Algarve with kids

The Algarve in southern Portugal – covering the region from the Spanish border in the east to the western Atlantic coast – draws over 5 million tourists a year to its sublime beaches, scenic hiking trails and reliably sunny weather. 

Is Algarve good for kids?

Portugal is an incredibly welcoming place for family travelers, and the Algarve is no exception. What makes this region particularly good for those traveling with children is its stunning and varied coastline, alongside the large number of apartments designed for groups, plus the many family-friendly attractions and activities, such as theme parks and boat tours. Supermarkets are well-stocked with diapers, wipes and baby food. Cobbled sidewalks can be slippery and challenging with a stroller, but beaches, with long boardwalks, make it easy to reach the shore.

What are the best things to do in Algarve with babies and toddlers?

When you’re traveling with tiny tots, a local beach is your friend, and every one of them in Portugal is open to the public and free to visit. In high season, there are often dedicated sections with padded loungers and sunshades for rent if you are keen to pay for some extra off-sand comfort (from €20 for the day in high season). Otherwise, stock up with your own sunshades, towels, mats and ball games at one of the many beachside stalls and follow signs to the section of beach where you’re allowed to create your own sandy haven. There are free-to-use toilet facilities near most beaches, and many beaches have lifeguards on duty through May to September.

Praia de Cacela Velha, near Manta Rota in the east, Praia da Rocha near Portimão, and Praia da Luz to the west are among the best sheltered beaches with shallow calm waters ideal for babies and toddlers unsteady on their feet. 

Beware that some beaches are astonishing beauty spots but not the kind of place you want to set up for the day. The stunning headland of Ponta da Piedade near Lagos, for example, has several lovely coves tucked under the cliffs, but it can only be reached by descending a long, steep staircase with little shade – not a realistic undertaking for little legs.

What are the best things to do in Algarve with elementary school-age children?

To engage the minds of younger children, go to the medieval city of Silves, where cobbled streets weave up towards the central castelo, a Moorish fortress that dates back over 1000 years. Stroll along the ramparts for views of the surrounding countryside (beware, there are no guardrails on the inside, and it’s a significant drop to the courtyard below) and check out the exhibit on the area’s successful reintroduction of the Iberian lynx in the underground 12th-century water cisterns. Don’t miss the perfect photo opportunity: stand tall beside the 3m-high bronze statue of King Sancho I right at the fortress gates.

For wild, wind-whipped cliff tops, head for Sagres, which marks mainland Europe’s most southwesterly point, once considered “the end of the world” by ancient Greek and Roman seafarers who found it difficult to navigate once in open ocean. The headland here – marked by the lighthouse at Cabo de São Vicente – was the last land 13th-century Portuguese explorers saw before heading out into the Atlantic. Learn more about this time at the nearby Fortaleza de Sagres, where a modern museum within the 16th-century structure tells the tales of Portugal’s seafaring history with impressive audiovisuals. This is also a prime spot to watch migratory birds including gulls, terns and griffins. São Vicente’s lighthouse and Sagres town are on the Fisherman’s Trail section of the Costa Vincentina hiking route, so particularly active youngsters might like to link the two locations by following the 7km cliff-top route. 

Nature lovers won’t want to miss a visit to Parque Natural da Ria Formosa near Faro. This vast protected wetland – featuring lagoons, salt pans, marshes and sandy beaches – is known for its migrating and nesting birdlife. Look out for wading birds such as the Eurasian oystercatcher and flamingos as well as the park’s symbol, the purple swamphen. 

What are the best things to do  in Algarve with tweens and teens?

If it’s hard to drag your tween or young adult away from the water, you’re in luck, as the Algarve has seemingly endless water sports. The Carrapateira surf shack and cafe is the only structure as far as the eye can see on the remarkable sand dunes of Praia da Bordeira. The ice creams might have melted and the menu options are pretty limited — this is the middle of a dune after all — but the surf here is good, and instructors lead wannabe surfers at all levels with group lessons starting at €45.

From Albufeira marina, Carvoeiro, Lagos and lots of other beach and harbor towns, kayak tours follow the rocky coastline. Many make a beeline for the incredibly popular Benagil Cave, where sunlight floods through a round hole in the cavern roof. Don’t be surprised to see a line of boats and kayak groups waiting to enter the cave: restrictions have been put in place to limit the number of watercraft going in, prevent them lingering (only two minutes allowed for motorized boats) and prohibit docking on the small beach. It’s worth the wait, though, for that moment in the spotlight when the cave walls glow with golden stripes and ripples. Many tour companies combine a visit to the cave with a coastline cruise and dolphin-watching trips – common, bottlenose and Risso’s are just some of the species you might see.

Alternatively, experience Benagil from above on the Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos (Seven Hanging Valleys) hike. This 5.7km cliff-top adventure, along boardwalks and rocky paths, offers epic views out over the ocean, takes you through incredibly colorful and curious rock formations and allows you to peer down into the cave.

If all that natural beauty isn’t enough to dazzle older kids, there are always the theme parks to fall back on. SandCity near Lagoa has over 120 large-scale sand sculptures created by international artists, and Slide & Splash, also near Lagoa, and Aquashow Water Park, near Quarteira, are water parks with giant flumes.

What’s the best way to travel in the Algarve with kids?

Faro is the region’s gateway airport, with baby-change facilities on either side of security and a free stroller service to help support families through to the departure gate. Public buses link the station with Faro city center and train station, as well as other major hubs along the coast. Taxis are readily available too, but for ease and flexibility to explore at your own pace, car hire is recommended. If you don’t expect to need a car every day, it might be best to take a taxi to your accommodations, settle in and hire one through your hotel (expect to pay around €180 to hire a five-door midrange car for three days, plus fuel and extra for car seats). The A22 running east to west is toll-free, but if you travel north on the A2, expect to pay for the privilege.