With its breathtaking beaches and amazing resorts, there’s no denying that Jamaica is an ideal vacation destination. If you’re looking for some down time by the pool, there is plenty of that. But if you’re looking for some heart racing water slides or endless hours of entertainment at the kids splash pad, you’ll also have some great options while in Jamaica.
If you want to experience one of the best water parks in Jamaica, make sure you book at one of the resorts below!
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Day Pass Only Water Parks in Jamaica
Unfortunately, there are no longer any independent water parks that are located off resort on the island of Jamaica. There were previously two: Kool Runnings Water Park in Negril and Wata Land Eco Fun Park.
Kool Runnings says it’s still available as a venue to be booked out, but is no longer open for daily operations. Their website is no longer working but the announcement is still posted on their Facebook page.
Given the existing slides and pools on site, I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone buy this property and re-open the park. I’ll keep watching to see if it’s able to reopen.
Hotels with the Best Water Parks in Jamaica
Fear not! While it’s disappointing to see that the independent water parks haven’t been able to survive, it’s probably because many of the resorts on the island have their own water parks and they’re pretty good! If you’re staying at one of these resorts, you’ll have a built in water park steps from your room.
Pirates Island Water Park at Beaches Ocho Rios
The Pirates Island Water Park is part of the Beaches Ocho Rios resort. It’s one of the largest water parks on the island at 27,000 square feet. The park has eleven slides in total with a mix of tube and body slides. There are five slides which have a height restriction of 42” but that still leaves plenty for the smaller kids. For the little ones there is a toddlers play area as well as slides, a lazy river and plenty of pool space to use with the whole family.
It should also be mentioned that the ocean is only steps away from the water park which is a pretty unbeatable feature.
The water park is open from 10AM to 5PM which should provide huge relief in the peak of the midday unrelenting Caribbean heat. The water park is only open to guests of the resort but since it’s all inclusive, there is no additional charge for the water park.
It’s clear that Beaches has done their research and learned that water parks are an awesome attraction for families with young kids. Especially in the Caribbean.
For a quick video tour, I found this YouTube video:
Pirates Island Water Park at Beaches Negril
Similar to the Beaches Ocho Rios, the Beaches Negril also has a Pirates Island Water Park. While this one is smaller at only 18,000 square feet it’s still one of the best water parks on the island. In fact, it’s probably part of the reason that Kool Runnings wasn’t able to survive. This resort is nearby Kool Runnings, but with a water park like this right on the resort, there is no reason to visit another water park nearby.
This water park features seven slides in total which includes two large slides targeted at the thrill seekers in your group! But do keep in mind that the two large slides have height restrictions of 42”. One of the slides is open while the other is fully enclosed for a dark ride down to the bottom.
One fun part about the kids play structure is that it includes a large water bucket which drops and pours over a seat set up specifically to get you soaked! This looks like fun but could be a bit shocking to really young kids. Thankfully there are plenty other things for the young ones to do like kids slides and spraying water all over the place. There is also a smaller splash pad for the youngest kids.
For people looking for a slower pace, there is also a lazy river running throughout the water park.
The Pirates Island Water Park in Negril is open an additional hour vs the Ocho Rios location. It’s open from 10AM to 6PM in the evening.
This water park is also located steps from the ocean and is included for all guests of the resort.
For a full video tour of the resort, you can watch the video below. If you’re like me and looking specifically for the water park tour, skip ahead to 6:40 into the video.
Sugar Mill Falls at Hilton Rose Hall
The Hilton Rose Hall resort is set on 400 acres and includes the Sugar Mills Falls water park. The resort has many amenities to keep you busy, but you will find me by the water park. This water park is connected by a massive pool / lazy river and features one main slide as well as three smaller slides which all connect through smaller pools. The main slide is a 280 feet long tube slide with the three smaller slides being body slides.
While this water park isn’t as jammed packed with attractions like some of the other ones one the list, it’s truly sprawling and has plenty of seating for parents to relax poolside. One of the best parts is that it’s also perched on the edge of a beautiful beach.
Royalton White Sands Jamaica
The water park at the Royalton White Sands Resort in Jamaica is located in the heart of the resort. The water park is pretty large for a resort specific water park. It has a tower of water slides, a pirate themed kids play structure and a lazy river.
One important thing to note is that there are two resorts which share amenities here. The water park is located at the Royalton White Sands while the lazy river is at the Royalton Blue Waters.
The pirate themed kids play structure is pretty impressive with slides all around, water cannons and multiple tipping buckets. All of that is set in a shallow pool for the kids to run around and cool off in.
The lazy river here looks newly constructed and nice, but it is pretty small and sterile compared to some of the other really unique lazy rivers on this list.
Jewel Lagoon at Jewel Runaway Bay Resort
Jewel Lagoon at Jewel Runaway Bay Resort is a respectable water park, although it looks like it has become somewhat dated compared to some of the newer water parks on this list.
The kids play structure is in a shallow pool and has multiple slides and water spraying all around. They have a selection of slides depending on how fast you want to go. Their signature ride is a two person tube ride (the yellow one in the photo above) but they also have some faster body slides and some smaller slides for kids of all ages. The water park features a lazy river which runs throughout the park.
Day passes are not available for this water park but it is included for guests staying at the resort.
Pirates Paradise Waterpark at Sunset Beach Resort – formerly Sunscape Splash Montego Bay
This water park was formerly known as Sunscape Splash Montego Bay, but has since been rebranded. While the name has changed, the features and amenities of the water park seem to be unchanged.
This water park is only available for guests of the hotel, but if you’re staying here it’s a respectable water park for the size of the resort. It has a sunken pirate ship for kids to climb explore, two slides and an impressive lazy river. The lazy river takes you throughout the water park which is designed as a small town. All of this is connected through a large pool.
This is far from the best water park I’ve seen, but if you’re looking for a relatively affordable resort that has a water park – this could be it!
Frequently Asked Questions about Water Parks in Jamaica
What is the Best Water Park in Jamaica?
In my view there is no clear winner for the best water park in Jamaica, but I am really impressed with the water parks at the Beaches resorts. The water park at Beaches Ocho Rios is the bigger of the two Pirates Island water parks in Jamaica, but the Beaches Negril is pretty comparable and only slightly smaller. If you pick either of these options, you’ll be in for a treat.
What is Jamaica’s Biggest Water Park?
It used to be Kool Runnings but since that closed down, the biggest water park is now Pirates Island Water Park at Beaches Ocho Rios. It is a 27,000 square foot water park and is set on a 22 acre property. There are other resorts with larger pools and lazy rivers, but this water park has the biggest combination of slides and attractions.
Does Jamaica Have Water Parks?
Absolutely! It has six water parks, but they are all located on resorts. If you are staying at a resort that doesn’t have a water park on site, you’re out of luck.
If you enjoyed this, please check out my other water park research here.