A Family Trip to Portugal

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On the day after Christmas, our family of four embarked on an exciting 12-day vacation to explore Portugal and Spain. This journey marked our first international excursion without the company of friends and also became our most extended vacation to date. Join us as we share valuable insights and memorable experiences from this unforgettable trip, designed to help fellow travelers plan their own family vacations. 

Here is our itinerary along with where we stayed, what we liked, what we did, and the things we would not recommend.

Day 1:  Miami to Lisbon

Miami to Lisbon was a direct flight of less than 8 hours.  We stayed at a fabulous Airbnb in Baixa.  It was called the Architectural Gem - Baixa.  I fell in love with the location and this particular property.  It was a very clean and updated 2 bedroom/2.5 bath flat that felt secure and had balconies overlooking the street. It was in the historic center of the famous 'Rua de Prata, Baixa'.  It was within walking distance of Chiado, Bairro Alto, Alfama, monuments, and the waterfront. It also had a washer which we took advantage of.

Our first tour was a private Lisbon Roots, Food & Culture Walk via Taste of Lisboa.  This was the absolute best walking tour.  We ate our way through Lisbon as they prepared small meals for us at the different places along the walk.  We did this in the evening and I highly recommend it. The guide was knowledgeable and took us to some great off the beaten path places.  She explained the history of many of the places we visited.

These are all pictures from this tour.

Day 2: Sintra and Surrounding Area 

Sintra is one of those places that if you do not see it for yourself, you do not realize how grand and beautiful it is.  I called it the seaside town of palaces.  We had a driver pick us up at our AirBnB in Lisbon, take us to Sintra and spend the day showing us around.  Sintra is simply breathtaking.  The grounds of the castles, the tunnels, and the architecture were unbelievable.  Our guide was Joao from ExclusivTour and his van was comfortable.  I keep in touch with Joao so if you want to use him, I can reach out to him.  We started our trip with breakfast in a small cafe in Sintra and then walked up to Quinta da Regaleira.  Then we visited the National Palace of Sintra which is a Unesco site and we ended our trip to Sintra with the Pena Palace.  Some of the castles had long tunnels, swimming pools, and much more to explore.  

We left Sintra and we were starving.  We found a lovely restaurant (Mar do Guincho), just outside of Cascais by the ocean.  The restaurant was on a cliff and you could see the rocks with the waves crashing on them all around.  The food there was the best I had on the entire trip.  I shared a seafood dish with our guide while the kids and my husband enjoyed steaks with a delicious sauce.  We met a lovely Brazilian family while we were there and our girls played together.  We all went for a walk after dinner on the beach.  I included pictures of the restaurant below.

Here are some of our pictures:

Day 3: Exploring Lisbon

We spent a few hours on our third day exploring the Belem section of Lisbon on a Tuk Tuk with Alex our amazing guide.  He took us to the following places:

He was a very patient guide and explained things well.  When he did not know the answer, he found the answer for us which was amazing! 

After we left him we did some exploring on our own.  We visited the Praça do Comércio which is a commerce square across from the harbor.  There is a big arch similar to the Arch of Triumph in Paris as you walk into the plaza.  We had lunch at the Time Out Market.  I had heard great things about it and although the food was great, it was uber-crowded and we had to stalk people to find a seat.  My husband ended up not eating because the food took a long time and he could not deal with the crowds.  I grew up in big cities and crowds don't bother me but this was basically standing room only and I like having a more chill lunch. 

Next, we went to the Elevador do Carmo it's one of Lisbon’s most beloved landmarks.  The area around it is full of cute shops and streets. 

Lastly, we walked around Avenida da Liberdade, this is where you will find all the high-end shops like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Prada. 


Day 4: Lisbon to Sevilla

On Day 4,  checked out of our Architectural Gem in Baixa Airbnb and headed to Lisbon Airport for a short flight to Sevilla.  Pro Tip:  Flying in Europe can be cheap.  All 4 tickets from Lisbon to Sevilla cost us 32,000 points!  Find more on points on this page.

We flew first thing in the morning so that we could have a full day in Sevilla.  We were able to check into our Airbnb in Sevilla early. I am purposely not including a link to our Airbnb in Sevilla because it was not a nice one and it was just as expensive as our Lisbon flat.  It did have a fantastic location and was clean enough so if you are interested in a link message me.

To Read more about the Spain portion of our adventure, click here.

Day 8 - 10 The Algarve Region of Portugal

After 5 days in Spain, we decided to take a few days to rest and enjoy being by the sea.  We had a private guide pick us up from Sevilla and bring us to the Marriott Pine Cliffs.  The Marriott Pine Cliffs, also known as the Pine Cliffs Resort, is a luxurious 5-star resort in the Algarve region of Portugal. The resort is situated in the Albufeira area of the Algarve, a region known for its beautiful coastline, golden beaches, and pleasant climate. Marriott Pine Cliffs offers a range of accommodation options, including hotel rooms, suites, and luxury apartments. Many of these accommodations come with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Marriott Pine Cliffs offers a variety of dining options, including Portuguese and international cuisine. You can enjoy fine dining, casual meals, and even beachside dining.  Our FAVORITE restaurant was the Piri Piri Steakhouse where we had excellent service and a delicious steak dinner which was perfectly prepared.  The kids truly enjoyed the room service burgers and thought the breakfast buffet was the best tasting of the trip.  The breakfast buffet had a lot of cook-to-order meals including fresh juices and felt pretty upscale. 

The resort is family-friendly and provides childcare services, a kids' club, and a range of activities suitable for families including cooking classes.  We stayed in a two-bedroom suite.  Our kids shared a very spacious room, we had our own bedroom with a king bed, we shared a living room, dining room, and kitchen in between the two bedrooms.  The room also had a washer/dryer in one which we needed after traveling for over a week.

A Day in Faro

We took day trips with GL Tours to explore the historic town of Lagos and the old town Faro.  

Faro, the capital of the Algarve region, is known for its historic old town, which was surrounded by these grand rustic medieval walls. We learned that some of the walls have been there since the 9th to 13th centuries AD!  During our visit, we went to the Cathedral of Faro and the Arco da Vila which was a monument gate that leads to the old town.  We ate some delicious food at a small restaurant down one of the streets and we shopped in the quaint shops all over the beautiful town.

Beautiful Lagos

Lagos was one of my favorite places of the entire trip!  I truly enjoyed hiking to the the beaches with the gorgeous rock formations, I was impressed with the walkways built through the rocks to allow people to get close to the ocean and the beautiful old town.  We discussed how awesome it would be to return to Lagos in the summer so that we could enjoy paddleboarding and boating.  The kids wanted their friends to see the magical cliffs overlooking the ocean and asked if we could return with them.  

After hiking, we strolled through the cobbled streets of the historic town, where there were colorful buildings, shops, and cafes.  We also visited the Church of St. Anthony and the Governor's Castle in Lagos.  


Other places we loved:

Carvoeiro pictured above was a great walk alongside the cliffs and ocean, we ended up in a little town where we ate at a local restaurant that had amazing seafood.

Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Portugal, promises a captivating day trip with its rich historical heritage and charming ambiance. The city's well-preserved Roman ruins, including the Roman Temple, and the medieval Évora Cathedral showcase its diverse architectural history. Evora was one of our favorite places.  We added it at the end since we had some time on our way from the Algarve to Lisbon. 

Don't miss the unique Chapel of Bones, a thought-provoking attraction adorned with human bones. The kids had so many questions about this place!  It was a very unique experience. The central hub, Praça do Giraldo, invites relaxation amidst cafes and shops. We indulged in Alentejo cuisine, tried some local wines, and found the square enchanting in the evening. We also explored the University of Évora and discovered traditional handicrafts in local markets. It was a memorable day excursion.