The Best Caribbean Islands for Family Vacations

You can take a great family vacation anywhere in the Caribbean. But some islands have a certain innate family-friendliness, an added level of comfort and ease that make a trip particularly well suited for a family traveling together, whether due to well-developed infrastructure or thoughtful hotels.

Because the same trip that’s exotic and alluring for a couple won’t always be for a family, with different considerations to think about. How easy is it to get there? How many flights are there? What’s it like getting around? Is it safe? Are there hotels geared toward families?

Of course, there are different kinds of family vacations. Sometimes you’re looking for an easy beach getaway that helps you and your kids relax; other times it’s all about giving the whole group a memorable adventure.

Ultimately, though, if you’re traveling with your family you want that extra degree of comfort and convenience, a bit of a retreat from the hassle that can all too often come with traveling as a unit while managing to find something to make everyone in the group happy and engaged.

To compile our 2017 list of the best islands for families, we looked at a variety of factors, including airport and transportation infrastructure, quality of airlift, ease of navigation on island, breadth of attractions, beach and natural beauty and the proportion and quality of hotels well suited for family travel.

Here are the best Caribbean islands for families right now.

Aruba The Dutch Caribbean’s tourism capital has managed to create what is right now the most family friendly destination in the region, thanks to a surfeit of comfortable, well-managed hotels (like the Aruba Marriott and the Hilton), some of the world’s best beaches, great transportation infrastructure and a wide number of nonstop flights.