Tucked away in the Dominican Republic's quiet fishing town of Michès is a tropical haven awaiting families seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives.
The 75-minute drive from the Punta Cana airport winds through a diverse landscape of lush green fields and towering mountains, setting the stage for your final destination — Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, the newest resort in the Club Med collection.
This eco-chic, all-inclusive hideaway offers the perfect mix of relaxation and fun with an emphasis on connecting families to the environment ... and each other.
Family-friendly escape
Playa Esmeralda's 93-acre property is comprised of four boutique villages, with Explorer Cove catering to active and multigenerational families and Caribbean Paradise appealing to families with teens.
Boasting 2,000 feet of pristine beach where families can pull up a lounge chair or nap in a surfside cabana, enjoy a dip in the calm surf, or take advantage of the activities included with the all-inclusive package, the resort is also home to four pools, three of which — the main, family, and mini club pools — are perfect for families.
When it comes to meals and entertainment, a plethora of culinary choices will appeal to even the pickiest of eaters in your family and the options to keep everyone amused … unlimited. Think kid-friendly movies, music, trapeze lessons, and more.
If its family time, recreation, atmosphere, and leisure you're looking for here is why Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda will not disappoint. Here are five reasons we love it:
1. Amazing families program
Through a multigenerational family vacation research study, Club Med found the majority of families surveyed identified "family togetherness" and "intergenerational bonding" as two main factors in determining a location and destination for their next family vacation.
Club Med's answer to these findings? The Amazing Families Program, developed in an effort to provide families with opportunities to bond over and create memories together through shared experiences.
The Amazing Families program consists of five daily activities — Time to Splash, Time to Play, Time to Quest, Time to Recharge, and Happy Family Time — featuring opportunities for parents and their children to connect over fun like water volleyball, giant board games, family yoga, treasure hunts, or trapeze lessons.
2. Family-Friendly Accommodations
Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda offers a variety of room options depending on your family's needs. Choose a suite with two bedrooms and separate bathrooms for kids and parents. Or reserve a deluxe room with a king-sized bed and additional couch for younger children.
No matter what you choose, the accommodations here are bright and comfortable, and just the place to lay your head after a busy day of activities or a lazy day at the beach or pool.
3. Kids Club
While the focus is on family togetherness, luckily Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda realizes parents and children need some time for themselves! The Kids Clubs — for children ages 4 months to 17 — are a definite bonus.
Kids can challenge themselves on a rope course, relax at movie night, or head to the pool and splash park with Kids Club staff.
In other words, you can feel anything but guilty about sneaking away for an afternoon massage at Cinq Mōndes Spa or a casual lunch and cocktails for just the two of you at Coco Plum.
4. The secret chocolate room at Cacao & Co.
Like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, there is no shortage of sweets at resort restaurant Cacao & Co. Children will gladly eat their veggies for the chance to sample the chocolate treats provided in partnership with Xocolat, a family business with 70 years of chocolate-making experience.
But first they must solve the clues provided to them throughout dinner at Cacao & Co. to reveal the entrance code. Once they find the location and input the secret code at the entrance, magical doors will open to reveal the dessert buffet of their dreams.
5. The focus on sustainability
Kids are never too young to learn about the importance of caring for our environment, and Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda was designed with sustainability in mind. Besides its efforts to create a minimal footprint and impact on the natural environment, the resort provides opportunities for its guests to learn about these efforts.
From educational mini-sessions and its Bye Bye plastics initiative (spoons made out of avocados!), to its Kids Club Little Gardeners' Shed, and opportunities to work in the community garden, families will leave knowing they vacationed responsibly while working to reduce their carbon footprint in the process.
