Taking the Kids to Portugal

Portugal has been a popular tourist destination for 40-odd years. It’s famed for its easy pace, quiet beach towns and food and drink (madeira and port both hail from this part of the world). For British tourists, flights and accommodation are both fairly inexpensive, with online firms like onthebeach.co.uk operating affordable family holidays, largely to the popular Algarve region in the south.

Thanks to the relative low-cost and safe environment, Portugal is regarded as one of the most family-friendly countries in Europe. To help you plan your trip, we’re taking a look at some of the best things to do with kids in Portugal….

In the north lies Lisbon, Portugal’s famous capital. The Parque das Nacoes is home to a breathtaking oceanarium, which will delight the kids with its assortment of sea life. If you’re driving through the country, it’s a good idea to stop in Lisbon for a night.

Most of the child-friendly activity, though, is centred in the south, where the Algarve region sits. Lagos and Albufeira are large, clean resorts, hugely popular with British holidaymakers. Both towns run dolphin-spotting trips which the kids won’t forget about in a hurry. For simple beach action, Costa da Caparica and Silves are two of the best in the country, the latter boasting an excellent medieval castle which the more historically minded kids will get a kick out of.

Portugal is famed for its water parks. One of the oldest and biggest is the Slide & Splash, located near Lagoa in the Algarve. Slightly flashier and, perhaps, better designed, is The Big One, just up the road from Slide & Splash. Both parks have a wide selection of thrill rides and gentler slides, perfect for a hot summer’s day. Even cautious parents needn’t worry – it’s quite safe to let the kids roam around within the park for a few hours. There are plenty of open green spaces to set up a picnic area which you can use as a base while the kids run off and exhaust themselves on the slides. For parents with toddlers, there is a wave pool which is safe to go in with your little ones.

Monchique (pictured), in the Algarve’s northwest, is a peaceful spa town in the mountains. Lovely little restaurants dot the hillside, from where you can see picturesque scenes like goat herding and ballooning. Close to Monchique is the delightful little town of Caldas, which has a very good zoo specializing in exotic and endangered species.

who we are?

advertise?