Algarve Family Holidays & Breaks

Best Algarve Outdoor Activities

• Pick from a fantastic array of watersports at all the busier resorts. Calm waters make the south-facing coast the best spot for canoeing, wind-surfing, kite-surfing and jet-skiing, as well as enjoying the likes of pedalos and banana boats – particularly at the western end of the Algarve. Surfing is also possible if you head a little further north, while for tots, there’s lots of rock-pooling fun to be had. 

• Play or learn tennis with your kids – many hotels and resorts in the Algarve have tennis courts and usually offer coaching, perhaps even specialist academies presided over by famous names.

• Enjoy a few rounds of golf - this coastline has some of the best golf courses in Europe plus, again, tuition for adults and kids.

• Walk, kayak or take boat tips through the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a 60km coastal lagoon stretching from Faro to Cacela Velha, sheltered by five barrier islands and two peninsulas. The island beaches are long and quiet (there are no cars on them), but the real highlights are  the salt marshes, mudflats and narrow channels with their incredible birdlife.

• Explore the Ria de Alvor Nature Reserve, another lagoon system between Alvor and Lago, with more bird-watching and nature trekking. Visits to caves, snorkelling and fishing trips can all be arranged from Alvor – a great resort: smallish, with a good choice of restaurants and accommodation.

• Head for the hills. The Algarve doesn’t have to be all about the seaside – travel inland slightly and you'll find green rolling hills and pretty country villages. 

• Go splashtastic on the the slides and other attractions at Aqualand; its 36m-drop Kamikaze keeps thrill-seeking teens happy. It's 15km from Albufeira, with regular buses between major resorts and the park.

Best Algarve Beaches 

• Choose from around 200km of coastline and natural white-sand beaches. Good supervision and Blue Flag approval on many of the Algarve’s beaches make them ideal with kids. The most famous beach is gorgeous Praia da Marinha about halfway between Albufeira and Lagos.

• Discover Albufeira – at centre of the Algarve, it offers great family beaches, including Falesia. One of the most popular tourist resorts on the Algarve, Albufeira is brilliant with kids, with an array child-friendly accommodation including luxury hotels and villas. It's also the starting point for dolphin-watching and cave trips on nippy little RIB boats.

• Use Albufeira as a stepping stone to other of the Algarve’s best beaches. Head 2km east of the resort to Oura for bars, restaurants and watersports. Further east still, visit the beach at Olhos d’Água, which is still in part a traditional fishing village.

• Head west of Albufeira, to the purpose-built resort of Vilamoura, with two good beaches and a great range of facilities, including golf courses. Boat trips and excursions are available from Vilamoura Marina. The self-contained nature of the resort makes it a great choice with very young children. The biggest watercoaster in Europe is the main draw of the Aquashow family park just outside Vilamoura.

• Continue west, to the area surrounding Portimão, where interesting resorts include Praia da Rocha, with plenty of watersports, horse-riding and nightlife, and its quieter neighbour, Praia do Vau, with a handful of restaurants. 

• Amble the cobbled streets of Lagos, which offer a break from the busier resorts of the Algarve without your having to miss out on the beach – outside its medieval walls, the beach of Meia Praia offers an array of water sports and boat rides to explore coves and caves.