UnTours Managing Director Emily Schulman recently traveled to Portugal with her family, including her 5-year-old. Here are a few family-friendly ways they found to slow down.
Portugal is wonderfully kind to kids. On a recent family trip to Porto, Sintra and Lisbon (a quick day trip from Sintra) with our five-year-old, the highlights were castle walls to climb, bridges to peer through and hilltop parks made for picnics. Almost all of them worked better because we weren’t in a hurry.
Here’s where we went, what our son loved and a few things I’d tell a friend planning the same trip.
Porto: Towers, Bridges and the Best Picnic of the Trip
Climb Clérigos Tower
Our apartment was just steps from Clérigos Tower, and our son loved climbing its 225 steps to the top. The viewing platforms give you 360-degree views across the whole city.
Unsider tip: When your homebase is this close, you can go whenever little legs feel fresh rather than when a schedule says so.
Walk both decks of the Dom Luís I Bridge
We walked the top and bottom levels of this bridge at different times, and both are worth it. Up top you get stunning views of historic Porto, Gaia across the river and the water below. The lower level is the place to admire the bridge’s architecture up close.
Kids will love peering through the sides from both decks. Ours spotted traditional rabelo boats by day and much less traditional jet skiers showing off in the evening. On the upper level we found a local artist at work and came home with one of their pieces.
Unsider tip: Come back in the evening. As the light changes, the buildings perched on the hills on both sides of the river look especially beautiful.
Picnic at sunset in Jardim do Morro
This was a true highlight. Jardim do Morro sits on a hilltop just over the bridge in Gaia, perfectly placed for sunset. We happened to visit on the evening of the eclipse, when the whole country seemed to turn out and the park had a real community party feel.
We brought a simple picnic dinner of bread, sardines, cheese, olives, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and a bottle of wine. There’s a playground for the kids. Afterward it’s a lovely walk “home” across the bridge and up the steps into the old town.
Unsider tip: You don’t need an eclipse. This is a perfect summer picnic spot any evening at sunset.
Explore Serralves Park
Serralves is a 45-acre green space a few miles from the historic center. French landscape architect Jacques Gréber designed it in the 1930s, and it mixes formal gardens, woodlands, a romantic lake, and quiet walking paths. You’ll find a Rose Garden, a Camellia Garden and a Sundial Garden, plus a working farm where families can meet the animals.
Our son’s favorites were the Treetop Walk, an elevated path through the tree canopy, and hunting for the big sculptures along the trails. When we visited, those included several disco balls hanging among the trees.
Unsider tip: Grown-ups get a treat too. The park surrounds the Art Deco Serralves Villa and the Museum of Contemporary Art designed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira.
Sintra: A Tuk-Tuk Ride to the Moorish Castle
The trail up to Castelo dos Mouros is beautiful but steep, and our five-year-old wasn’t convinced. So we took a tuk-tuk instead. He loved the ride as it wound up the road circling the mountain to the castle.
The setting is incredible. The ruins sit on the mountaintop with Pena Palace in view, much of the site covered in cool forest and moss-covered undergrowth. We spent a really nice hour and a half to two hours walking the remaining exterior walls from tower to tower. There’s a lot of up and down, and every tower has stunning views.
We brought a picnic lunch and ate on a quiet, shaded stretch of wall. Afterward, part of our crew hiked back down to Sintra on the atmospheric (but steep!) trail.
Unsider tip: Ride up and walk down. You get the beauty of the trail without the steep climb, and a packed lunch lets you linger on the walls.
Lisbon: Ramparts and Telescopes at Castelo de São Jorge
This castle was another hit for the whole family. Our son loved climbing around the ramparts while we enjoyed the different views of the city from each vantage point.
Unsider tip: Look for the telescopes scattered around the castle walls. They were a favorite with our little one.
Tips for Portugal with Kids
The best parts of our trip were the picnics, the slow walks home and the time to let a curious kid set the pace. A few things worth packing into your plans:
- Bring a picnic. Bread, cheese and a few market finds turn a castle wall or hilltop park into the best table in town.
- Plan one big thing a day. A tower in the morning or a castle after lunch, with room left for whatever catches a small person’s eye.
- Stay put. One home base means no repacking and a neighborhood that starts to feel like yours.
- Say yes to the tuk-tuk. Sometimes the easy option is the one everyone remembers.
- Buy from the people who live there. A piece from a local artist beats anything from a gift shop.
That’s the beauty of an UnTour in Portugal. You unpack once in a real neighborhood, explore at your family’s own pace and know your local UnGuide is just a call away when you need a hand.
If Portugal is calling your family, explore our Portugal UnTours and start picturing your own sunset picnic.