours of the canals, and even participate in paper recycling workshops. Where are parents during all of this? Sunning themselves on the sugar-fine beaches and getting massages at the spa. “The Banyan Tree Mayakoba works equally well for a family vacation and a romantic getaway, with private pool suites and villas overlooking the beach, lagoon, or golf course,” said an editorial director after a 2020 stay. “Don’t miss Saffron, the Thai restaurant with tables out on its floating docks.”

5. Montage Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, California

Perched atop a coastal bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Montage Laguna Beach is the ultimate Southern California destination for seaside luxury and family togetherness. Teens gravitate toward learning to skimboard and surf, while the whole family can enjoy exploring tidal pools or dolphin watching. The children’s program keeps kids engaged thanks to half and full-day sessions filled with crafts, games, and swimming. Paintbox Petit gives toddlers a chance to get in on the fun.

6. Turtle Bay Resort, O‘ahu, Hawaii

An unrivaled Hawaii holiday for keikis (kids) and adults, Turtle Bay Resort is a 1,300-acre vacation paradise on the North Shore of O‘ahu that’s chock-full of amenities that guarantee non-stop family fun. It showcases seven beaches, multiple pools, and a dizzying array of activities — from hanging ten with a pro surfer and horseback riding to hula lessons and paniolo luaus that celebrate Hawaiian cowboy culture.

7. Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan, Florida

Few places have the prestige or family vacation potential of Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. The Jonathan Adler-designed rooms and stress-melting massages win over parents, while the renovated kids club featuring a giant light-peg wall, virtual playground zone, sketch aquarium, magic mirror, and cinema for movie nights steals the show for children. Everyone will agree that the private beach and pool with a splash pad are awesome. All in all, it’s a solid option for those seeking to check into a fantastic family resort.

8. Kimpton Kitalay Samui, Ko Samui, Thailand

Admittedly, long-haul travel with kiddos can be stressful. However, when the final destination is the Kimpton Kitalay Samui, it’s worth the effort. This oceanfront resort flaunts four restaurants, spacious suites, and a pampering spa for parents. Younger guests will go wild for the kids club playground, splash park, and swimming pool with waterslides. Scavenger hunts, homemade coconut ice cream, sandcastle building, and tie-dye classes rank high on the list of things little ones love, too.

9. Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Don’t let the name fool you, the five-star Jumeirah Beach Hotel is very much a resort — one with five temperature-controlled pools, more than a mile-long stretch of private sand, and a kids club that offers everything from swimming lessons to kite building. As though there wasn’t enough for families to do on the premise, a stay comes with complimentary transportation and entrance to Wild Wadi Waterpark.

10. Half Moon, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Half Moon is a 400-acre Salamander Hotel & Resort property in Montego Bay where guests embrace vacation mode by collecting shells on one of the three private beaches and watching baby sea turtles hatch on the sand (May through August). The colorful children’s village provides kids a safe, supervised place to climb on the playground and try age-appropriate activities like scavenger hunts, storytime, tennis, horseback riding, and sailing. The resort also has a family-friendly pool, equestrian center, and youth tennis clinics.

11. Oil Nut Bay, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Only accessible by boat or helicopter, Oil Nut Bay earns affection from families keen to get away from it all and closer to each other. Spread across 400 acres, this private island paradise shows off soft sand and calm waters in every direction, plus a beach club, three pools, tennis courts, water sports, and private villas. It’s also a hub of kid-friendly educational travel with an on-site rescue barn, an interactive nature center that teaches visitors about ocean conservation, and kid-focused programming.

12. Abi d’Oru Beach Hotel & Spa, Sardinia, Italy

More than just a dazzling honeymoon destination, the idyllic island of Sardinia is a great pick for families, too. Sitting on Marinella Beach in Porto Rotondo, Abi d’Oru Beach Hotel & Spa caters to younger guests with its kids club, water park, swimming pool, and playground. Furthermore, tennis, soccer, windsurfing, catamarans, sailing, and stand-up paddle boards tempt teens. There’s also a kids-only area and a special menu for little palettes in the main restaurant.

13. Grace Bay Club, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

The first and only luxury all-suite resort on the most beautiful beach in the world, Grace Bay Club is the ideal spot to create lasting memories. Besides sprawling accommodations, a family-friendly pool, and a photography concierge for frame-worthy snaps, this oceanfront resort supplies interactive educational travel experiences like conch farm field trips and foraging excursions for guests of all ages.

14. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Situated on a 483-acre former coconut plantation, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico stands out as an upscale choice for families who enjoy both relaxation and adventure with plenty of luxury. It has a wide variety of activities — from nature walks through bird sanctuaries to kayaking on the lake — plus multiple pools, breezy suites, water sports, two miles of beautiful Atlantic beachfront, a kids club, a nature center, an 18-hole golf course, and a spa.

15. Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Vedra Beach, Florida

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, which first opened in 1928, continues to be a family favorite. Guests have access to a sandy shoreline dotted with umbrellas and chairs, water sports, kids’ pools with wading areas and waterslides, multiple restaurants, a spa, two golf courses, and tennis courts. The activity schedule for kiddos ranges from crafts like making bracelets, sun catchers, and tissue paper tropical fish to beach clean-ups and oceanfront pony rides.

16. Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, Anguilla

Located on the idyllic island of Anguilla in the Lesser Antilles, Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club is a great spot for families. With seven restaurants and lounges, multiple pools, a splash pad, a kids club, a playground, live concerts at the amphitheater, and calm beaches, it’s virtually impossible to pack all the awesomeness into a single trip. Bonus: Direct charter flights to and from Westchester and Fort Lauderdale available exclusively to guests promise to cut down on the stress of traveling with kiddos.

17. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji, Savusavu, Fiji

Set along a white-sand beach on Savusavu Bay, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji is a hit with families thanks to its spellbindingly beautiful setting, laid-back pace, and a slew of interactive experiences led by the full-time Fijian naturalist and marine biologist. The complimentary kid’s program invites tots (children under five years old get assigned a designated nanny) to preteens to try rock pool exploration, hiking, glass-bottom boat tours, and treehouse hangouts.