Random Observation/Comment #843: I can see why so many people retire in Portugal. Epic.
Portugal is an absolutely beautiful place with so many layers of fun for all ages. Just for the fresh fish and seafood diet alone, I could see myself living a very active, relaxing, and comfortable lifestyle here. I would love to come back and see Porto as a date spot.
Things We Learned About Lagos
Definitely take a trip to Algarve region (if not specifically Lagos). It was peaceful and really beautiful with a coast of hidden beaches and restaurants.
Bring EURs because most of the local places are cash only.
Rent a car as it’ll be hard to find taxis and Ubers. The closest airport is in Faro (about an hour away) so you’ll need the car for the commute anyway.
When in doubt, order the grilled fresh fish. You can’t go wrong with a whole seabass. Fun fact: All fish in Portugal have be caught on a line and not a net.
A gluten-free lactose-free person would live very well here. As long as you can control the volume of consumed food, I think anyone could lose a few pounds on vacation.
Be prepared to paddle quite a bit if you’re doing a pure kayaking tour from the shore. Remember to wear a hat, sunscreen, and drink water during breaks. It’s not unusual to get sun stroke or dehydration symptoms when you’re out on the water for 2 hours.
Going a week before tourist season was a great idea. There’s an influx of tourists in early June for this sardines festival.
Things We Learned About Lisbon
Super English-friendly country overall. When traveling to foreign countries, it’s useful to learn “Do you/May I speak English?” in the local language. It was easy to forget to do this.
Taxis are cheaper than Ubers and usually only take cash. Most of our taxi rides for 15-20 minutes was less than 10 EURs. Taxis can also take you into the back alley streets to your destination (which is much more convenient when you have heavy bags).
Public transportation is quite good, but be sure to map out your taxi stands if you’re traveling with children.
Where are the sidewalks? Be extra careful with the kiddos. Also another reason to not drive in Lisbon as there’s nowhere to park.
Do a multi-day trip to Sintra. Don’t let the maps fool you. The tourist places like the castle and palace are very far apart and require a 20-30 minute taxi/jeep ride.
The nightlife in B. Alto is wild. I’ve never seen so many streets filled with people drinking terrible lager beer.
If you go to a supermarket, it’s like 3EUR for a bottle of wine. The Douro valley local wine definitely needs time to breathe. Spend a little extra to get the reserve quality.
More local restaurants have siesta kitchen closes between 3-5PM. Places near touristy spots are usually okay.
Eat the Pastel de Nata. So yummy and different from the Chinese version egg tart. As a person that doesn’t eat sweets, this was a flakey treat.
Preparing for the Trip
Try to plan just one thing per day. Everything else will fall into place.
At the end of May/early June, we were wearing shorts and sandals. Nicer restaurants require shoes. Hawaiian button up shirts were a good middle ground.
Driving from Lisbon to Lagos took around 3 hrs with tolls. We listened to music and a few podcasts, so it went quick.
Get in shape before the trip because you’ll be fat afterwards. Embracing the dad bod.
Itinerary
Tues - Arrive and Eat
Landed at 4PM. With rental car and driving, we arrived at 7:30PM (no traffic, kiddo break, paid for toll, 2.5 hr normal drive). A flight would offer you a bit more time on the beach.
Dinner at Adega de Marina - Honestly way more touristy than I would prefer, but we had a big group of 4 adults and 3 kids, so it worked out.
Wed - Kayaking
Lunch by the beach at Quintal do Peixe - One of the more expensive meals in Lagos, but we did order quite a few drinks and it was a few steps from the beach. Super fresh fish options.
Chill on the beach - Don’t even worry about plans. Just walk around and pick up some seashells.
Kayaking via Kayak Explorers - 165EUR (cash only, ATM available) for 3 adults and 2 kids (must be older than 6) - 2.5 hrs - You can call by phone and book day-of.
This was not an easy kayak when you’re doing all the work. I think we did a total of 2 miles along the shore. The caves were really cool and the life jackets had a pocket for holding your phone in front. No shoes/sandals. Definitely buy a bottle of water to drink during stops. There’s a 20 minute break at a secluded sand beach at the end. The ending Kayak train back to the port was really fun and relaxing.
For my parents, I would recommend the trips from ports that take a boat out to the cave and do the less exhaustive kayaking.
Dinner at O Lamberto - Out of the entire trip, this was actually one of the most deliciously prepared seabass with tons of garlic and butter sauce. Everything was so fresh and we really enjoyed the night. 4 adults and 3 kids came out to 140EUR cash.
Thurs - Chilling
Lighthouse and beautiful views at Farol da Ponte da Piedade - I could probably explore this area for a few hours, but the kiddos stopped for ice cream and really dragged their feet. There was a cute shop there with 2EUR beers, so no complaints from the Dads.
Late lunch at Lucas rooftop restaurant - This place is super classy and probably very crowded during regular hours. We were able to get a table and order some delicious dishes.
Rooftop pool in Carvi Beach Hotel Algarve - Since we had our swim clothes, we snuck into the rooftop pool and really extended our stay. We took naps and read books. It was inexplicably peaceful with a gorgeous view of the ocean a block away.
Dinner at Calhou Restaurant (Italian) - V was all fish-ed out so we had some Naples-style pizzas, which had a very fluffy on the inside crispy on the outside dough. Honestly one of the best pizzas I’ve had in a while.
Fri - Arrive & Aquarium
Drive to Lisbon - The Nissan Quashiqai rental had quality dash projections and assisted driving features. As noted above, it’s recommended that you ditch the car back to the airport (a shorter drive) and then take the taxi in with your luggage. You might be tempted to drive and drop off your family with luggage, but you’d get stuck on some side street and double your commute time.
Surprisingly inexpensive taxi ride - 25EUR for 20 minutes - This might be a record for the least expensive airport-to-city transport.
With the great weather, we really just wandered. V really wanted to hit up Zara and Mango. I am supportive of every family member’s goals on trips.
Lunch at Gambrinus - The most expensive, but also the most luxurious place of the whole trip. We ordered excessively. Highly recommend the seafood bisque because it’s a proper thick and umami rich experience. Easily the best soup of the trip. I think there was a 15EUR charge for seating, but they prepped our individual plates and deboned everything.
Oceanarium - 1.5 hrs - A bit in the middle of nowhere, but it was pretty cool and a nice break in the day. There’s one big tank in the middle and two floors to circle around it, but I don’t think it was that big of a place. I loved the big derpy old shark that swims around slowly.
Drinks at Lumi Rooftop bar - A great pre-game spot that’s usually full. These drinks were really creative and delicious. Recommend the B. Alto drink.
Late night Dinner Timeout market Lisboa - This place honestly stressed me out because it was so hard to find a spot and then decide on what to order. I was very happy with easy-to-share meals like the prosciutto place. Got a small pizza pie for the kiddos. We took our time and chatted with strangers.
Sat - Castle, Peacocks, trams, and tuk tuks
Breakfast buffet at Lumi rooftop - Everything about the breakfast was amazing. I really enjoyed the Lumi omelet and fresh papaya. Acai bowl was also very cute and delicious.
Tuk tuk to castle - 30EUR cash - We really wanted to take a tram there, but the tuk tuk wound up to be a much better choice because it got us basically to the entrance. The kiddos also loved a tuk tuk ride through the narrow streets.
Castelo de Sao Jorge - 15EUR per ticket - Worth it for the incredible views and peacocks. The view was really lovely and the bridge reminded us of San Francisco.
Late Lunch at Taberna do Castelo - You have to walk a little bit downhill to get here, but it’s worth it. The paella was surprisingly good. I also ate all the olives. Olives were just the right amount of brine-y.
Walk around church area - Super touristy spots, so watch for scammers.
Take the tram back down - The trams were pretty crowded and felt a bit sticky. They often didn’t stop at the actual spots, which was a bit annoying. It was an experience to try once.
Dinner at Gunpowder Lisboa (Indian) - I think we were all losing steam by this point, so I wasn’t particularly feeling the tapas and Indian mix. The prawns were delicious with a juicy head. They were exceptionally children friendly.
Drinks at Toca da Raposa - This place was super exclusively and had one of the best cocktails. Try the Badger (mezcal-tomato-soy-ginger). It’s so good we want to cool meals that match this flavor.
Sun - Sintra
Getting to Sintra - You can take a train from Rossio to Sintra. Bought at the counter for around 6EUR per person. About an hour commute. Trains run once an hour.
Highly recommend eating before you start your day! Food at the places are expensive and limited.
Early lunch at Cafe Saudade - Kids loved their toasties and milkshakes. Delicious teas.
We walked from the train station to Quinta da Regaleira, which is definitely doable for adults, but terrible with kids. It was a sweaty 30 minutes up stairs and across some winding roads.
Quinta da Regaleira - 12EUR per person - This was a perfect first stop. Lots to see at this palace from the long well with staircase into the groto and lots of cool caves.
Jeep ride by FunToursPT to Pena Palace - 40EUR cash - This was honestly just good fortune as we got picked up outside this palace to drive us to the next. The 7 of us fit in and had an incredibly fun 30 minute ride through the mountains.
National Palace of Pena - 20EUR per ticket to enter the park (but not the palace) - also a 3EUR per person bus ride up the mountain (better than walking 30 minutes). Buy these tickets at the kiosk.
(see the door on the left where the kiddo is)
Walking around the Palace for the vast view - Note that we did not go into the palace itself because the timed entry was all sold out, but we had just as much fun walking around and taking photos. If you’re afraid of heights (like me) I had some issues walking around the perimeter through the tiny door. It was definitely worth it as you get the view at the back end of the castle.
Dinner at Dom Pipas - This place was recommended by the jeep tour guide. It was spacious and close enough to the train station that we didn’t feel rushed. One last huge seafood meal of the trip!
~See Lemons Love Portugal