The best islands to visit with kids

Crete is first because no other kid-friendly island combines a 9 for beaches, a 9.5 for things to do and a value score of 8.6. Elafonisi, in the far southwest, is a shallow lagoon children can wade across to an islet, though it is packed at midday in summer. Older kids get Knossos and the boat to Spinalonga. Rooms in Chania started at $59 on January 13 and $112 on July 14, 2027. The catch is the trip: you fly via Athens, and the island is 162 miles (260 km) long, so pick one half and rent a car.

Barbados is a close second on weather (9.5) and access: nonstops come from 8 US airports, and the south coast hotels are near the airport. On the west coast, Mullins Bay and Paynes Bay are usually flat, and Miami Beach at Enterprise has a calm side for small children. It loses ground on crowds, with more than 700,000 stay-over visitors in 2025, and on January prices: $140 on the south coast against $92 in July. Keep children off the east coast at Bathsheba, where rip currents make swimming dangerous.

Antigua's 9 for beaches is the reason it ranks third. The leeward west and southwest coasts are calm, and Pigeon Point near English Harbour is small, sheltered and shallow. Dickenson Bay has gentle water and beach bars. Five US airports fly nonstop, though JetBlue's JFK flight is listed as ending October 31, 2026. What holds it back is a 7 for things to do and the price of sand: a town room was $99 in January, but the cheapest beach-area room was $222. Bring a passport book with 180 days of validity; passport cards are not accepted.

Fiji ties Antigua at 8.0 thanks to two perfect scores: value (10) and room to breathe (10). Nadi rooms were $31 and $39 on our dates, but those are transit hotels. The calm lagoons and kids' clubs are on the Mamanuca islands, a boat ride from Denarau, and those resorts cost much more. Fiji Airways flies nonstop from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu, so there is no connection from the West Coast. Avoid January and February: the 2026-27 cyclone outlook is above average. June, July and September score best in our data.

Oahu has the strongest weather score here (9.7) and no passport requirement, with nonstops from 28 US airports. For small children, Waikiki's gentle surf, the protected swimming area at Ala Moana Beach Park and the man-made lagoons at Ko Olina all work. Waikiki also had the cheapest rooms in Hawaii: $139 on January 13 and $169 on July 14, 2027. Crowds pull it down (3.9), since Oahu drew more than 5.6 million air visitors in 2025. In winter, keep children out of the water on the North Shore, where the surf is lethal.

St. Thomas is the easiest no-passport Caribbean island on this list: 16 US airports fly nonstop, and the cheapest 3-star room was $93 on both of our dates. Magens Bay is a deep, sheltered horseshoe with calm, shallow water, and Coki Beach sits next to Coral World Ocean Park. A 6.5 for things to do keeps it mid-table, and its crowd score is not counted because no reliable island-only visitor figure exists. Cruise days fill Magens Bay, so check the port calendar. Only mineral sunscreen is legal in the USVI.

Aruba has the best weather score on the list (9.8) and a 9 for beaches. Palm Beach has the shallowest water on the hotel strip, and Baby Beach near San Nicolas is an enclosed lagoon that suits toddlers. It also sits south of the main hurricane track: only two hurricane centers passed within 50 nautical miles since 1950. It drops to seventh on price and crowds. The cheapest 3-star room near Eagle and Palm Beach was $203 in January, and 1.5 million stay-over visitors share 69 square miles. Everyone 8 and over pays a $20 fee through the online ED card.

Mallorca scores 9 for things to do, the highest here after Crete: Palma's old town, the wooden Sóller train ($44.90 (€40) round trip with the tram) and the Tramuntana villages. For small children, Playa de Muro and the bay of Alcúdia are long, shallow and sandy. United flies seasonally from Newark, starting March 28, 2027. Crowds sink it (3.8): Mallorca had more than 13.5 million tourists in 2025. Rooms in Palma were $68 in January and $135 in July, and many north-coast resorts close for winter.

Grand Cayman has a perfect access score, with nonstops from 20 US airports including Los Angeles, and a Level 1 US travel advisory. Seven Mile Beach is usually calm right in front of the hotels, and Starfish Point has knee-deep water where children can see starfish. Stingray City works for every age. Value is what pulls it down to ninth: the cheapest 3-star-rated room on Seven Mile Beach was $337 on January 13, the highest January price on this list, and $217 in July. Condos with kitchens help a family budget.

Naxos earns its place with an 8.5 for beaches. Agios Georgios, on the edge of Naxos Town, is a shallow, sheltered bay where children can wade far out, and the west coast continues in sandy bays to Plaka. Rooms in town were $91 in January and $122 in July. Access is its weakness (3.6): fly to Athens, then take a short flight or a ferry of about 3.5 to 5.5 hours. The summer north wind can roughen the exposed bays, and many hotels close from November to April.