Portugal With Kids Ultimate Guide & 23 Fun Things To Do

Are you going to Portugal with the kids and want to know more?

We recently spent a month with our two young children on a road trip around Portugal as a digital nomad family.  It is hands down one of the best places we have visited as a family. Which means a lots because as a family we’ve been to 15 countries and counting!  We found that there’s so much in Portugal for families. From the beautiful beaches in the south to the buzz of the cities of Lisbon and Porto.  Heading to Portugal with kids is such a fun experience.

We’re going to cover how child friendly Portugal is from our experience on our recent trip.  And give you some tips on travelling with young children.  Then at the end, we’ll give our top 23 best things to do in Portugal with kids.  From toddlers to teens, there’s so much to tempt you to Portugal with kids.

Is Portugal child friendly?

Portugal is between 2-3 hours of flight time away from the UK. This makes it an easy-to-reach destination for the whole family to travel.  However, when we visited we drove our car over from the UK and stopped along the way at Biarritz for the weekend.  The total journey time was about about 16 hours, as we were then driving over to Morocco.  Cameron loved our trip to Portugal and we enjoyed some of the fun experiences Portugal offers.

Portuguese people are super friendly and very welcoming to young kids.  We noticed that you’ll often have offers of help as you go around your day.  As well as being friendly, it’s also very safe and easy to travel around. It’s 7th on the Global Peace Index out of 163 countries, which means one less thing to worry about when you’re travelling.  And finally, another reason it’s such a perfect place for kids is that if you’re travelling from the UK there isn’t any time change. This makes it a great first trip for small children who need to keep to their sleep/nap routines.  Below we’ve covered some of the cool things that Portugal has to offer families and some top tips.

Where to stay in Portugal with kids?

When we were on our road trip we camped our way around Portugal. Because we wanted to keep our costs down. And also because we enjoy being outdoors camping.  The campsites aren’t as full on as some of the others in Europe. For instance, there weren’t any that had waterparks.  However, there were so many great campsites to choose from with good family facilities such as pools, bars and restaurants.  And during peak season in the school holidays, they even have kids’ clubs and evening entertainment.  

If you’re not fans of camping then don’t worry there are lots of other great places to stay.  When Cameron was 18 months old I took him to a work conference in Villamoura. and we stayed in the Tivoli Marina Hotel. It was fantastic as they had a lot of fun activities to keep Cameron busy.  We’ve also heard great things about Martinhal Resorts. They are a Portuguese company that has hotels in destinations such as The Algarve and Lisbon.   

Visiting tourist attractions in Portugal with kids

One of the most surprising things for us, when we visited Portugal with our kids, is that you’ll get priority entrance.  If there are queues then you can pretty much expect to be able to queue jump.

The first time it happened to us was at Sao Jorge Castle in Lisbon.  We’d finally managed to walk our way up there with the pram (we’ll get more onto prams in a bit).  We arrived all hot and bothered and then we saw that there was a long line to get in.  Long queues can be a bit of a common theme in Portugal during the school holidays.  We were just debating whether to wait in the long line as I wandered up to check the entry price, and their security guard came over to let me know that we didn’t need to queue.  Yes, we just had to head straight to the front – winner!   You’ll also find that younger children get free entry to most of the attractions.

It also happened to us at Pena Palace. We arrived an hour early for our entrance and their security guard let us head on straight in. Which saved us needing to wait until our allotted time slot.  If there is a long time to wait to enter an attraction then we’d recommend heading to the front of the queue and asking if there’s any chance of heading in without waiting.  We understand that it only works if you’ve got little kids in carriers or prams, as we all know that they aren’t the most patient!

What to bring on a trip to Portugal with kids

As Portugal is part of Europe you don’t need to worry if you forget to pack anything because you can easily find whatever you need such as nappies and snacks for little kids. They’re also all very reasonably priced. This is because Portugal is a relatively inexpensive country compared to the likes of the UK and the US.

Pram, carrier or scooter?

One of the things that we found was that you need to plan how you’ll get about in the towns and cities with small children.  Most of the towns and historic cities in Portugal have cobbles and are quite hilly.  We made the mistake a few times of taking our pram into the city with our baby. And wow, we then found it more hard work than it was worth.  In Sintra, when the hills proved too much we left our pram with one of the street vendors who kindly looked after it.

What worked really well for us with Cameron our toddler was having a scooter with us. He then scootered t along on the flat areas.  Then when he was finished with it, it broke down into two parts and we strapped it to his backpack carrier.  You’ll also want to make sure that you have comfortable shoes if you plan to do lots of walking.  We usually travel with a pair of beach shoes and a set of comfortable trainers for Cameron. There’s nothing worse than having sore feet.  

Top tip from a travel family:  Bring a baby carrier for the towns and cities.  Walking with a pram on cobbled hills is hard work!

For the beach

For the beach, we’d really recommend having some good sunscreen and hats with you.  We’d also suggest taking some sort of shade with you to the beaches. Because they don’t tend to have umbrellas to rent on them. With little kids you’ll need something to protect them on the beach.  For slightly bigger kids you might want to bring wetsuits because the Atlantic Ocean can still be pretty cool even in the summer.  A shorty would do a great job.  And don’t forget to bring a water bottle so that they keep hydrated!

You’ll get your daily steps in visiting Portugal with kids

As we just said, when you visit be prepared for lots of stairs and hils.   And we’re talking LOADS of stairs and hills!  We’ve never been to a country with so many, haha!  We love taking walking tours in the cities which will also add in steps to your daily step count.

On our visit to Sintra, Carl’s watch logged 80+ flights of stairs and more than 20,000 steps, which was nearly 10 miles! This is why we’d recommend not using a pram to get around Portugal with kids.  Is all the walking worth it? Yes, 100% it is!

Public transportation will become your best friend. However, you should still be prepared to meet lots of stairs and hills to climb.  A great idea is to buy a Lisbon Card during your visit to Lisbon. This includes all public transportation (including your train ride over to Sintra). Or you can very easily to buy tickets at the metro station or at a kiosks within the city.  

Eating out in Portugal with kids

It seems that all younger children go through some form of being picky eaters.  If you are in this phase with your young kids then you don’t need to worry as Portugal has great restaurants with lots of options.  If we did ever get stuck then we found it easy to ask most places to help us by making simple foods such as omelettes.  Cam is a big fan of scrambled eggs!

Top tip from a travel family:  If you’re visiting Portugal and are breastfeeding then you should feel comfortable feeding in public.  I was very happy feeding Dylan, our youngest, when we were out and about. 

We didn’t need a high chair as Dylan was still too young, however, we’ve heard that not all restaurants have them.  If you can, then you might find it helpful to bring a portable one that clips onto the edge of the table. 

Evening’s out in Portugal with kids

In Portugal, like the rest of Europe, children generally eat and stay up later.  So you’ll find that in the evening if you head past a playground you’ll have a chance to meet other families with younger kids.  Cameron loved meeting the local kids and having a play before dinner.  After dinner, we’d often spend time making the most of watching the street entertainers such as singers and acrobats.  The best place we found for evening entertainment was Lagos, in the Algarve region, where Cameron loved watching the acrobats in the main square spinning and flipping. 

Top tip from a travel family:  Make sure to check the opening days and times for attractions.  It seems that 10 am tends to be the time most attractions open. Also, some of them are randomly closed on certain days of the week.

When is the best time to visit Portugal with kids?

The climate across Portugal really varies between the northern and the southern parts. When we spent our month in Portugal with kids we were there in September, the temperature was great as we spent most of our time in shorts and t-shirts.   We did get some rain showers in Porto, however, we always travel with light raincoats so we didn’t actually mind too much.

Porto and northern Portugal

Porto and the northern part of Portugal generally have a mild climate all year-round. And during summer the temperatures reach 25°C with lots of sunshine to enjoy. However, in the winter, there can be strong winds and lots of rain can leave it feeling quite cool. Generally most tourists choose to skip visiting Porto in winter, however, it does have the upside that it can be quieter.

Lisbon and central Portugal

Lisbon generally has a warmer year-round climate compared to Porto in the north. In the summer months temperatures can easily rise above 30°C, while in the winter months it cool down slightly to a comfortable 15-20°C. We’d recommend avoiding Lisbon in the busy summer months of both July and August. Because the high temperatures can make exploring tough with small children in tow.  Plus as its school holidays you will be affected by large crowds and long queues when you visit the main attractions. The shoulder season of April to May and September to October are the nicest months to visit Lisbon.

The Algarve region in southern Portugal

The Algarve in southern Portugal is famous for its wonderful sunshine and warmer Mediterranean climate all year round. The temperature ranges from 15°C in the winter to over 30°C during the summer. Which is why the Algarve region is so populate as a year-round destination!  It’s true – there’s really no bad time to visit, however, you should consider that the stronger breezes from the ocean can make it feel cooler during the shoulder season.

23 Fun Things To Do in Portugal with Kids

We wanted to help celebrate some of the best things to do in Portugal with kids that we enjoyed and would recommend.  It’s easy to just think of Portugal as just sandy beaches and surfing, however, there are lots of other cool places and tourist attractions to enjoy.  If you are looking for a planned itinerary then we have a ten-day one that we can share.

1. Ride a tuk-tuk

We took a tuk-tuk tour in Porto and Cameron loved it.  It was such a fun alternative way to enjoy a tour as it meant that we could stop at attractions that you couldn’t easily reach by public transportation.  Our guide was good fun, and we even let Cam pretend to be the driver!  

The three main places that we found tuk-tuk tours being offered were Porto, Lisbon and Sintra.  We did find that a lot of the companies had age restrictions which meant that we had to shop around as Dylan was a baby and Cam was 2 years old.  So it’s worth shopping around and booking in advance if you have very young kids with you.

2. Walk the city walls of Obidos

It is a small mediaeval town just an hour day trip away from Lisbon. What’s great is that you can climb along the walls of the medieval castle, Cam loved “hunting for dragons”).  And you can enjoy a panoramic view of the picturesque countryside that stretches out around Óbidos.  Just be aware that there are no hand rails along the wall so you’ll need to keep an eye on smaller children.

Once you finish at the castle you can shop in its unique bookstores, and sample sips of ginjinha served right on the street.  

3. Explore the gardens of Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra

Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its many castes and palaces, making it another very popular day trip from Lisbon.  The gardens of Quinta da Regaleira should be included in your Sintra itinerary as they are perfect for children of all ages.  They can find hidden tunnels, explore secret passages, jump over stones in a waterfall, or navigate the steps down the 27m initiation wells.

4. Ride lots of public transport from trams to gondolas

One of the things that we found amazing was how easy it was to ride public transport for fun, as young kids will love experience of it all.  There are trams to hop on and off, lots of funiculars to take you up the steep hills, and even a gondola in Porto to enjoy.

One of the most popular is Tram 28 in Lisbon which is famous for being one of the best things to do in Portugal.  It takes you past the historical sites of Lisbon and goes all the way to Sao Jorge Castle.  You’ll need to be aware that there are long lines for the tram as everyone wants to wait for a seat.  What we found was that if you head straight to the front then you can get straight on as a standing passenger.   Once you’re on and if you have smaller children then you’ll get priority for the seats at the front.   Carl and I each got a seat by having one of our boys on our laps.  Yes, it is a bit of a cheat, but will save you waiting a long time to get on.

5. Visit the caves Grutas de Mira de Aire

Cameron had never been to an underground cave before we visited Grutas de Mira de Aire.  This cave system in central Portugal is the perfect place if you have an explorer with you like we did.  It’s such a different experience for them to enjoy.  You’ll go down 110m and explore 600m of caves, don’t worry, there’s a lift at the end!

When you arrive you’ll need to buy your tickets from the counter and then you’ll have to wait until the next tour runs as they go when they have a certain number of visitors.  We only waited about 20 minutes.  The tour is in Portuguese which is a bit tricky when you have kids to entertain, so we just took him off exploring.  There are a lot of steps down so you’ll need a carrier for small kids.

6. Taste traditional Portuguese custard cakes Pasteis de Nata

Yummy!!  I must have eaten at least one a day! Cameron loves custard style desserts and so he enjoyed a fair few too!  These are a crispy-crunchy pastry crust with a smooth and creamy custard filling.

7. Discover some of the most amazing viewpoints of Portugal

Everywhere you go you’ll find cool view points to make the most of.  Some of our favourite views are:

• Dom Luis I Bridge in Porto – there are two levels to choose from so make sure to take the higher level
• Sao Jorge Castle in Lisbon – epic views over the entire city
• Lighthouses along the Atlantic Coast  –  Nazaré, Cabo da Roca and Sagres
• Seven Hanging Valleys in the Algarve region

8. Explore Nazaré and its giant world record waves

We loved our day trip to Nazaré.  The museum is a perfect place to take young children as they can look at the interactive displays showing how the giant waves are made.  As well as an area dedicated to showcasing the boards of surf pros who had previously ridden waves there.  There are a couple of sandy beaches, but you’ll need to be careful to check what the current it like, because it is afterall a surfers paradise.   And there’s also a funicular for the transport loving kids out there!

9. Hike the incredible Paiva Walkways

We weren’t too sure what Cameron would think of the hike when we started it, because it’s a lot of steps!  However, he had a fantastic time as we left from Areinho and let him walk the steps down to the river and along, which is why this is the best end to start if you have kids.  We stopped halfway along for a picnic lunch and swim in the river.  Cam made friends with a local who was feeding fish so they hung out together feeding them.  When you get to the end of the hike you can get a taxi back to Areinho for 15 Euros.

The worlds longest pedestrian suspension bridge is also on the route if you love heights. Just a heads up that they have a minimum age of 6 years old so it’s not suitable for very young children.  If you decide to do the hike, then you’ll need to book in advance as they only let 2,500 people on it a day.  You’ll also need to book a time slot for the suspension bridge if you want to include it too.  They’ll give you a date and a time to be on the bridge.

10. Learn to surf

Portugal is a surfers paradise, and we have plenty of friends who head there each summer to get their surfing fix.   Cameron found the water a little cold, so we didn’t have any surf lessons planned in for him in Portugal instead we took him surfing in Morocco.  We’ve asked around and there are some great places for kids to learn where the waves are less rough, the top places were:

• Peniche
• Ericeira
• Cascais
• Sagres

11. Watch the sunset all along the Atlantic Coast

As a family we love sunsets – or as Cam puts it “watching the sun go to bed”.  If there’s a chance then we’ll always head to the nearest beach for an ocean sunset.  We’ll often take our cooking gear wtih us and make our dinner at the beach during the golden hour before the sunsets.  We’re pretty sure the tour bus at Sagres thought we were totally mad cooking steaks and chilling to music as Cameron danced around.  Our favourite spots were:

• Sagres
• Cabo da Roca
• Praia Guincho (as we camped next to it)
• Ericeira
• Nazaré

12. Visit some local markets

Nothing gives you a feel for a country more, in our minds, than heading to their local markets and trying new foods.  It’s so much fun to spot something unusual and then ask the vendor how we should prepare it and then trying it.  Portugal, like most countries, has its fair share of markets to pick from.  Lisbon also has a great street food market called Time Out which we highly recommend if you’re looking for.a lunch spot in Lisbon.

13. Explore Lagos by night

When we stayed in the Algarve region we chose to base ourselves in a campsite near Lagos.  This was a great choice as it meant we could easily pop into the town in the evening for an ice cream and to then enjoy the street entertainers.  We saw loads of cool performers such as acrobats, singers, dancers and more.  There’s also a little carousel there that Cameron had a few rides on.  

What we love about street entertainment is that you can dip in and out pretty easily.  And in Lagos most of the performers were on the main street so you could pick what you wanted to watch.  This is a great experience for all of the family especially if you love live music!

14. Splash around in a water park

We took Cameron to his first waterpark in the Algarve region because it’s a great way to show him that travelling is about fun as well as taking in the local culture.  There are lots of different water parks to choose from, some of them have some crazy fast slides and rides, some have zoos and some have theme parks!  

We headed to ZooMarine because it had a great selection of smaller slides, theme park rides plus some shows that we could watch which made it a perfect place form small children like Cameron.  There are several other waterparks to choose from such as Aquashow and Splash and Slide, each offering something unique.

Top tip from a travel family:  Most waterparks offer a 2 day entry for an extra 10 euro on the ticket price. We opted to do this at ZooMarine as it meant we could go for a 2nd day later in the week.

15. Visit a real Disney castle at the Pena Palace

The beautiful Pena Palace is a magnificent fairytale castle of yellow and red that is perched high on the hilltop in Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many people suggest that it’s what inspired Walt Disney for his princess castles, and when you visit you’ll see why.  

To say that this is one of the most stunning castles in Europe is an understatement. It is so unique and incredible that millions of tourists flock to Sintra each year just to visit this palace.  

Top tip from a travel family: We recommend that you book your tickets online for Pena Palace in advance by choosing a date and time slot.

16. Look for street art

One of our best things to do when we’re in a city is to look for street art.  It’s such a fun way to engage with young kids when you’re sightseeing.  Because quite often you’ll find that it has some cultural significance, such as a political or historical message.  We use a cool app called Street Art Cities which has an interactive map so that can hunt for street art.  

You’ll also see beautiful azulejo tiles everywhere you go, which are usually blue and white tiles and form a large piece of art.   The place we saw them was Sao Bento Train Station in Porto.

17. Enjoy the most spectacular coastal scenery

There are so many beaches to choose from, and one of the best parts of getting to them is the drive there.  Portugal has some of the most amazing coastal scenery that takes in the Atlantic Ocean and the best part of Portugal.  You’ll really notice how different the coast is in Porto compared to Lisbon and again compared the the Algarve region.  We try to get Cameron engaged in what we’re seeing, asking questions and enjoying our time on the road.

18. Hike the Seven Hanging Valleys trail in The Algarve

This trail is one of the most popular things to do in The Algarve as it hugs the coastline and takes in some of the best beaches.  Along the way you’ll also be able to look down into some sea caves and watch blow holes in action.  You’ll need to start early morning to avoid the crowds and the heat, we started around 8am. Even though it goes along the cliff edge it is, in our opinion, safe for small children.  

We suggest that you start the hike at Praia da Marinha, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Algarve.  The trail is 6km long and takes about 2 hours to complete, and can take longer if you stop at various beaches along the way like we did!  You’ll need to bring plenty of water with you and hats as there isn’t any shade along the route. Plus, it can get very hot. 

Along the trail you’ll should stop at the small fishing beach at Carvoeiro because you can take a small boat tour out to the Benagil Caves, one of the most visited attractions in Portugal.  At the end of the trial at Praia do Vale de Centianes you’ll be able to get a taxi back to Praia da Marinha.

19. Take a Boat tour to see the Benagil Caves

Taking a boat tour out to the Benagil Caves is a fantastic way to explore the coastline from the water.  We tried to take a boat trip from the small fishing beach at Carvoeiro, however, the day that we walked Seven Hanging Valleys trail the waves were too big for them to launch the boats.  Instead we ended up heading to Portimão where we took a high speed boat tour.  We purposely booked the one at sunset as it was a lot less busy, which it was as there were only 4 boats when we got to the cave.  On busy days there can be queues to go into the caves.

We were really lucky that on our way back we saw a pod of dolphins with a baby.

20. Lisbon Oceanarium

If you have a spare day in Lisbon, perhaps your on a city break and want to add something different into you visit.  Then we’d really recommend heading to the Oceanário De Lisboa because its one of the best in Europe. When you visit you see why,   It’s a great option for a family day out, and the perfect place to spend a rainy day when indoor activities are the best way to entertain kids.  A huge central tank is the centrepiece and holds a whopping 5 million litres of sea water and hundreds of different fish as well as sharks.  When it was time to leave we literally couldn’t get Cam away he was enjoying it so much.

21. Learn to skateboard in Cascais

We wanted to put a bit of a curveball in our list.  Because the skateboarding lesson that Cameron is one of the best things he did on our trip to Portugal.  He still talks about Luiz his teacher all of the time.  If you have children that like to scoot or skate then we highly recommend make a stop at Parque das Gerações skatepark.  There’s a skateshop called Pop Skate where you can make bookings for lessons.

At the weekends it is the “go-to’ place for families with kids of all ages.  And has a fantastic cafe for you to enjoy whilst your kids skate around.

22. Play on a beach or two

There are so many different fishing villages and beaches doted along the long coastline of Portugal.  There really is a beach for everyone, whether you’re looking for big surf Nazaré, tranquil beaches of the Algarve such as Burgau, or the sandy beaches such as Cascais.  

Our favoirite beaches on our trip were: 

• Burgau – south of Portugal in the Algarve
• Praia da Marinha – south of Portugal in the Algarve
• Ericeira – Central Portugal
• Cascais – Near Lisbon
• Praia Guincho – Near Lisbon

23. Take a train ride and boat tour in the Douro Valley

Although most young kids won’t appreciate a wine tasting, they can totally enjoy a visit to the Douro Valley.  If they love train rides then you can can take a steam train that does a route from Tua to Pinhão that includes a historical tour.  This train doesn’t run very day, so another best way to get there is to take the normal train from Tua.  We did this as it was cheaper and still as much fun.  You’ll still get amazing scenery.

Once you’re in Pinhão you can then take a boat cruise along the Douro River and learn more about the vineyards and port wine.  And of course, at the end, enjoy a vineyard and wine tasting.

Top tip from a travel family: Make sure to book the vineyard in advance, as they sell out weeks ahead and you don’t want to miss out.

FAQ’s About Visiting Portugal With Kids

Final thoughts on visiting Portugal with kids

We absolutely loved it for our first trip away as a family with baby Dylan and Cameron.  It’s the perfect place for a family trip with young children or older children as there are so many fun things for them to do, plus the Portuguese people are so kind and welcoming.  It also one of the best places to head on a road trip, as you can easily drive between attractions and the roads aren’t too busy.