When vacationing with kids, at least with our kids, the first question out of their mouth when we check in is ‘where is the pool?’ At Hawks Cay the question is which pool to try first?
The freeform shaped Resort Pool is the main pool and was within walking distance from our villa. The kids loved the organized activities. The pool staff was great, remembering the names of kids and joking with them; it was a nice fun feeling. Although the Beach Grill is right around the corner from the Resort Pool, guests can order drinks and snacks right from their lounge chair and have them delivered. Now that’s a vacation.
I love the filtered water stations Hawks Cay has placed throughout the resort. With our Hawks Cay stainless steel water bottles (picked up at the resort gift shop), the kids were able to rehydrate all day right by the pool.
Over by the Kid’s Indies Club area we stumbled upon two other great family pools: the Pirate Ship pool and the Indies pool. The Indies Pool was actually quieter than the Resort Pool, at least during our visit, and it was a nice way to spend an afternoon, especially if you didn’t feel like getting involved with the pool games.
If you were to ask my 5 and 7 year old what their favourite pool was, the Pirate Pool would win, hands down. With cannons that shot water, a tunnel through a ship to crawl through and small slides to swoosh down, who could blame them? My kids were occupied for hours pretending and playing various seaworthy games. Since the Pirate Ship pool and the Indies pool were located within the kid’s area (a gated space), the kids could also pop into the Indies’s Club for crafts and activities if they wanted too.
Pools are great but I’m also a fan of wading into a sandy-bottom beach. Although Hawks Cay doesn’t offer guests traditional beach access, their Saltwater Lagoon is even nicer. You could swim, snorkel for little fish, try a little paddle boating or just play in the sand that surrounds and fills the lagoon. Unlike the pools, the lagoon offers a zero entry access, which is great for younger kids who are too small for the pools but still want to play in the water. Like most resort pools, there is a large collection of lounge chairs at the water’s edge but you’ll probably want to sneak one of the more secluded umbrella seating areas around the lagoon. Sitting there transports you to a Caribbean destination, with drink service.
Read our whole review on our experience at the Hawks Cay family resort in the Florida Keys, including their villas, their great restaurants, and the kids club and activities.