Article written by Wendy Helfenbaum.
Kids of all ages – and their parents – will love spending the day in an outdoor water park, surrounded by sun, sand and the sea. Whether you prefer a lazy river or adrenaline-pumping adventures, here are our picks for some of the most fun spots in the Caribbean.
Aruba Water Park (Aruba)
Complete with it’s own lagoon, families can enjoy waterslides, fountains and more; photo courtesy of the Aruba Water Park.
Known as ‘One Happy Island’, Aruba boasts fabulous beaches, a dry climate and a region that’s usually safe from hurricanes.
Further inland, surrounded by gorgeous natural landscape, visitors can enjoy Aruba Water Park. With 11 thrilling waterslides, mushroom fountains, a huge water dump bucket and three pools – including a calm lagoon – it’ll keep the family busy for hours.
Children under three get free admission, and the waterpark now offers round-trip transportation from hotels around the island, making it easier to get everyone to the destination.
Baha Bay (Nassau + Paradise Island)
Kid sized slides at Turtle Beach, just one section of the huge waterpark at Baha Mar; photo courtesy of Baha Bay.
This sprawling, 15-acre oceanfront waterpark overlooks Cable Beach in Nassau, and has splash-tastic options for toddlers through thrill-seeking teens.
At Turtle Beach, little ones have kid-sized slides, shallow pools and fountains. Stingray Cove features water curtains, a massive tipping bucket, a water battle zone and three fun slides. Pirate’s Plunge offers exhilarating aqua adventures with twists, turns, and curves, while Thunderball’s 79-foot freefall is designed to thrill.
Adrenaline junkies will love Devil’s Backbone, with its super-fast 360-degree loops, and families can race each other’s rafts on the Dueling Riptide Coaster through dark tunnels and down steep hills. Two more rides – Cyclone Rush and Hammerhead – move guests at blazing speed. Need a break? There’s also a lazy river, wave pool and surf simulator.
Pirates Island Water Park (Jamaica)
Great for kids of all ages, Pirate Island Ocho Rios has 11 slides in total, including 6 kiddie slides, a tube, body and speed slide. Photo courtesy of Undercover Tourist.
Two Beaches resorts in Jamaica give guests access to fantastic water fun.
Along Negril’s seven-mile beach, an 18,000-square-foot water park features seven attractions including a turbo tube slide, a 650-foot lazy river plus a splash deck. For the young ones, there are five smaller rides, pop-up water jets plus a drop bucket at Turtle & Fish.
At the Ocho Rios property, Pirate Island spreads out over 27,000 square feet, with three huge water slides for the big kids and tamer ones for the little ones. Guests can blast water cannons, cross the sea creature stepping stones or take in the many waterfalls. There’s also a fun net bridge to navigate over the water.
Rascals Water Park (Barbados)
Regardless of age, this floating waterpark has some fun and challenging experiences; photo courtesy of Rascals of Barbados
Rascals Waterpark – the largest aqua park in the world – is a floating festival of fun in the heart of Bridgetown, Barbados on the island’s west coast.
The inner circuit of inflatable water attractions including splash pads is designed for younger children, while the outer circuit features bigger slides, jumps and obstacle courses. From trampolines to climbing frames, slippery steps and more, the whole family will enjoy the experience.
All-day waterpark access also includes life jackets, beach chairs, umbrellas, rum punch for the adults and juice for the kids. There are plenty of shaded areas to escape the hot sun.
Splash Island Water Park (Saint Lucia)
This water park’s many obstacle-course style features is a must do for families and groups; photo courtesy of Splash Island Water Park.
Located on the popular Reduit Beach on the northwest coast of Saint Lucia, Splash Island was the Eastern Caribbean’s first open-water inflatable sports park.
This obstacle course provides plenty of fun for the whole family, and includes brightly colored climbing wall, monkey bars, a trampoline, a slide, a swing, balance beams and pyramids, plus water volleyball and other games. Children must be six and older to use the facility, and wear life jackets while using the water park.
Pro tip: The most fun happens when you fall off one of the obstacles into the clear turquoise sea below.
Editor’s Note: Another must visit waterpark in Saint Lucia is CocoLand at Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, offering a large activity pool, a lazy river and exciting waterslides.
Article by Wendy Helfenbaum. Wendy Helfenbaum is a Montreal-based freelance journalist who writes about travel and lifestyle for dozens of publications.
Throughout her career as a journalist, freelance writer and television producer, she’s written and produced print or television features on a wide variety of topics, including news, business, health and fitness, parenting, celebrity profiles, art, home decor, entertainment, sports, consumer affairs, philanthropy and corporate incentive travel.
Wendy is President of Take Two Productions Inc., a freelance writing, television production and translation solutions company in Montreal, Quebec. She works with clients in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
