Sun, sand, family fun

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NEGRIL, Jamaica -- Tropical haven using overgrown cartoon characters and video games as a draw to its seaside paradise?

Yes, and I had to see for myself when I heard that Beaches Negril Resort & Spa was using them to lure guests to Jamaica's sandy shores.

Beaches has resorts in Ocho Rios and Negril, but Beaches Negril enjoys the island's prime real estate along the northwestern tip. It is this bit of heaven that Beaches has dedicated to the perfect Caribbean family vacation.

As island and sea meet, the land changes into another experience for the traveler to the tropics. During a sometimes harrowing journey from the airport past changing coastlines and mountains, through towns and shanty villages, one realizes that the beach's inland backdrop is not more sand with a few scattered trees, but a forested paradise offering trips on horseback or all-terrain vehicle.

Actually, guests at Beaches Negril have no need to leave the property.

Smiling and gracious staff members give arriving guests immediate comfort with a chilled citrus-scented cloth and a tropical fruit juice to sip as they are escorted to their rooms.

Guests are enrolled quickly in activities and then get comfortable, which means changing into bathing suits to frolick in one of four large pools or the swirling waters of the Lazy River, race through the misting pool or plunge down the 200-foot tube slides at Pirates Cove.

An immediate goal might be to find the resort's private seven-mile stretch of white-sand beach.

The resort is a perfect location for leisurely breakfasts and late-morning naps. With 20 lush, jasmine-scented acres on which to play, guests can find almost anything that combines the sun, surf, sand and pleasure.

With comfort in mind in the island-inspired architecture and decor, down to the terra-cotta floors and vibrant in-room color schemes, everything is "No-problem, mon."