Alentejo

Portugal

Portugal is a friendly, safe country, with a mild climate and an excellent cuisine, ideal to tour with the family. There are numerous activities designed for the little ones, both outdoors and indoors, in castles, museums, zoos, theme parks and aqua parks. Following the footprints of dinosaurs, watching dolphins and whales at sea or learning about the stars are just some ideas of what you can do.

Largo da Sé
Lisboa, Lisboa

Trams are the ideal means to explore some of the most interesting spots of Lisbon’s historical and architectural heritage, or simply to tour the city. The most widely known is Tram no. 28 that runs from Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique, but there are others nice routes too. If you are travelling with a mini tram fan, add in a stop at the Carris museum, where you can see historic vehicles (trams and buses).

Visit the Coudelaria de Alter do Chão, in Alentejo, and take the chance to have riding lessons for beginners and advanced riders, with Lusitano horses.

Lourinhã

Lourinhã, Lisbon, Portugal

If your children are fascinated by dinosaurs, they’ll adore the educational Dino Parque, at Lourinhã and the museum of this pre-historic period. In this region, and especially in the Nature Park of Serra de Aire and Candeeiros, there is a large number of fossil records of these giants that populated the planet in the past. Here, visitors can see one of the oldest and longest tracks of dinosaur footprints and a nest of dinosaur eggs that are unlike any others in the world because of their size.

Largo Rossio de Santa Clara
Coimbra, Coimbra

Portugal dos Pequenitos (Portugal for the Little Ones), which is considered to have been the first theme park in the country, is a pedagogical playground, where the whole family can spend a pleasant and enjoyable day learning more about the nation´s history. For the children, this is an excellent opportunity to amuse themselves entering and leaving houses and monuments built to their own size.

Lisboa, Lisboa

Lisbon’s aquarium – the Oceanario Lisboa – is one of the most impressive and largest in Europe, and ideal if you are visiting Lisbon with kids.

Aljezur

Your kids want to learn surfing?! Well Portugal has several amazing spots with great waves every day, perfect to start practicing surf. There are several companies offering surf lessons and special kids/family courses. Let's surf 😉!

Pinhão

Pinhão, Vila Real, Portugal

If your kids are fans of train travel, you must follow the Douro route line, that goes alongside the Douro river like in the early 20th century. n this reencounter with the past, the stars are the steam and diesel carriages and engines which, travelling at 30 km/h, preserve the memory of a time when they provided the connection between towns and helped deliver the famous Port Wine. An unmissable experience!

Comporta, Setúbal

From long, sandy beaches protected by golden cliffs to small bays nestled between rocks, Portugal has beaches to suit all tastes. What they have in common is the offer of a perfect family holiday in the sun.

Lousã

Lousã, Coimbra District, Portugal

The central region of Portugal offers many exciting options for families and children, and the Schist villages are one of them. Hidden between mountain slopes of leafy vegetation, these 27 villages are called schist villages because this is the stone used in the construction of houses and is abundant in the region. Here there several bike trails defined by the Mountain Bike Centres according to various levels of difficulty, and which also provide support to bikers. Just get pedalling!

Praia do Ribatejo, Santarém

Even history may be the setting for holiday fun when, perhaps in a castle like Almourol, situated in a small island in the middle of the River Tagus, parents and children can learn something of the battles that were fought there, or better understand the lives of the kings and princesses in one of many palaces they can visit aroud Portugal.

Funchal, Madeira

Your kids will love discovering the Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmer´s Market), situated in the historic Santa Maria area, in the centre of Funchal. The Farmers' Market is one of the landmarks that Madeira's capital has to offer its visitors and of course the entire population, where the colours, aromas and tradition join together to enchant and delight anyone visiting it. This market provides plenty to occupy the senses: from exotic fruits to traditional delights such as bolo de mel (honey cake), the craft shops, the lively fishmongers’ stalls, and the famous flower sellers wearing traditional costumes.

Sintra, Lisbon

Portugal has many castles and palaces, and in the magical town of Sintra you can find perhaps some of the most beautiful ones in the country. But there is one that kids always love to visit, the Pena Palace, resembling a fairytale castle, a fantasy drawing turned into reality. Situated on the top of a mountain, this fancy, revivalist reconstruction, much to 19th century romantic taste, owes its existence to the passion and imagination of the artist king Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the husband of Queen D. Maria II. After visiting the palace, make sure you have time do explore the gardens, filled with exotic plants from all around the world as well as native Portuguese flora. Walking or hiking through these or even setting up a picnic in a comfortable corner are great ways to spend the rest of your day in family at Sintra.

There’s a multitude of places that younger visitors will love, starting with the animal parks. The Vasco da Gama Aquarium and the Oceanarium in Lisbon, the Mora River Aquarium, various zoos, particularly the Lisbon Zoo and the Badoca Safari Park and Monte Selvagem in Alentejo, are just some of the best known. Zoomarine, in the Algarve, bridges the gap between a theme park and the popular water parks that abound in the region but are spread all over the country: Nazaré, Amarante, Pombal and Santa Cruz, in Madeira, are just a few of the places where you can find pools and slides of all shapes and sizes with guaranteed fun for the whole family.