Chicago.– According to The Chicago Tribune, these are the 10 best beach resorts for families:

1. Sheraton Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya, Bahamas

2. Club Med Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

3. South Seas Island Resort, Captiva Island, Fla.

4. Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas

5. Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, Florida

6. Beaches Negril Resort and Spa, Jamaica

7. Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii

8. Ocean Edge Resort & Spa, Brewster, Mass.

9. Loew’s Coronado Bay Beach Resort & Spa, San Diego

10. Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort Casino & Spa, Puerto Rico.

Club Med Punta Cana spreads out on 75 acres and is located an easy ten minutes from Punta Cana Airport and 90 minutes from La Romana Airport. The half-mile beach, dotted with palm trees, has plenty of room for quiet snoozes or pick-up volleyball games.

The all-inclusive policy makes it easy for kids and parents to try all sorts of activities: kayak, windsurf, play tennis, snorkel, rollerblade, or swing on a flying trapeze at no extra cost. Family nature walks and Krazy Dances led by the resort's kangaroo mascots add to the togetherness. Of the 519 air-conditioned rooms, many are suite-sized with separate kids' sleeping areas.

Club Med is known for its creative activities for tots through teens. The Mini Club, for ages four to ten, and the Junior Club, for ages 11 to 13, are complimentary and available from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m. Usually there are enough participants to break up into age-appropriate groups of four- and five-year-olds, six- and seven-year-olds, eight- to ten-year-olds, and 11- to 13-year-olds.

Along with beach activities, pool play, and kitchen science, even kids as young as four (as well as older kids and adults) learn to fly through the air on a trapeze at Circus School and get down with some funky moves at Hip Hop Kidz dance fitness sessions.

At the Ramp, the teen hangout open during peak school holidays, ages 14 to 17 laze in giant hammocks, play foosball, leave notes for each other in their own mailboxes, and mingle at D.J. dance parties and movie nights around the pool.