Exploring Caribbean Cay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Caribbean Cay is an island that sits in the center of Barefoot Bay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. If you’re planning a stay, you might enjoy spending some time on the small island. So below, we’ll take a photo walk that shows the island from both sides of the bridges. Then, we’ll explore what all Caribbean Cay has to offer.

For reference, Barefoot Bay (an oblong lake) centers the resort. Each village has beaches on its shoreline. On either side of Caribbean Cay, you’ll find a bridge that allows guests to cross the lake instead of circling it. Old Port Royale sits at the end of the bridge that’s closest to Caribbean Cay. The bridge on the opposite side of the island dead ends at the edge of Jamaica. Aruba is only a short distance to the right. You’ll want to use the bridge as a shortcut.

From Old Port Royale, we’ll take the bridge like we’re headed to Jamaica. If you stay on the main walkway, you’ll continue directly across the bridge. Along the way, you’ll see a couple of other walkways that branch off the main path.

The photo below shows where the bridge extends from the island to the Jamaica section of the resort on the opposite side. Unless you’re coming from Jamaica, you can’t really tell that you’re crossing a bridge until you get past the island.

The view below shows me walking toward Caribbean Cay from Jamaica.

Looking back to my right, we can see Jamaica in yellow and the Skyliner above it.

While standing in the same spot on the bridge, we turn to the left and see Disney’s Riviera Resort in the distance.

Continuing from Jamaica, we run into the entrance of the Caribbean Cay playground.

Per the signage, this play area is for the enjoyment of children ages 2-12 years old. It is open from sunrise to sunset. Playgrounds are often a wonderful way to let children burn off a little extra energy. Most of the resorts have them. We have a Parent’s Guide to Disney Resorts with Playgrounds if you want to learn more.

Here is said playground.

A faux green lawn sits next to the playground area. This is where the Nightly Movie Under the Stars is held at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. You’ll want to check the recreation calendar on your visit for the exact schedule. It will list the evenings that movies are available, what time, and the name of the movie. Times change throughout the year based on the sunset.

On the opposite side of the faux lawn, you’ll find an area with sand and a hammock. This is a fun place if you have children who enjoy digging in the sand.

This path continues around the outskirts of the island, which has a fortress theme. Caribbean Beach used to have a good deal of pirate references, but these days you won’t find so many.

You’ll get an even better view of Caribbean Beach’s Lighthouse and the Riviera from the edge of the island.

If we look to the left, we can see Aruba (pink) with the Skyliner in the distance. The Riviera’s Skyliner station sits directly between that last pink building and the tower hotel. If you’re staying in Aruba, you will be closest to this station. Here are a few more photos before we make our way to the opposite side of the island.

Similar to the playground entrance, you’ll find another gate that leads to a walking path on the opposite side of the island.

This area has a couple of decks where you can take in views of the surrounding area.

From here, you can see the Fuentes del Morro Pool at Old Port Royale. This is the resort’s feature pool area.

Here’s an additional view that was taken at sunset. If you enjoy being outdoors, Caribbean Beach is one of the prettiest places to enjoy a sunset walk. The lake is often still, and you can get some pretty nice reflection shots without much effort. We have another photo post with a walk around Barefoot Bay that you might enjoy if you like this article.

This side of the island is more for relaxation purposes. It offers benches, chairs, and a small pavilion. A few years ago, you could even find some old wooden swings, but they’ve been replaced with Adirondack chairs.

Here are a few more photos before we wrap things up.

Caribbean Cay is a beautiful island. I often wonder if the majority of guests venture off the main path to see what’s there. For more about this tropical-themed destination, you might enjoy the following:

• How to Use the Internal Bus to Save a Few Steps at Disney’s Caribbean Beach
• A Visit to Old Port Royale at Disney’s Caribbean Beach (Photos)
• Walking Distances at Disney’s Caribbean Beach (Are They Manageable?)
• The Pools at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Or you might enjoy our entire guide to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

More Planning

Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. Explore our resources, including our Disney World Resorts Guide. It provides an overview of everything you need to know about the Disney Resort Hotels. For dining, our Disney World Dining Guide is an excellent place to start. Our Disney World Transportation Guide is a wonderful resource for planning your routes. It’s one of our most popular resources. If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. It includes every available character meet-and-greet in the parks and where to find rare characters throughout the year. Lastly, our Disney Parks Guide provides a complete overview of all four theme parks and water parks.