Portugal has been a dream destination for a while. I saved 24 places on the map of Portugal that I would love to see but 10 days of our trip wouldn’t be enough even for half of the list. Starting in Lisbon and finishing our road trip in Porto, we needed to make our picks. So here is our road trip itinerary in the order of stops:
- Lisbon
- Praya do Guincho
- Cascais
- Sintra
- Praya Grande
- Cabo da Roca
- Sintra
- Sao do Martinho da Porto
- Praya Foz do Arelho
- Obidos
- Coimbra
- Aveiro
- Praya do Costa Nova
- Porto
We spent 3 days in Lisbon and in Porto respectively, so I will focus on both cities a little more. You can read about Lisbon HERE and about our road-tripping on the North of Portugal’s inland HERE.
PORTO
1. Where to stay with kids
- Baixa/Sé
- Cedofeita
- Ribeira
These neighborhoods are listed in the order of my personal preference if you are traveling with kids. All three – or pretty much any central location – would be great, but they all have their plus and minuses.
Baixa/Se is a central and the least touristic neighrborhood of these three. It’s located just above Ribeira, and in close walking distance to all major attractions. Lots of groceries, restaurants and cafes, but less crowds – which is always a plus when you travel with kids.
Cedofeita is the trendiest but at the same time very romantic neighborhood that would work for travellers who want to be close to the main city attractions. Evene if you are not staying here, chances are you will be spending most f your time walking around here.
Ribeira is a picturesque neighborhood in Porto by the riverside, with tiny colorful houses, numerous souvenir shops, restaurants and bars with a view towards the Douro river. Needless to say, it’s packed with tourists but it’s charming regardless.
2. Transportation
Porto is easy to walk around on foot but if you get tired or need to get to your destination quicker you always have options starting from the classic trams to charming eco-friendly tuk-tuks, or even Uber.
Travel-tips:
a) Take tram 1 which follows the waterfront
b) A single ticket costs 3 Euros, two-day passes are 5 Euros for kids, 10 Euros for adults, or you can get combined sightseeing tickets.
3. Walking around the city
We arrived at night, parked the car close to our Airbnb rental at Baixa neighborhood and walked to the Douro embankment for sunset. And instantly fell under the spell of the city. It resembles many European cities at once and yet its unique and incomparable. It’s the colors of the city that stroke me the most: the mix between the warm brass color the houses and deep blues of the famous “azulejos”. Porto was love at first sight.
During the day walk in the center on Avenida dos Aliados, explore all Cedofeita on foot, and for sunset go to Ribeira. Cross Ponte de Dom Luís, a double-deck metal arch bridge and go to Vila Nova de Gaia (yes, it’s another town just across the river!) for sunset views over Porto.
Take Teleferico de Gaia, the cable car which runs from the Jardim de Morro park by the Dom Luis I bridge down to the port warehouses and the boat tours. Easily one of the best things to do in Gaia apart from those port tastings.
4. Parks & playgrounds
- City Park in Foz
- Virtudes garden in Baixa
- Morro garden in Nova de Gaia
In Porto you won’t casually stumble on a kids playground on every square – and it’s definitely beneficial for its elegant architecture, but when you travel with kids you do need to make pit stops at parks and/or playgrounds once in a while, to give the little ones a chance to run out their energy while parents can take a breath and stretch their legs. The only playground that we found without looking was the one just below Teleferico de Gaia. Otherwise, the city has many parks lush with greenery and sweeping views. My top three are listed above.
5. Kids-friendly museums
- Livraria Lello
- Tram museum
- World of discoveries museum
Livraria Lello is not exactly a museum – it’s an actual bookstore with stunning architecture that made it one of the most stunning bookshops in the world. It’s particularly famous for being an inspiration for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts. During busy summer months it’s hard to get in, so most probably you would see a long line of tourists outside of the building. But it’s not an excuse not to see it!
Travel-tips:
a) There are actually 2 lines to Livraria Lello: one is the line to a ticket counter, inside, and this is the first one to take. But you can easily skip this one by buying your ticket online. b) The line outside may seem long but be sure to double-check if you are in the right line – many tourists get confused and start with this line first, while if you already have tickets in your hands you might not need to stand in line at all (which was our case) c) Best time to come is actually at the end of the day, about one hour before closing. The line lessen in times because many tourists are tired after a long day of sigh-seeing and heading for dinner. d) The entry ticket is deductible from your in-store purchases, and chances are you won’t leave empty-handed! There is a great selection of kids books in all languages. There are also wooden steps/stools for the little ones to be able to browse through the literature (Leo loved it!)
Porto tram museum is Definitely a place I would recommend for both kids and adults, even if only to take some fun photos for your Instagram. It’s located in the old tram station, and it’s spacious, airy and virtually empty. With “please touch” approach, you and your little ones can not only see all the old trams in real, standing on the rails, but climb them all too and play pretend games. This museum is a perfect indoor playground for all kids who love wheeled vehicles.
World of Discoveries is described as a small interactive museum of Portuguese history, but I would dub it a Portuguese version of Disneyland (in small scale of course) Although it does focus on Portuguese history, the stories of life on board are fascinating and there are plenty of buttons to touch, screens to swipe and exhibits to get hands on with. There is also a boat ride that takes you from Lisbon through the countries discovered by the Portuguese, and it’s very well-made, with lighting and sound effects that makes your child believe in what they see. (Spoiler alert: Your LO might get startled by the pirates trying to sink your boat by shooting cannons!)
6. Specialty: Porto tiles (“azulejos”)
The only time I remember seeing that much blue in the colors of one city was in Chefchaouen, the famous blue town in Morocco The Portuguese tiles actually come in different colors, but the most common and well-known is the combination of white and blue. The charm of “azulejos” got under my skin – to the point that my whole wardrobe ended up being color-coordinated with the city (something I often do absolutely subconsciously)
Pictured here are few of the favorite azulejos spots that we visited:
- São Bento railway station
- Igreja do Carmo
- Capela das Almas
- Igreja de Santo Ildefonso
7. Kids-friendly entertainment
- Six bridges cruise on the Douro river: the Douro Azul tours leave from Cais de Gaia, and take around 50 minutes to do a loop
- Wine tasting: Admittedly the tasting itself isn’t for children but you can’t go to Porto and miss seeing at least one cellar – they all line the waterfront in Gaia, so you have plenty of choice. All wine cellars are located across the river from Porto, you can cross one of the old bridges (Ponte Luis I) by foot.I would recommend Ferreira, they do a nice tour and tasting. My son enjoyed the tour as much as I did – it was fascinating for hom to walk in dark wine cellars and see huge barrels and tools.
8. Food & restaurants
Portugal, and Lisbon in particular is famous for its pastries. You will see a lot of bakeries spread out through the city.
One of the few food markets in Porto, the Mercado do Bolhao, is a great place to wander around, with fresh produce, fish and cheese on the stalls, as well as a few souvenir stands dotted around. Stop for a bite in one of the cafes, pick something up for a snack or just soak up the atmosphere.
Restaurants in Porto:
- Miss Opo
- Portucale
- Adega Vila mea, popular and authentic
- Drinks at the Cais da Ribeira street
- Manteigaria for pastier de nata
9. Kids stores
- Tradições on Rua das Flores (traditional Portuguese crafts)
- A Vida Portuguesa (toy store near Livraria Lello
- Alma Viva store (kids fashion)
- Wolf & Rita (my favorite kids fashion brand from Portugal, alas available only online)
For all of you who read that far (thank you!) – here is the link to my Google Maps with saved Favorites of all the places I mentioned here: https://www.google.com/maps/placelists/list/Yg-BQ7n5LxSVw7Mm628MoRkOTvD39w
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