5 Things To Do in Portugal With Kids

10th January 2019

Last July, we spent the first week of the summer holidays sunning ourselves in beautiful Portugal thanks to James Villas. It was the first “beach abroad” holiday we had taken with all three of the kids, so it was a big milestone and one we won’t forget in a hurry. As we had our own villa, it was the ultimate in relaxation – if you can count a holiday with three children as relaxing. As tempting as it was to lie by the pool all day, we decided to explore our surroundings and try to find something that suited everyone.

Keeping the kids entertained can be one of the hardest things to strike the right balance when on holiday along with trying not to spend an absolute fortune. It can be hard to find recommendations when it’s not in the UK so I thought I’d share our favourite 5 things to do in Portugal with kids.

Aqualand

Portugal has a whole host of water parks to choose from, but we chose this one mainly because it was so much cheaper than all the others. I did a spot of googling when we were there and booked our tickets online and saved so much money compared to other water parks that were coming up at nearly double the price.

Aqualand was brilliant for all ages, as there were two purpose built kids swimming pools which were absolutely perfect to keep the girls entertained. Thanks to our Konfidence swim jackets, they were able to potter around independently as the water was shallow enough for them to stand up in and had no drops where it became deep. There were loads of slides and water features for them to play with and they were happy as larry.

There are also loads more slides to try, including huge ones for adrenaline junkies and also calmer ones for kids. We were able to go on most with the girls on our laps so they didn’t miss out. At 5, they want to go on everything and don’t like missing out so it was nice that they could join in. They also had designated kids pools for smaller children.

We got there at 10.15am (15 minutes after it opened) and stayed until it closed. There are lots of places to get food and drink. Just to be warned, you do have to pay to hire the sun loungers but we put our towels under an umbrella by the kids parks and were shaded all day. I would definitely recommend a trip and also to price compare to save you some pennies.

Zoomarine

This is the main theme park in Portugal and the one that you will see promoted everywhere. It has animals and animal shows, rides and a water park so it really has everything under one roof. I know that Zoomarine divides opinions due to the fact that animals (including dolphins and sealions) in shows for entertainment so it’s one that I know is rather emotive – so please refrain from posting offensive views about the park.

Zoomarine offers a whole day out for the family. We got there when it opened and stayed right until close so we definitely got our moneys worth. We did the shows first then had some lunch and hit the rides (which are suitable for all ages, but some do have height restrictions) then we cooled off at the swimming pools which also have loads of slides and water rides. Despite being there during the school holidays, it didn’t feel really busy and I loved that there was so much variety. No trip to Portugal is complete without the famous Zoomarine.

Be aware that again, you have to hire sun loungers but because we were moving about so much around the park, we didn’t bother and still had a great day.

Shopping in Albufeira

For me, there’s nothing better than shopping! Albufeira offers so many lovely little boutique shops selling some fabulous things. I discovered the wonderful Parfois which to me seemed like Zara quality clothing and accessories at a third of the price. I came away with three handbags and a cardigan for the price I would usually pay for one bag, so I was well chuffed!

Albufeira has so many lovely pubs, bars and restaurants on the seafront that we all loved going round the shops early evening then stopping off for a meal on the beachfront. You are also treated to some beautiful sunsets.

They are all open late too so there’s no rush to get there early. I love the laid back nature of the shopping and thew kids too loved all the more touristy shops where they got to spend their pocket money!

Beaches

There are SO many beaches to choose from in Portugal, you really are spoilt for choice. Our most local one was Gale beach and it was utterly stunning. It was a larger beach, which offered places to eat which with three kids, was perfect for us.

We also did try out some smaller beaches which were so beautiful but we needed a little more as little people and their bladders don’t match!

Portugal is such a wonderful place to visit with kids. It is a short flight from the UK and temperatures are always good. It is so beautiful and has so much to do it really is a great kid friendly holiday abroad for families.

B xx

  • Newcastle FamilyLife 11th January 2019 at 10:14 am

    My teen went to Portugal last year with her grandad and loved it, I have been wanting to visit since she returned and I saw her photos. This has made me want to visit more as it sounds like there is so much to do for families. It sounds like you all had a lush holiday xx

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