A fun, relaxed family guide to things to do in the Algarve with kids. From beaches, boat trips, boardwalks, towns, forests and rainy-day ideas across Southern Portugal.
If you are planning a family holiday to the Algarve, it is very easy to fall into the happy routine of beach, pool, ice cream, repeat. But if your more like us and want to escape the crowds this blog is for you. Enjoy a few little adventures between sandy toes and resort pool time as the Algarve is brilliant for kids. Short drives, dramatic coastlines, gentle boardwalks, old towns, boat trips, forest trails…. and plenty of places where you can skip the tourist crowds. Read along to see why we loved visiting the Algarve with kids.
Below are our favourite things to do with kids in the Algarve. We focus on places that are different to the usual tourist spots, or other travel blogs we found. We’ve also got other blogs on:
Opening times and prices can change seasonally, especially in summer. Treat these as a planning guide and always double-check before you set off.
We drove to Portugal after spending 2 weeks in Southern Spain. The main airport is Faro, but Lisbon is only 2-3 hours drive away and so could be another option. Alvor where we were based is just 45 minutes from Faro airport.
Things to do in the Algarve with kids
- Monchique town and the municipal pool
- Foia Lookout Point
- Dolphin and caves boat trip
- Pego do Inferno waterfall near Tavira
- Carvoeiro Boardwalk
- Mata Nacional do Barão de São João
- Visit the medieval town of Silves
- Ponta da Piedade, Lagos
- Portimao, Alvor and Lagos
- Tavira Island and Praia do Barril
- Visit the Beaches of the Algarve with kids
Monchique town and the municipal pool
Monchique is a lovely change of scenery when you want a break from the coast. We visited 3 times during our two-week stay as it ticked so many boxes for us. Up in the hills, the air feels fresher, and the views are very different from the beach resorts.
The town is full of quaint and quiet narrow streets. Have a wander around exploring the alley ways then stop for coffee or cake. There’s a monastery, Convento de Nossa Senhora do Desterro, around 10 minutes walk from the ‘top’ of the town. Monchique is just full of cute vibes. The main square has crocheted roses over the bridge. The streets are colourful. The water fountains are tiled. Need I go on…
We don’t recommend driving in the centre – it’s just too narrow at times. Instead, drive straight through the main road and park We parked near “Food K25” in the parking lot. You could also park in the supermarkets at the entrance to the town. However, you do then have a steepish uphill climb to the centre.
For food, check out the brilliant restaurant Velochique. It is reasonably priced, brunches, lunches and main meals, and plenty for the kids too. And the healthy food is very delicious.
If visiting in the warmer months, head to the outdoor municipal pool. We visited the outdoor pools on two of our three visits. It’s a large pool, and kids pool with grassy areas and costs 2 euros entry. Take a parasol as there isn’t much shade. But if you want a quieter pool away from the resort, it’s totally worth hanging out with the locals here. There is also a snack bar, toilets and changing rooms. This was one of our favourite things to do whilst on the Algarve.
Useful to know: Monchique’s outdoor municipal pool is seasonal, generally operating between June/July and September. Usually around 10am – 6/7pm
Foia Lookout Point
When it all gets too much on the beach, head up the hills again to Foia. This is the highest peak in the Algarve. You can drive all the way to the lookout point for views right across the area to both the South and West Atlantic Coasts. The are 2 cafes serving food and drinks, toilets, a shop and some space for kids to run around. There are even some rocks to climb and be adventurous. It’s probably worth combining this place with Monchique as there’s only 15 minutes drive between them.
Dolphin and caves boat trip
When you read any guide or explore Get Your Guide, you’ll see hundreds of operators offering boat trips to see the caves and dolphins. It seems to be the main excursion to do when in the Algarve with kids. There are many offerings from Portimão or Lagos. We went with Alvor Tours but I think they are all a muchness and last around 2-3 hours.
There is a marine biologist on board who does a decent job educating about the dolphins, and we did see quite a few pods along the way. There’s no chasing the dolphins either which we highly approve of – but of course they are wild so never guaranteed. The trip takes a cruise along the coastline to caves, cliffs and hidden coves, including to Bengali Cave.
It is worth noting you can’t get off the boats in the caves and you get around 2 minutes “inside the save” – everyone flocks to the front of the boat for “that snap” which is somewhat irritating when you have smaller kids.
Even in the height of summer, the spray from the boat crashing on the sea is cold. The boats have waterproof tops you can ask for, and remember sun cream, water and a hat (although make sure it is well tied to your head!).
I’d also recommend snacks as always with the kids. They were definitely ‘done’ after 2 hours so don’t expect this to be a whole day trip. You could also do a kayak or SUP trip but on arrival at the main caves there were hundreds of kayaks and boats, and we were quite relieved that we didn’t opt for that.
Once off the boat, the kids were starving and so we legged it into one of the marina restaurants, The Lighthouse Pub. The food was good, excellent portion size and a fair bit cheaper than some of the other restaurants along this strip.
Pego do Inferno waterfall near Tavira
Pego do Inferno is the famous waterfall and natural pool tucked inland from Tavira. It has that secret-swimming-hole feel, with a short walk-through countryside to reach the water. There’s a parking spot (get there early) and then it’s a 10-minute walk. You do have to walk through water and a stream to get there so ditch the trainers and don the water shoes or flip flops.
Once there you can spend a couple of hours picnicking, swimming, and watching everyone jumping off the rocks or using the rope swing. There’s some smaller rocks that the kids jumped off too.
Unfortunately there is not a lot of shade but not a huge amount of space to lay your towels, so you’ll likely be rubbing shoulders with the locals. There’s also no toilets or snacks so bring everything you need with you. Entrance is free!
You could combine a couple of hours here with a trip to Tavira and its island beaches.
Carvoeiro Boardwalk
The Carvoeiro Boardwalk was one of our favourite mornings in the Algarve with the kids. It is a short, easy cliff walk with big views for very little effort, which is exactly the kind of family outing we love. It runs from the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação towards Algar Seco, with railings, viewpoints and benches along the way. Start at Carvoerio beach, head up the hill and then you’ll find the boardwalk.
It is especially good if you want dramatic Algarve scenery without committing to a long hike. There are a few points where you can head down steps to areas for good and ‘safer’ rock climbing which Nyle loved. You may even see some cliff jumpers which Lissie was desperate to get in on the action with! There are a few cafes along the way but you’ll likely be done after a couple of hours anyway and then reward yourself with drinks and ice creams from Carvoeiro town.
We discovered the most amazing cafe for brunch as well – definitely check this place out for a family-friendly restaurant in Carvoeiro. Cafe Fino has the best pancakes and our two loved eating here. Although busy, we only waited 5 minutes for a table.
Mata Nacional do Barão de São João
We discovered this place purely from seeking out a forest on google maps. On arrival I thought “what have I done?!” but it turned into a lovely morning out with barely anyone else around.
This forest near Barão de São João is a lovely option when you want shade, space and a slower morning away from the beach crowds. There are several walking and mountain-bike trails, including family-friendly loops through pine forest, picnic areas and paths with sculptures and poetry carved into stones.
It feels more local and low-key than the famous coastal sights, which is part of the charm. There’s even a bike rental place. We played on the small park, built forest dens, and walked along the trails, even right under the wind turbines!
There was a toilet at the car park, barbecue areas and plenty of picnic tables.
Visit the medieval town of Silves
Silves was a real delight for us. Another quaint town inland from the coast with a castle and cobbled streets to explore. During August there is a week-long medieval festival which looked brilliant but we stumbled upon it too late.
At its crown sits Silves Castle, a vast red‑sandstone fortress with sweeping views over the Arade River valley; you can wander its ramparts, explore the preserved cisterns, and visit daily from morning until late afternoon for a small entry fee of just a few euros. There a cafe inside the castle for drinks, and also an exhibition in the old storage areas all about the Iberian leopard and its state of being near extinct.
Just downhill, the Silves Archaeology Museum is built around a striking 12‑metre‑deep medieval well. Its exhibits trace the region’s past from prehistory through the Islamic period. It was only 1 euro extra for a combination ticket which was fine – the kids were done after 15 minutes inside. But the walk between the two sites is lovely. The cathedral is also very much worth a mooch inside.
Ponta da Piedade, Lagos
The Algarve is littered with stunning viewpoints and lookouts. Ponta da Piedade is one of the Algarve’s postcard spots: golden cliffs, sea arches, turquoise water and dramatic viewpoints. With children, you can keep it simple by visiting the boardwalks and viewpoints from above, or make it more adventurous by taking a small boat tour through the caves and arches.
We opted for the views from the top having already done a boat trip. And the boardwalks make it very safe for kids to explore whilst being safe on the cliff tops – with supervision of course. This is a great location for sunset, but also combine it when leaving Lagos.
There’s a wealth of great activities with the kids in Lagos so you should plan on a day or two exploring this town. There’s the science centre, the tree-top trek course, and a street art trail. There are of course the tourist shops and plenty of places to eat and drink. More on Portimão, Lagos and Alvor is on our other blog on things to do in the Algarve with kids.
Portimao, Alvor and Lagos
From museums, to mini golf and tree top treks, the 3 towns of Alvor, portimao and Lagos offer plenty. from things to do with kids in the sun and on rainy days, we share all our highlights on another blog post here. If you’re heading to Alvor or Lagos, check out our favourite things to do in these Algarve towns with kids.
Tavira Island and Praia do Barril
Tavira Island is a brilliant family day out because getting there feels like part of the fun. For the main Ilha de Tavira beach, ferries usually run from Quatro Águas year-round and from Tavira town seasonally, with summer crossings often every 15–30 minutes. The beach is long, sandy and backed by the Ria Formosa, so you can make it as busy or as quiet as you like by walking a little further from the ferry drop-off.
We opted instead for Praia do Barril, the little tourist train from Pedras d’el Rei is a highlight for younger children. It trundles across the lagoon to the beach in around 8 minutes, or you can walk the flat route beside the tracks if everyone has the energy in around 15 minutes. It’s 4 euros per person for a return ticket and you can buy them at the car park or on the platform itself. At the beach, the anchor cemetery adds a quirky bit of history to your sandcastle session.
This beach was very busy when we arrived around 3pm, but by 5/6pm it was a lot quieter. The train runs until 8.30 in the summer. You can again rent sun loungers and do water sports and there are several restaurants for drinks and snacks – although I do have to say that the food quality wasn’t the best!
Visit the Beaches of the Algarve with kids
Of course there will be beach time, and no trip to the Algarve is going to be without several days in the sand. The sea is the Atlantic so it is cool, even in summer. There can be great waves for body boarding, exploration to be done through the natural tunnels between coves, and plenty of drinks and snacks in the beach bars.
We visited so many beaches during our time here, that are favourites are listed on our Algarve beaches blog, full of all the details you’ll need.
You’ll find other blogs telling you to visit Slide and Splash, the biggest Water Park just outside Portimão. Our advice is definitely to avoid it, especially in August. We went to visit, but saw the queues from the car park. We quickly decided it just wasn’t worth the 30 euros per person entrance fee. My advice, don’t tell the kids it exists, head to the beach and enjoy one of the inflatable parks or pedalos instead!
Other places to visit which we never made it to are Faro Old Town, Sagres and Odeceixe – you can read more on these places on this blog written by my friend which we really enjoyed!
Whether you are climbing boardwalk steps, spotting murals in Lagos, riding the mini train to Barril Beach or cooling off in Monchique’s municipal pool, the Algarve is full of easy family adventures. The secret is not to over-pack the days and be sure to escape the summer crowds when you can.
