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Gone are the days when Mexico was just a place for couples and spring-breakers. Now, nearly all Mexican resorts have multigenerational housing and kids' clubs. If you’re missing the Mexican lifestyle now that you’ve started a family, don’t worry. We’ve pulled together some of the best places to stay and things to do with your family during your next stay in Mexico.
Velas Vallarta Sea Turtle Experience
Take the animal lover in your life down to Velas Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta. The resort just announced its new sea turtle experience, where guests participate in conservation training, hatchling release nesting patrol and more. Available from June to December, the new program is an addition to many of the resort's other on-site behind-the-scenes Eco Tours. Participants of the tour will experience a talk-back on marine conservation, sea turtle biology and the day's itinerary. Prior to the sea turtle release at sunset, guests will receive a Sea Turtle Team In-Training t-shirt to wear when they release their hatchling to the sand that evening. Also available for kids at the Velas Vallarta is a newly renovated Kids Club, complete with new Xbox stations, air hockey and pool tables, as well as a non-alcoholic beverage station.
Solmar Hotels & Resorts
Solmar Hotels & Resorts recently announced new family and multigenerational travel experiences for groups in Los Cabos. At Playa Grande Resort & Spa kids can play mini golf and poolside games, while Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa offers young ones a Kid’s Club, complete with a mini theater, life-size treehouse and activities like clay sculpting, indoor yoga, kite making and t-shirt designs. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights the Kid’s Club offers theme nights, including treasure hunts, costume nights and camp fire stories. For an educational turn, have your family go on a Solmar Foundation tour, showcasing some of the work Solmar does to give back to less fortunate communities in Cabo. The tour takes participants to schools, a senior center and animal shelters. The resort is also only a 10-minute walk to the marina, offering families a variety of Ocean activities, and a short ride to downtown Cabo San Lucas.
Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya
Slated to open December of 2017, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, located on a white-sand beach facing the Caribbean Sea in Riviera Maya, will have 288 swim-up and infinity suites, each with its own pool on a private terrace or balcony. Other accommodations will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites, each with shared living spaces and private pools. Travel Agent’s Joe Pike got to explore the new Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana recently, where he noted that the Character Breakfast is where your child needs to be to experience all things Nickelodeon. Dine with characters like Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer and Boots, Marshall, Paw Patrol and more. Also within the resort is Nickelodeon Place, another spot for full-blown Nickelodeon love. Here, you’ll find Plaza Orange for entertainment and events, Character Central where your cartoon fan can meet their favorite characters throughout the day, the Just Kiddin’ hang out with programs for children ages four to 12 and a Sports and Entertainment Center for teens.
Xcaret Park
For families staying in Cancun, try a visit to Xcaret Park. Included in your admission for kids, Xcaret suggests visiting the butterfly pavilion, the wild bird aviary, the coral reef aquarium, Jaguar Island and the marine turtles exhibit. For an extra cost, try the Snuba excursion or the Adventure Kids package, where the little ones will meet stingrays up close and personal. Also in the park is the Xcaret Mexico Espectacular show, a horse exhibition, a pre-Hispanic dance show, a Sacred Mayan Journey recreation, a Mexican folk art museum, the Hacienda Henequenera 19th century mansion, and, if your family is brave enough, a Mexican cemetery. Don’t worry, though -- the cemetery is more of a whimsical look at architecture than things that go bump in the night. For more on Xcaret, visit www.xcaret.com.
Mexico City
When people think of traveling to Mexico, they often overlook visiting Mexico City. If your family gets bored on the beach there’s plenty for them to do in the capital of Mexico. Built on the site of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochitlan, there are a number of traditional Mexican attractions to keep your family busy. Try visiting the Chapultepec Park and Zoo, which has a lake and a castle to explore, as well as the chance to see over 2,000 types of animals. Take a boat ride through the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco, where your family can hear music from authentic Mariachi bands while exploring portions of the 50 miles of canals in Xochimilco on colorful trajineras boats. If you want to get indoors, head to the Papalote Museo del Niño, a children’s museum complete with hands-on, interactive experiences and exhibits about the human body, communications, the world, expressions and science. Another museum, Museo Nacional de Antropologia, has a “Flying Men” display outside the museum where four Totonac Indians dressed in native costume fly through the air and dance atop a giant pole.
Ziplines & River Rides Tours
An all day tour out of Mazaltan just might be the little bit of adventure your family’s been craving. The Canopy and River Super Combo offered by Mazatlan Tours will pick up your family from your Mazatlan hotel, cruise ship, condo or private home to take you the start of their 12-zip line course. Once you’ve made your way down the paths, your family will head for the Presidio River where you’ll kayak from Picachos Dam to Veranos Town. After the water, the tour stops at a local restaurant where an authentic Mexican lunch, included in your ticket price, will be available. For the adults, a tequila tasting will be offered as well. The tours are available for children ages four and up. Visit http://www.mazatlantours.org/zip-line-kayak-combo.htm for more info.
Cozumel Palace
Cozumel Palace is another all-inclusive resort fit to bring the kids to. Complete with a playroom, wireless Internet, a movie theater, and resort-offered snorkeling and swimming with the dolphins excursions, there’s something there for everyone in the family. Cozumel Palace is also only a 5-minute drive from San Miguel, the island’s largest town, where families can participate in walking tours, shopping, a Yucatecan cooking sampling, a submarine tour, sail a boat, or visit two national parks and multiple beach clubs. Also driving distance from Cozumel Palace: Rancho Universo horse sanctuary. 96 percent of Cozumel is natural jungle terrain, creating a prime environment for horseback riding and wild animal spottings.