Family-friendly fun is never hard to find in Punta Cana, where no less than 75 all-inclusive resorts (by zzdtravel's count) promise easy access to awesome beaches for swimming and snorkeling and pools that seem to go on forever. These seven Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts with water parks take their kid-friendliness to the next level, offering everything from pools decked out with sprinklers and slides to full-blown splash kingdoms, speed slides, and lazy rivers. Some are like elaborate aquatic playgrounds for younger ages; others are wild, wet adventures for thrill seekers looking to whoosh down nerve-rattling chutes. From the Nickelodeon Punta Cana to the Grand Sirenis, take a look at the best family-friendly all-inclusives with water parks for kids in Punta Cana.
The kid-approved water park at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana.
The sparkling Nickelodeon Punta Cana might just take the cake when it comes to kids’ resorts in Punta Cana. As expected from a property backed by one of the most popular children’s networks in the world, amenities here are ridiculously fun. There are beach dance parties; character breakfasts with Dora the Explorer, PAW Patrol Pups, and — of course — Mr. SpongeBob himself; plus daily chances to get slimed. The kids’ club, Just Kidding, is tricked out with an enormous ball pit (kids can access it by way of a two-story slide), tons of Nickelodeon toys, and staff supervised activities like slime-making classes. The Nickelodeon Punta Cana’s centerpiece, however, is the large Aqua Nick water park. It’s packed with winding waterslides, splash pads, spray tubes, fountains, a canopied jungle gym, interconnected pools, a lazy river, and — a highlight for any Nick lover — daily group slimings.
One of the water park areas at Memories Splash Punta Cana.
Home to what’s billed as the largest resort water park in the Caribbean, the Grand Memories Splash is kid heaven. The park includes multiple big slides — including the steep Kamikaze, the spiraling Black Hole, a centrifugal-force-packed “tornado” slide, and a four-lane racer — that deposit thoroughly drenched swashbucklers and parents into shallow pools. On the half-pipe slide, tubers swing back and forth before coming to rest at the bottom. Water lovers looking to kick back at a gentler pace can float in the sloping wave pool. There’s a lagoon-shaped kiddie pool as well, which is kitted out with a daisy sprinkler, a splash bucket, and mini-slides of all shapes and sizes.
Some of the big slides at the Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Aquagames.
The staggeringly large Grand Sirenis Punta Cana has a water park that’s equally enormous. The 130,000-square-foot Sirenis Aquagames is free for all guests — unlike some water parks, parents can take the plunge, too. Slides include a multi-lane speed slide (also known as the Aquaracer), wrapping water tubes, open toboggans, a plummeting free-fall twister, and a spinning bowl that spits you out into a shallow pool. Kiddos with a daredevil streak can brave the vertical Kamikaze (parents, fret not—all slides are supervised by resort staff). Smaller kids can stick to the less wild pools, including a pirate-themed pool with smaller slides, sprinklers, splash barrels and an ankle-deep lagoon pool with a palm-tree shower.
The kids’ pool at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana.
You might assume that the Hard Rock Punta Cana all-inclusive is a hard-drinking, here-for-a-wild-time kind of place. Yes, there is a nightclub and an edgy rock-and-roll vibe is found throughout, but the reality is that the Hard Rock is a vast luxury property with something for everyone. That includes families with young children. The kids’ pool (one of 13 pools at the resort) features giant looping water slides, and a weekly pool party for kids that includes a DJ, foam, and pool floats. Magic shows, water and arcade games, boogie boarding, sandcastle-building, snorkeling, treasure hunts, face-painting, balloon art, and mini-golf are all on the line-up as well.
The waterslides at Fantasia Bahia Principe Punta Cana.
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Fantasia Bahia Principe Punta Cana is a Disney property. While it isn’t, the castle-inspired decor here makes it every bit as kid-friendly as one. Part of the four-resort Bahia Principe mega-complex, the property has its own restaurants, a kids’ club, a gigantic pool with jetted tubs, mini-golf, and go-carting. Bahia’s water park follows the whimsical castle motif with twisty slides, turrets, sprayers, bridges, and soaking buckets. When not romping in the water, kids can take part in whatever the animation staff has going on: songs, games, dancing, face-painting, balloon animals, circus performances, and magic shows. There’s also a beautiful white-sand beach, where an hour of snorkeling, kayaking, or boogie boarding is free. The huge property can be a lot for little legs to handle, but there’s shuttle service for getting from point to point.
The kid-friendly water park at Iberostar Selection Bavaro.
When kids need a break from the waves (and the seaweed that’s an occasional issue in the region), the beachfront Iberostar Selection Bavaro is an all-suites resort with a vast pool complex. This includes a separate area dedicated to the little ones. Anchoring the kids’ pool is a colorful pirate ship with buckets, slides, valves, portholes, platforms, and aquatic animal figurines in the shallow water. It’s not a full-blown water park like some of the other properties on this list, but guests regularly report that it’s a huge hit with their kids and grandkids. Other popular activities here include the indoor mini club with foosball and video games, as well as a coral nursery, an escape room, mini-golf, and magic shows.
The slides and splash zones at the Aqua Fun Park at Grand Reserve Paradisus Palma Real.
If the monster main pool or swim-out pools at the Grand Reserve at Paradisus Palm Real seem not quite kid-friendly, rest easy. The resort’s Aqua Fun Park offers plenty of kid-pleasing fun. The Grand Reserve itself is part of the larger Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real, and provides a more exclusive experience. Its Aqua Fun Park caters to kids of all ages, with a baby pool, a play pool with smaller slides and equipment for toddlers, and a separate area for bigger kids, with giant water-dumping buckets, coiling tunnel slides, and shooting water jets.
The lazy river and kid-friendly slides at Royalton Bavaro Resort & Spa All-Inclusive
You won’t find big slides, climbing nets, or water cannons at the beachfront Royalton Bavaro all-inclusive. However, its many great pools — including a 1,200-foot lazy river with caves and a grotto bar — plus a FlowRider wave machine earn it a special shoutout.
OutdoorMaster Kids Swimming Goggles
To save yourself from a potential episode when your little one inevitably gets water in their eyes, it might be best to snag some eye protection before your trip.
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