Background
In summer of 2025, our family took a trip to Portugal! We loved spending a few days in Lisbon with some history and museums and then took the train down to Lagos and the Algarve area where we soaked in the sun and beach vibes. We love European travel as it always has family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip!
This post covers our days in the Algarve area with a base in Lagos and Faro.
For more on our Portugal Adventure, see our posts here
Arrival in Lagos
After a blast in Lisbon, we hopped a train to Lagos for four days, ready to explore Portugal’s gorgeous southern shores. We love European train travel, so no rental car for us! But, word to the wise: not all train rides are created equal.
Our journey began smoothly enough: a cab from our Lisbon apartment to the Entrecampos train station, then a train heading for Faro with a transfer in Tunes. Except, I totally messed up and we ended up in Santa Clara, a town with literally nothing. Seriously, nothing!
But we survived! Ben went for a run, the kids got creative, and we all laughed about how it was just like The Amazing Race where contestants get lost. The station was super remote. We eventually split a cab with some other lost souls and finally made it to Lagos by late afternoon.
Transportation in Algarve
We used Lagos as our home base for 3 evenings. We could walk everywhere, exploring the town or to the nearby beach. This was a big “pro” for us in skipping a rental car. A car gives you more flexibility, but for our trip, the costs for transport were reasonable, and we absolutely loved the walkability in both Lagos and later, Faro.
For bigger adventures, like our trip to Benagil, we called Bolt ( like Uber, but cheaper). About $30 each way. We also rented bikes from Coast Bike Shop right near our place and had a blast cycling to a close-by beach. Getting around was never an issue; there’s a few buses and Bolts were always super easy to find.
To wrap up our Lagos leg, we bought our train tickets for Faro, our final quick stopover. This train station was a little far walk so we again called a bolt. The train to Faro was a little older but it was fine. (Carry toilet paper though :-P) When we arrived at the Faro station, we used Bolt to take us to our apartment. From there, it was a pleasant walk to get a ferry (hourly?) to a gorgeous beach. Also accessible by taxi/bolt. On our last morning, it was an easy 10-minute ride from town to the airport.
Hotel
While we’re usually total hotel people (Hyatt, almost always!), there just weren’t any in this part of Portugal. We took a recommendation and booked an apartment called Henri’s Apartment (Available on Booking.com). It was wonderful! It had three large rooms, which meant the kids could really spread out. The manager even left us some snacks and wine, which was such a lovely touch!
Something we might remember to look for next time is a pool, but honestly, all that beach time was more than enough. Our location was fantastic too. We were right next to some amazing, delicious restaurants and, conveniently, the bike shop where we rented bikes for a big beach adventure.
Our 3 day itinerary in Algarve
Day 1: Arrival and Praia da Batata Beach
After our late afternoon arrival, the summer daylight allowed us to keep adventuring (Late May)! We immediately purchased a $5 shovel and bucket and headed straight for Praia da Batata. This beach is beautiful, with incredible natural bridges and rock formations. The kids loved playing in the sand and ocean.
We went back to our apartment for a quick change, and then just a short stroll around the corner to a fantastic spot for some delicious seafood. A perfect introduction to the southern Portugal vibes!
Day 2: Benagil kayking and more
45 minute drive to Benagil
We kicked off our big adventure day with some delicious pastel de nata pastries from a nearby shop! Then, it was a quick Bolt ride to the small town of Benagil, home to the famous sea caves. This is a super popular spot, and there’s tons of boats and people buzzing about. Some opt for skippered boat tours, zipping past, while others even make the longer journey all the way from Lagos. But for us, kayaking was the clear winner to truly experience the magic. It allows you to get right inside the caves and explore at your own pace, unlike larger boat tours that often just pass by the entrance or don’t allow disembarkation.
Kayak Algarve: Secret Algarve
We booked our adventure with Kayak Algarve: Secret Algarve. Prices were reasonable ($35 per person)and our two guides were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, making the whole experience seamless and safe. We took out double kayaks, one adult and one kid per kayak.
Our two-hour journey was exhausting but so, so much fun! We paddled into the famous Benagil Cave with its iconic “eye” to the sky, but our guides also led us to nearby dark grottos, under incredible natural bridges, and even let us disembark at a secluded beach to play and snap some selfies. It’s truly a unique way to see the Algarve’s incredible geology up close. We refueled with lunch at Restaurant Litoral, a short walk up from the meet-up spot
Evening relaxing and Italian for dinner
Back in Lagos, we lounged at the apartment with kids on Switches, and adults doing some light email catch-up (booo) before heading out for a casual dinner of pizza, pasta, and gelato nearby. Such a fun day.
Day 3: Lagos exploration and beach bike adventures
Morning Pastries and market walks
I’m not an early riser normally, but on trips, if one kid’s up, I love taking them on a “secret mission” for coffee and pastries. Especially when the pastries are pastel de nata. So good!
Later, we hit up the big market near the marina. So much fun seeing all the fresh seafood! Then we thought we’d grab a tuk-tuk tour by the marina, but it seemed like we were either off-season or just in the wrong spot – needed to book online, apparently. Oh well! We just wandered the market shops for souvenirs instead. We also did some wandering around soccer themed store nearby and then went in search of lunch.
Surprisingly, the kids wanted sushi, and we actually found a decent all-you-can-eat spot, My sushi. Ben, though, decided a run and some leftovers were more his speed.
Afternoon bike ride to Meia Praia Beach
After lunch, it was time for our next adventure: bikes! We found Coast Bike Shop super close to our apartment, and they had really inexpensive rentals, even for kids’ sizes. It less than $50 for all four of us. We layered our swimsuits under our clothes, and Ben carried a towel in his backpack.
We biked across the bridge by the marina, heading towards Meia Praia beach. This was about a three-mile ride, and the kids did awesome! We mixed it up with sidewalks and dedicated bike paths. There’s a gorgeous walking boardwalk too, but bikes weren’t allowed there, so we stuck to the designated routes.
At the end of our ride, we locked up our bikes and spent an hour at the beach. Highly recommend Pirata Bar, where we could snag a pair of sunbeds along with some drinks and snacks. The prices were very affordable ($10 for half a sunbed, and drinks between $2-$5!). We absolutely loved it. If we’d had more days, we definitely would have done more like this or adventure to beaches West! I need to work on my biking endurance first. After about a four-hour rental, we biked back to town to return bikes.
Evening: Seafood Dinner and packing
I complain about the kids being spoiled, but then I’m usually the one doing the spoiling, lol. For dinner, we hit up an excellent Portuguese seafood restaurant called Casa do Mar and kids ordered off kids menu full entrees. It was really good!
After dinner, we did a small bit of wandering and then grabbed some grocery store ice cream (because why not?) and started packing up. Next stop: Faro and our very last full day in Portugal!
Day 4: Train to Faro and One More Beach Afternoon
Morning train to Faro
To wrap up our Lagos leg, we took a 2 hour train to Faro, our final stop with an international airport. This train station was a little far walk so we called a bolt. The train to Faro was a little older but it was fine. (Carry toilet paper though :-P)
Lunch and evening ferry to Faro Beaches
After quickly getting settled into our apartment, we walked towards the pier and grabbed a quick bite at Montaditos. If you’ve never been, it’s quite the experience! Fast-food style, but with mini sandwiches and other items costing just 1-2 Euros each. The kids had a blast ordering a huge variety, and drinks (including beer!) were incredibly cheap. These spots are super common in Portugal and Spain, and even popping up in places like Florida.
From there, we walked to the ferry to catch a boat to the beach. In retrospect, I should have checked the ferry times, and honestly, the boat ride itself wasn’t particularly noteworthy. We probably should’ve just called a Bolt, which would have been quicker and easier.
However, the beach we ended up on was absolutely fantastic! And yes, again with the awesome beach bars! It’s so different from American spots; I can’t think of anywhere back home where you can rent a sunbed and just hang out without feeling like you’re spending a fortune.
After the sun went down, we opted for seafood dinner at Centenário which was recommended by our apartment host. When I say “fancy,” though, we still managed to keep the total bill for our group under $100. And that’s for dishes like swordfish, steak, paella, and more! (You might notice I keep saying dollars – I should have been saying Euros, but the exchange rate was close to 1.2, so I just mentally converted them. Tip: Look up the actual costs and don’t be like me!).
Last Day: Departure
The next morning was an easy Bolt ride to the airport. Remember to arrive at least 3 hours early if you’re flying internationally! We made one last stop at a lounge for a final pastry and a Portuguese Tchau (Farewell) before heading home
More Portugal Posts
For more on our Portugal Adventure, see our posts here
