Iberostar Paraíso Maya

Have you ever cried when leaving a vacation?
I legit had tears in my eyes when we had to leave the Iberostar Paraíso Maya.
The boys could have stayed here F O R E V E R if we let them.

At the 5-star, all-inclusive Iberostar Paraíso Maya we didn’t even feel a want to leave the resort.
They did have super helpful concierge that are happy to book excursions if you’d like, but we stayed + took advantage of all that it had to offer.
Food, ferris wheel, shopping center, beach front cafe, unlimited soft serve ice cream cones + happy hour (every hour).
Fantastic shows, (loved the Circus that Star Camp put on), opportunities to discover new hobbies with classes + recreational activities galore.
Hello Bow Hunting + horse back riding?!
We watched 4 weddings on the beach + saw a mariachi band sing the sun down.

We chose ALL INCLUSIVE! We didn’t have to bring food, plan a trip to the grocery store, or worry about renting a car. The boys thought they were in heaven ordering nachos + pina coladas for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Room service is any/every hour of the day as well. You pay per guest + then the rest is taken care of. Such a easy way to travel with a family, or couple!

But you know the realllllll winning factor for why we chose The Iberostar Paraíso Maya!?! I’m sure you saw it on my IG STORY,
Star Camp!!

It’s their kids’ is a program that includes more than 140 activities divided into 12 categories: physical leisure activities; precision and accuracy activities; team sports; social events; group challenges; activities related to the surroundings; artistic expression; creative handicrafts; board games, learning activities; polyvalent activities and shows; scientific activities and technology-based activities!

I’ll be the first to tell you that vacationing with kids is no walk in the park, but seeking out places that they encourage + welcome kids has been game changing.

Kids are grouped by ages:
Monkeys: targets children aged between 4 and 7 years
Dolphins is for those between ages 8 and 12
Eagles group 13 to 17-year-olds

Jack was too young, but they let him go play when we stayed there, Jonah + Rigg were in the same class, which we loved!

On arrival at the Star Camp: each of the kids receive a passport kit containing equipment that will enable them to live their Iberostar adventure to the fullest + identify them as a member of their group. Once they have finished their activities, the younger children in the Monkeys and Dolphins groups will stamp the ‘countries’ they have visited (identifying the various intelligences or aptitudes) on their very own passport, while the older children in the Eagles group will receive colored bracelets for the various tasks (and intelligences) they complete.

To raise group awareness + encourage teamwork, Iberostar has also created exclusive + personalized spaces for the Monkeys, Dolphins + Eagles groups, providing each child with a venue to meet up and have fun with young people of their own age!

They delivered a sheet to our room each morning with the activities for the day. You can drop in whenever or stay all day!

We were shocked on how massssive this resort truly is. It’s like it’s own private island. They have golf carts that will take you place to place, or stunning walking paths. We ended up taking our stroller, so we didn’t golf cart much. Just check in + check out. The boys loved the kid pools that had so many options for EVERY age!

The private beach was a walk away. On our beach days I would go down before the boys woke up + meditate for the sunrise. I’d then save us a couple of chairs for the day because that place fills up fast! They have hamburgers + hotdogs, nachos + GUACCC as well as a full bar right down there for easy meals!

We hit the beach in the morning, then went back at night to throw the football when it cleared out until the sun went down. This is where we had a front row seat to not one or two or three but FOUR weddings! Just absolutely stunning!

I think I’m going to get more into traveling with kids + share some of the tips I’ve learned along the way. But for now, just remember that perspective is everything! It has made the world of difference in our traveling adventures. Chaos is an adventure away if you swap your outlook! I am not so high strung, but learning to be more open to changing plans (hello flying to dubai alone) + following their lead for activities has been helpful! We follow with kid of the day even on vacation so they each get turns choosing (what’s for dinner, where we go to swim first, etc.) I’ll get more into it later, but for now I’d encourage you to get outside of your comfort zone + watch your kids come to life in new adventures!