How Club Med Cancun Caters to Families

For many family travelers, the words “Club Med” conjure up images of young singles frolicking on the beach with too many umbrella drinks and too little sunscreen. Whether that image was ever accurate is open to debate, but one thing is certain today: Club Med is a fantastic destination for families, particularly its Cancun Yucatan location.

In fact, the demographic comprises 75 percent of all guests at Club Med Cancun Yucatan, which is no surprise once you learn about the incredible number of activities and options available to them.

It begins with the spacious new beachfront family accommodations, tucked along the quietest shore of the resort. If you’re expecting two parallel queen beds, think again. Each room in this new facility feels like a presidential suite. Kids will delight at having their own bedroom and bathroom, and parents will luxuriate in the spacious master room with an adjoining dressing room and a separate shower, toilet and washroom. And if clients get a little sandy at the beach, they can always rinse off on the patio shower, available even in second- and third-floor rooms.

However tempting it is to lounge in your quarters, the many activities offered at Club Med Cancun Yucatan will quickly lure you outside for water-based fun. Snorkeling, windsurfing, wakeboarding, waterskiing and sailing — with full equipment and instruction provided — will keep families happy and drenched for as many days as they choose to stay. Tennis and basketball are also available, with frequent shuttles that quickly get guests where they need to go. The truly adventurous should try out the trapeze facility, where trained acrobats will show clients the ins and outs of circus magic.

But for all activities, those with older children should pay attention to the age restrictions. For example, waterskiing is only available for those ages 18 and over, and snorkeling is for ages 8 and above.

The signature experience of Club Med Cancun Yucatan is lounging on its white-sand beach along the beautiful surf. Guests can cool off in the water, have their photo taken with one of the many resident iguanas or simply relax under an umbrella while sipping a pina colada served by the helpful beach waiters. Club Med was the first beach resort in this area, and it shows — no other property on the peninsula can boast as beautiful a stretch of beach.

Families with toddlers will be pleased with the new Petit Club Med program, which provides full child care with many fun activities for 2 and 3 year olds. This new program supplements the existing children’s clubs that provide age-appropriate activities for kids 4 to 17.

Because the resort is all-inclusive, dining is easier than ever for active families. The centrally located La Hacienda provides easy meals throughout the day (kids can go whenever they want), with a buffet of international dishes and traditional Mexican cuisine. The large restaurant has five dining areas, decorated in the style of a colonial ranch. Meanwhile, Argentine restaurant La Estancia and eatery and bar Las Cazuelas, which serves traditional Mexican food, offer more upscale dining and are only available with reservations.

The fun isn’t limited to the resort, though. If clients are looking to explore the rich history of Mexico, two of the most famous Maya archaeological sites — at Tulum and Chichen Itza — are just a few hours from the resort and offer spectacular ruins with rich historical significance. Both sites are well worth the trip.

There are few children who won’t love the nightly performances put on by the GOs — Club Med lingo for the resort’s many helpful staffers — which include elaborate singing (usually lip-synced) with creative costumes, dancing and accompanying videos. On some days, kids are invited to perform with the staff.

Perhaps most important for parents to know: There are spa facilities offering long, luxurious massages that will do wonders on those many muscles worn out from the other resort activities. 

You might even want to bring an umbrella drink.

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