Welcome To Latin AmericaThings To Do In Latin America with Kids
With its generally friendly kid and baby friendly cultures and diverse array of experiences, Latin America has a lot to offer traveling families. From the beaches of Cozumel to the peaks of Machu Picchu to Argentine vineyards, there is something for everyone! Latin America with kids has the potential to be a memorable trip for parents and toddlers alike!
Top Things To Do In Latin America With Toddlers
Bébé's Top Latin America Hotels For Traveling Families
Four Seasons Buenos Aires, Argentina
From the second we walked into the Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires, we were treated with the utmost care and attention to detail. From our interactions with the staff to the way the room was set up and to the kids’ menu at the 5-star restaurant, it was clear that our 5-year-old son was just as welcome in the hotel as his parents.
Jaya Suite Machupicchu, Peru
Situated within 600 m of Machu Picchu Hot Spring and 2.5 km of Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, Jaya Machupicchu offers rooms in Machu Picchu. Popular points of interest around the property include Craft Market and Stadium. The family rooms include a fridge. Familes report having a great stay here.
San Angel Suites, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Within walking distance from the Harbour and main shops, San Angel Suites is located in the Pedregal area of Cabo San Lucas. All suites have a well-equipped kitchen with a stove, microwave, fridge and coffee maker. The accommodation features a large central courtyard with chairs and loungers. It has a roofed hot tub with a capacity of 12 people. Bonus: they offer baby sitting services!
Why Bébé Voyage Loves Latin America
Putting all of Latin America in one bucket does not do justice to the region’s diversity and nuances. From Andean peaks to tropical rainforests to miles of beach along the Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean coasts it has immense geographic diversity. It is also culturally very rich ranging from ancient indigenous empires to fascinating infusions of African and European cultures. Most countries throughout the region have a well developed tourism infrastructure. And most importantly, Latin culture tends to be very inclusive of children of all ages.
In many parts of Latin America, it is common to see multigenerational families and groups of friends all hanging out together. No one is excluded because they are too old or too young. This means that in most places children, even babies, are welcome and generously accommodated. In Buenos Aires, many a high end parilla (local BBQ) restaurant will have a supervised kids playroom so that parents can enjoy their steaks and wine at a leisurely pace while their toddlers are entertained with crafts and slides. Top chefs in Cozumel will generously go off menu and prepare a special meal for your little one should you have forgotten your jar of baby food at home.
Throughout Latin America, babies and children are generally welcome and it is quite rare to find a place that does not accommodate little ones. Of course this varies by country and location, so it is always a good idea to check ahead of time.
Be aware that the local definition of baby-friendly or child-friendly might not be the same as yours. For example, Bébé Voyage co-founder Marianne now lives in Buenos Aires which she finds to be incredibly child-friendly. Kids are welcome everywhere… even at the prestigious Teatro Colon, one of the world’s most venerated concert and opera halls, they have a special Colon Para Chicos series where they have a shortened matinée version of their ballets and operas. Every restaurant in Buenos Aires Marianne has been to has had a high chair and a kids menu and children are always welcome. But no restaurant opens for dinner before 9pm! By that time, hopefully her son is dreaming of the sugar plum fairy!
Dominican families love hanging out outside in parks, or even just on the sidewalk on warm evenings with some music and some beers. Everyone from the grandparents to the newborns comes out. But the hour can get late and the music can get loud. So while they are totally accepting of children, it might not exactly be your idea of a baby-friendly activity.
Another concern that families traveling with a baby might is around health in Latin America. Again, Latin America is such a huge region, that just because there might be a disease outbreak or tropical illnesses in one area, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the whole country and definitely not the whole region will be affected.
As always when you travel, we recommend getting informed about local health risks. The Centers for Disease Control have a great travelers’ health database where you can even specify that you are traveling with children and get relevant information for every country in the world.
Bébé Voyage members are from and travel with a baby to Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and more around Latin America. Their experiences have been positive and there is no reason to skip Latin America just because you have a baby!