Planning a trip to Portugal with kids? The Algarve is one of the best regions for a family-friendly getaway, offering sunny beaches, charming towns, and easy day trips. In this Algarve, Portugal itinerary, we’ll share how we spent one week exploring the southern Portugal region with our children, a toddler and a 5-year-old.
We took a road trip from Faro to Albufeira with stops at Tavira and Vilamoura in between. If you’re looking for a Portugal travel itinerary 1 week long that’s ideal for families with young children, this guide has everything you need for a fun, stress-free family trip to Portugal’s Algarve! It is also perfect for first time visitors (even without kids) who like to travel at a relaxed pace.
DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission; there is no additional cost to you, and I am extremely grateful, as it helps me to run my blog!
Why Visit the Algarve, Portugal, with Kids?
If you’re planning a Southern Portugal family vacation itinerary this summer, the Algarve is one of the best regions to include, especially when travelling with young children. From stunning family-friendly beaches to historic towns, it’s easy to build an Algarve, Portugal itinerary that suits everyone in the family.
This is a 1-week Algarve, Portugal itinerary; however, you could easily shorten it to a 5-day itinerary, which I will talk more about below. In April, a week was long enough to enjoy the Algarve. If you’re visiting in the summer and enjoy beach days, you could easily stretch this itinerary to 10 or even 14 days.
The Best Time of Year to Visit the Algarve, Portugal
Our week in Portugal’s Algarve was in April, which is slightly off-season. While we had pleasant weather, it wasn’t hot. I would recommend visiting the Algarve in the summer months to make sure you get the best use of Southern Portugal’s sandy, family-friendly beaches.
I’d recommend June to August as the best months to visit the Algarve and enjoy the warm weather.
Getting Around Southern Portugal and the Algarve
We decided to do a road trip for our week in the Algarve. Having a rental car made exploring much easier, as it allowed flexibility with timings and allowed us to go at our own pace, which is a game-changer when travelling with kids. Compare car prices here.
However, if you would like to avoid driving, it is possible to explore the Algarve by public transport, as several trains and buses run in the area. This will require a bit of additional planning, and I would recommend looking for accommodation close to the transport stops to avoid needing a taxi/ Uber from the bus stop.
Your Algarve, Portugal Itinerary: 1 Week With Kids (or without them!)
This is the route we took during our week in Portugal road trip. This one-week Algarve, Portugal itinerary worked out perfectly for us, allowing us to mix relaxation and culture while enjoying all the best things to do in the Algarve for families. If you are visiting in the summer and like beach days, you could happily extend this Algarve trip to 10 days or even two weeks.
Day 1–2: Explore Faro With Kids
Faro is the capital of the Algarve region and is also home to the main airport serving the Algarve. This makes it the perfect place to start your Algarve vacation. Although it is small, it is one of the major towns in the Algarve.
Faro has a modern New Town filled with shops, a charming, historic Old Town and a lovely family-friendly beach. It is not a huge place; we spent a couple of hours in the morning exploring the New Town. We then took the ferry to Faro Beach. The ferry was a fun activity, and we really enjoyed the beach (despite it being a bit cold). My kids enjoyed running about on the sand and splashing in the gentle waves.
In the late afternoon, we explored the pretty Old Town and enjoyed a family dinner at a restaurant called La Forchetta.
One full day is enough to see the majority of Faro!
READ MORE: OUR GUIDE TO FARO, PORTUGAL WITH KIDS
EXPLORING FARO DURING OUR ALGARVE PORTUGAL ITINERARY
Day Trip to Tavira: Charming Streets and Cultural Activities
On our second day staying in Faro, we took a day trip to Tavira. This was probably my favourite place to visit in the Algarve.
We hired a car for our Algarve road trip, so we drove to Tavira. You can park for free in the Mercado Municipal Market car park (Google Map Location Here).
Tavira is very picturesque and full of charm; our highlights were visiting Tavira Castle and the Tavira Eye (also called Camera Obscura Tavira). This is a disused water tower that has been renovated into a cool system of mirrors and lenses that reflect light through a small hole in the roof and project a view of Tavira’s town down onto a screen.
We had a lovely day in Tavira. If you want to extend this one-week Algarve itinerary, you could do an extra day here and take the Tavira ferry to Tavira Island. The beach here is meant to be beautiful and great for families.
READ MORE: OUR GUIDE TO TAVIRA WITH KIDS
PHOTOS FROM A DAY TRIP TO TAVIRA, A MUST-SEE ON YOUR ALGARVE, PORTUGAL ITINERARY
Day 3–7: Relaxing Stay in Albufeira With Young Kids
Our next stop was Albufiera. We drove straight there from Tavira. We’d booked the Eden Resort Albufeira, and this was such a great decision! This resort was very family-oriented with 4 pools and plenty of kids’ entertainment. Including a circus tent, which was used for the kids’ discos and other shows!
READ MORE: OUR FULL REVIEW OF THE EDEN RESORT ALBUFEIRA
The resort also had a free shuttle to take you to Albufeira Old Town. It was also possible to walk, but it was a bit of a hike, so try to take advantage of the shuttle!
We spent an afternoon in Albufeira’s old town. It’s very touristy, with lots of shops selling souvenirs and plenty of places to eat. Many restaurants had Western food options, which is great if you’re travelling with picky eaters. There were also lots of bars with all-day happy hours.
Albufeira has many beaches, the main one is conveniently located on the coast of the Old Town. We didn’t venture down, but it is in a cove you have to go down to by stairs or elevator, which should make it sheltered from the wind.
It was nice to spend our last day in the Algarve in a relaxed way, enjoying the hotel and pool!
READ MORE: OUR GUIDE TO ALBUFEIRA
Day Trip to Vilamoura: Beaches & Marina
The final stop on our one-week itinerary in Portugal was Vilamoura. We drove here on one of the cooler days. This is known for being an affluent area of the Algarve with a beautiful marina.
While the marina was nice, it’s not the nicest marina we’ve visited (Tivat, Montenegro) was much nicer, there are lots of restaurants here to choose from, but they were more expensive than in Albufeira and not as family orientated.
Again, if you have the weather, the beach would be great; however, it was very windy, making it quite cold, so we didn’t stay too long.
Other than the marina and the beach, there’s not a lot in Vilamoura, and we found it didn’t live up to its hype. We would happily skip Vilamoura next time!
THE BEACH IN ALBUFEIRA | A DAY TRIP TO VILAMOURA | ONE OF THE POOLS AT THE EDEN RESORT
Optional Alternative Algarve Itinerary
We planned a fairly slow-paced Portugal itinerary aswe were travelling with small children. If you prefer a faster pace, or maybe you’re spending 10 days in the Algarve, Lagos is another popular town to visit. It offers a mix of beaches, historic sites and is famous for its dramatic cliffs formed from golden limestone rock. I would love to have seen the sunset there!
It is about an hour’s drive further along the coastline from Albufeira, and as our kids aren’t good in the car, we decided to skip it. Personally, I think I would have enjoyed Lagos more than Vilamoura!
ALGARVE TOURS AND ACTIVITIES:
Faro: Dolphin and Wildlife Watching Boat Tour
Faro: City Sightseeing Tourist Train
Where to Stay in the Algarve With Kids
We stayed in both Faro and Albufeira. This worked out well for us. Staying in Faro was great as it was so quick to drive there once we arrived. In Faro, we stayed at the Donna Simone Suites, which is a boutique hotel. It’s in a great location for exploring Faro and has free parking on the street outside.
Note: In the photos, it looks like it has a kitchen, but it’s actually a communal kitchen (should have read the small print!) The room just has a fridge. This was fine as we were only there for a couple of days but if you’re staying longer, you might want to choose somewhere else.
BOOK DONA SIMONE APARTMENTS OR SEARCH OTHER OPTIONS
We debated whether to stay in Albufeira or Vilamoura and finally decided on Albufeira as our 5-year-old loved the look of the kids’ pool at the Eden Resort. Personally, I think this was the right choice. Albufeira has a bit more going on for families; it also has better food options at lower prices!
BOOK THE EDEN RESORT ALBUFEIRA – OR READ OUR FULL REVIEW HERE.
Best Things to Do in the Algarve for Families
There are plenty of things to do in the Algarve, both with and without kids. From relaxing beaches and historic towns, to dolphin watching, boat trips to explore caves and even a mini golf park.
I have mentioned most of these things earlier in the post, but I thought I would summarise again, the best things to do in the Algarve for families here:
- Head to the beach – The Algarve has so many family-friendly beaches along the coast of southern Portugal that kids and parents alike will love. Visit in the summer months.
- Best things to do in Faro – Take the ferry to Faro Beach, wander the beautiful Old Town or relax in Park Jardim da Alameda Jojo de Deus.
- Best things to do in Tavira – Take the ferry to Tavira Island Beach, climb the walls at Castle Tavira or marvel at the Tavira Eye.
- Best things to do in Albufeira – Enjoy relaxing at a family-friendly resort, happy hour drinks in the Old Town or head to the beach.
- Best things to do in Vilamoura – Stroll around the Marina or relax on the beach. There’s a crazy golf place that is perfect for older kids, but not much else!
Is the Algarve a Good Destination for Toddlers?
Finally, is the Algarve good for toddlers and little kids? Our children are 5 and 2 years old, and they had the best time! This one-week Algarve, Portugal itinerary allowed them the time to explore cultural sights while also having fun, playing on the beach or in the hotel’s pool.
The Eden Resort in Albufera was especially toddler-friendly, and staying there was the highlight of my children’s Algarve trip!
FAQ’s About A Week in The Algarve, Portugal
Yes, you can easily spend a week in the Algarve. A full 7-day trip allows you to explore vibrant towns like Faro, relax on beautiful beaches, enjoy local cuisine, and take scenic day trips to nearby gems such as Tavira, before moving on to Albufeira and Vilamoura.
For a balanced 7-day Algarve itinerary in Portugal, start in Faro – Explore the old town, marina and beach. Take a Day trip to Tavira to wander the charming streets and visit castle ruins. Next move on to Albufeira for beaches, and great family-friendly hotel options. Finally, take a Day trip to Vilamoura. This mix of cultural towns, beach days, and scenic drives gives you a great taste of Southern Portugal’s Algarve region.
This will largely come down to personal preference. Tavira is quieter, more historic, and perfect for peaceful exploration, traditional architecture, and scenic river views. Albufeira is livelier with more big resort hotels, beaches, and activities for families and groups. Presonaly, as a city lover, I prefered Tavira.
Again, this will come down to personal preference. Vilamoura and Albufeira each have their own appeal. Vilamoura is known for its upscale marina, golf courses, and more refined, relaxed vibe.
Albufeira is larger, more vibrant, and offers a wider range of beaches, restaurants, and nightlife.
Personally, I thought Vilamoura was a bit over-rated (unless youre a golfer) I would chose Albufeira.
Thank you so much for reading about our perfect one week in the Algarve, Portugal itinerary. We hope we’ve helped you plan your family Algarve trip and you have the best time!
Happy Exploring,
