Top Places to Visit with a Toddler in the Algarve, Portugal

It isn't hard to see why the south of Portugal is such a fan-favourite with families - turquoise waters, beautiful secluded beaches, charming mediterranean villages and incredible seafood - what's not to love? Although the region is most famous for its beaches (and there's over 150 of them!), you will also find great spots for hiking and several historical sites as the region has been influenced by Romans, Moors, and Portuguese explorers.

Me, my husband and our 2.5-year-old daughter spent a week exploring the region together with my husband's family, and it did not disappoint! We did a mix of beach days, boat trips, strolling through coastal towns and some hiking, and I put together a list of my top places to visit in the Algarve with 7 adults and 2 toddlers in tow!

How to get to the Algarve

The main airport in the Algarve is Faro International Airport (FAO) located near the region's capital city, Faro. The airport is well-connected with plenty of flights to multiple European cities, and Faro sits pretty much in the middle of the southern coast (slightly more east), making it easy to get to wherever you're staying.

If you're planning a longer trip with multiple stops across Portugal and/or Spain, you might consider other modes of transportation. Cities like Lisbon and Seville are only about a 2-3 hour drive away, and there are also trains and buses if you prefer to not rent a car.

Where to stay

If you've never been to the Algarve, deciding where to stay might feel a little overwhelming as there are so many different towns and areas - ultimately, the coast is pretty small so if you have a car, you'll be able to access most places regardless of where you stay but here are a few options to consider:

Lagos - a historic town with cobbled streets and lively squares. It's a bigger town with plenty of restaurants and cafes, close to many beautiful beaches. Ideal if you want to explore the west coast as it is further west than other towns. However, accommodation here is a bit pricier so you'll probably end up with something slightly smaller than in other places.

Carvoeiro - a charming seaside town with a nice beach, quieter than other towns. Perfect if you want something peaceful, but still want to have everything you might need at hand. As it is a small town, there aren't as many options for accommodation here and it is a bit pricier.

Albufeira - one of the most popular towns in Algarve with plenty of accommodation available (this is where I found some of the most affordable options) and centrally located in the Algarve. The main downside is that this turns into a bit of a party town in high season - that said, there are plenty of quaint little villages nearby (we stayed in the charming seaside village of Olhos de Água), so don't rule it out! It also has lots of toddler-friendly activities like water parks and a zoo nearby.

Tavira - if you want to explore a bit more of what east Algarve has to offer, or maybe even do a day trip to Spain, then Tavira is a good option. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time to go here on our trip, but my sister-in-law and her family did and they absolutely loved it - it's got a local feel to it and is full of historic charm, you can also take the ferry out to Tavira Island.

Getting around

The best way to get around is by hiring a car. As mentioned, the coast isn't very big and a car will allow you to visit most places (and even do day trips to places like Seville and Lisbon if you have the time). There are plenty of car hire companies available and driving in the Algarve is easy with good road conditions, even when driving to remote beaches.

There are local buses and even some trains, so it is doable without a car but you would be a bit more limited as to what you can see and do. When I went to the Algarve 9 years ago, we took the bus from Lisbon to Lagos and then spent a few days just exploring the surrounding area without a car, and we ended up having a great trip so this is definitely an option too if you prefer to not hire a car.

Top Places to Visit in the Algarve with a Toddler

The beaches

The main attraction in the Algarve is of course the sea and the beautiful beaches (and there are many of them!). In fact, the beaches here were so beautiful, I decided they deserved a blog post of their own, which you can read here.

The beaches vary in terms of accessibility and facilities - some are right next to a town with restaurants and shops down at the beach, some you have to hike down to reach, and others you can only access by boat.

You could probably spend months just exploring the beaches (and you still wouldn't find them all!), but here is a sneak peek of my favourite beaches:

Marinha Beach - voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by the Michelin guide (and it's easy to see why!) - this beach is a must if your visiting the Algarve!

Armona Island - scroll down to read more about this beautiful island and how to access it - basically kilometres of fine white sand and shallow waters!

Olhos de Água - a beach with a very different feel to it - take the boarded walk next to the red ravine-like rocks at sunset for some stunning colours.

Praia do Canavial - this one involves a bit of hiking so I would recommend using a carrier. Technically this is also a nudist beach, and although most people we saw were dressed, there were a few naked people so up to you if you think this appropriate or not. It didn't bother us and it was one of our favourite beaches overall!

Silves

Silves is one of the oldest towns in the Algarve and was once the capital of the region during Moorish rule. It’s located inland, about 20 minutes from the coast, and offers a quieter, more historic experience compared to beach towns like Albufeira. It's a quiet little town with charming alleyways and orange trees scattered around, perfect for a chilled afternoon and a drink or an ice cream in one of the small squares.

The main attraction here though, is the castle. The Castle of Silves is one of the best-preserved Moorish castles in Portugal. It's made up of red sandstone and sits high above the town (yes you have to walk uphill to get here - we brought the pram so it was a bit of a workout!). Entry to the castle was only around €3 and you can climb the walls of the castle for panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

The castle dates back to the 8th century and was a major stronghold during the Muslim occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. If you're a history buff, this is a must-visit, but it was also really good for young kids as it is an open space where they can freely roam around.

We finished our visit to Silves with some pastries by the main town square, before making our way back to the coast.

Olhão and Armona Island

Armona Island is a true little gem, it's basically an island made up of fine, white sand and visiting the island was one of our highlights of the entire trip - my only regret is we didn't have more time here!

To get here, you first need to get to the town of Olhão. This is a charming fishing town with whitewashed cube-like houses, narrow cobbled streets, and a vibrant working harbour. I would recommend allocating some time here before jumping on the ferry because there's a market hall down by the harbour, plenty of good seafood restaurants, a great playground on the waterfront and the town is cute for a stroll around (I particularly liked the little uniquely painted boats with plants in them that fronted all the shops on the streets!).

The ferry to Armona Island is only about 10-15 minutes long, but they only run every other hour so I would make sure to look up the ferry times in advance to avoid spending time just waiting around! Once docked, there's a path that takes you across the island to the kilometre long beach on the other side (parts of this path was just sand so we decided to ditch the pram on the side of the path with a note on it, but they were paving the path while we were there so it might be paved all the way by now!).

The beach was absolutely stunning, and the water was shallow, which meant it was warmer than other beaches we had been to (we went in April) and easy for our daughter to have a splash too. It's a small island so there isn't much in terms of amenities, but there were a few cafes and restaurants, both in the little village around the dock and on the beach. If we had planned a bit better we would have tried to stay for sunset because the views are meant to be magical here, but sadly we had to make a move and head back.

Lagos

If you are visiting the Algarve, chances are you have already heard of Lagos (or are even planning on staying here) as it is one of the most popular places in the Algarve. This historic town offers mix of stunning beaches, colourful buildings and lively cafes and restaurants. The town is enclosed by city walls, originally built in the 16th century, and it's compact and mainly flat, making it perfectly pram-friendly, with plenty of pedestrian-only zones where kids can roam safely.

There is plenty to see nearby, including the golden cliffs and sea arches of Ponta da Piedade and beautiful beaches like Praia Dona Ana, so if you are not staying in Lagos, I would allocate a full day here to have enough time to explore both the town and the surrounding area.

We started with a morning at Praia Dona Ana and then went to Ponta da Piedade for a couple of hours before spending the afternoon exploring Lagos (ice cream in hand, of course). There are quite a few shops here, as well as a market by the marina, so if you wanted to do a bit of shopping on your holiday, this is a good place for it! If I were to go back, I would go for a nice meal at one of the many restaurants, but we had brought a picnic lunch today for the beach and didn't want to wait around until dinner

Ponta da Piedade

One of the Algarve’s most iconic spots, and for good reason! Ponta da Piedade is located just outside the town of Lagos, with dramatic, golden cliffs, hidden grottoes, and rock arches bordering the bright blue sea.

To get here, you can walk all the way from Lagos (about a 40 minute walk), or you can park at the Ponta da Piedade car park (this is what we did). It's an easy 10-minute walk from the car park, and there's a restaurant and toilets on site. (We especially liked the walk as it was full of wild flowers, including lots of mallow which is called malva in latin - this is what we named our daughter after!)

Since my last time visiting 9 years ago, they have built a wooden boardwalk all the way across the top, meaning it is now pram-friendly (and if you have a toddler who likes to run around, you don't have to worry about them getting too close to the edge!). I would still recommend bringing a carrier to be able to see as much as possible, as there are some gorgeous spots that require a bit more trekking, like the carved staircase taking you down to the water's edge.

You can also do boat tours here in amongst the grottoes (our daughter was asleep in the carrier so we opted against it, but I heard others who did it saying it was really impressive so could be worth doing if you have the time).

You don't need a huge amount of time here, but equally I wouldn't rush it as it is one of the most impressive spots in the Algarve (in my opinion). As it is right next to Lagos you could easily combine it with a day trip to Lagos, as well as one of the beaches nearby.

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Benagil Cave and Dolphin boat tour

As mentioned, there are some places in the Algarve that can only be accessed by boat, so I would highly recommend doing at least one boat tour while you're here to be able to fully explore the coast! Although some of the boat tours are not be suitable for younger children, we found this one that was just perfect - a 2-hour speed boat tour in a slightly larger boat (taking up to 45 people), with children aged 3 and under only paying €10 (most other tours we found were charging around the double for children).

We boarded the boat in the Albufeira marina, but there are boat tours leaving from several different locations on the coast, and the tour takes you up along the coast, exploring some of the caves and spotting dolphins. There is no guarantee that you will see dolphins as they don't actually live outside of Portugal, but merely travel through with their children to avoid predators like great whites, however we were very lucky to spot them straight away! We spent a good chunk of time there, giving us plenty of opportunities to see the dolphins up close, especially as they would playfully come and jump up next to the boat.

The rest of the boat tour was spent exploring the coastline, and it was really special seeing the golden rock formations from the the sea and even going into some of the caves. The highlight is undoubtedly the impressive Benagil Cave, a sea cave carved by the Atlantic waves featuring a skylight that floods the cave with golden light. The cave can only be accessed via the sea (though we saw hikers peeking in from the hole above!) and the boat tour takes you in to the middle the cave where you can get some good photos and admire the cave up close.

My daughter loved being on the boat and seeing the dolphins (admittedly she then fell asleep and slept for the rest of the tour, but she was at least awake for the best part!). It can get a bit chilly out on the water, especially if you do a morning boat tour, so I would recommend bringing a warm jumper. We finished off with a nice lunch in the Albufeira marina.

Recommended tour: Albufeira: Dolphin Watching and Benagil Cave

Albufeira

This is one of the most popular places with tourists, so it isn't the most authentic place on the coast, but it is nonetheless worth a visit, especially if you are travelling with kids as it is very family-friendly. The town is cute with plenty of restaurants and shops, and the long beach can be accessed both via steps and a lift taking you all the way down from the top. We spent a good few hours here exploring the town and the beach, and my daughter and her cousin had lots of fun playing on the beach and us adults took it in turns to explore the rocks nearby and the various viewpoints further up.

If the beach isn't enough to keep your little ones entertained, there are plenty of activities in and around Albufeira - playgrounds, water parks, a zoo and a mini train going around the town centre.

We went off season, so we mainly saw young families, but I've heard it can get quite rowdy in the summer months as Albufeira is known as a bit of a party town, so that's something to bear in mind if you're visiting with children. We stayed near Albufeira in the small town Olhos de Água, which was really lovely and quiet and provided us with a good base for exploring the coast.

Carvoeiro

If you can't decide between beach, charming town and shops/restaurants (or if your a group with different interests) Carvoeiro is for you! It's a picturesque sea town with whitewashed houses, plenty of cafes and restaurants and it's right next to the beach.

The town is small enough that you can you can walk around it without little ones getting tired/bored, but there's enough to entertain kids and adults alike (and plenty of ice cream shops for when you need a break!). The beach is calm and sheltered so it's a great spot to take young kids. There are also several boat tours leaving from the beach, so if you're planning a boat trip, that's something to bear in mind.

There are several restaurants right on the waterfront so we had dinner outside and took turns playing with Malva and her cousin at the beach once they had finished their food (and the rest of us could enjoy a glass of wine in the evening sun!).

We ended up coming here after visiting Silves as it's only a 20-minute drive away, so if you are planning on visiting both towns, I'd recommend doing both in one day. And if you're here in the evening, make sure walk up the boardwalk to the top for some gorgeous sunset views!

Passadiços do Barranco do Demo

If you want a break from the sea and the beaches then I can highly recommend this little gem that we stumbled upon. Barranco do Demo, meaning 'devil's gorge', is a short but stunning trail up in the mountains in the Algarve, near Monchique. The drive to get here is beautiful next to the mountains, and it was very different from what we had done so far.

The trail is made up of wooden steps leading down and up the other side of the gorge, with a rope bridge in the middle crossing a small waterfall. The entire trail goes across and then around the mountain back to the start, however we chose to just hike down and back up again, as it was quite a hot day. We did a mix of carrying our toddler in the carrier and letting her walk by herself as the steps are railed all the way, so it was a good way for her to burn off some energy. We brought her lunch with us which she ate next to the stream - a lovely spot with a beautiful view of the gorge.

As our daughter was due a nap when we got back up, we decided to continue driving through the mountains to Fóia, the highest point in the Algarve. From here, you get the view of the sea to one side and the hills to the other. There is also a restaurant here if you wanted to have lunch - we had brought a packed lunch so we decided to have it here whilst admiring the view.

Our original plan was to continue to the west coast and Sagres, as it was less than an hour's drive away, but as this was our last full day, we decided to instead head to a beach closer to our villa and let our daughter have more time to play.

To summarise, we had an incredible week exploring what the Algarve has to offer, and although the beaches were a clear highlight, there was a large variety of things to see and do. We left feeling like we could have easily spent another week here, so we will be back for sure!