The best family hotels in Portugal
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Between the short flight and the guaranteed sunshine, Portugal has always been a favourite for family hotels in Europe. But if visions of crowded buffet breakfasts along the Algarve have previously turned you off, we'd like to introduce you to the new generation of smart family hotels in Portugal. For the most part, these standout stays remain relatively under-the-radar, and range from relaxed beach shacks to plush villa hotels, all welcoming and well equipped to entertain young guests. Within our edit, most rooms come with convenient kitchens and washing machines, some have dedicated kids' pools and outdoor activities on offer, and most are close to some of the best beaches in Portugal.
Noah Surf House
Casa de Prata, Portugal
A sleepy village overlooking a beach pounded by Atlantic waves doesn’t scream child-friendly destination. Yet under-the-radar Santa Cruz, north of Lisbon, has quickly established itself among in-the-know parents. That’s in no small part due to this hip eco-hotel designed by the couple behind gorgeous Areias do Seixo a few miles away. Noah exhibits the same artistic flair but with a more industrial aesthetic. Rooms are in the main house or boxy wood-clad bungalows, their roofs tufted with grass, and kids love the bunks suspended by cables with rope ladders. Teens roam between the skatepark and chill-out room with its table football, or commandeer the hot tub while adults take a deep inhale of salty air from the daybeds around the pool. The ocean beckons as soon as the sun rises but only the most dedicated surfer would miss breakfast with eggs from the resident chickens.
If conditions are too rough off Santa Cruz’s 11 beaches, head north to buzzing Peniche or south to pretty Ericeira, some of the best beaches in Portugal. For supper there are two options: the restaurant offers twists on local classics such as Ibérico pork pica pau with spices, and Noah Beach House, right on the sand, is big on seafood. In terms of design, bare bricks and chunky furniture are offset by fishing nets, octopus traps, even an upturned boat – this artful flotsam and jetsam reflects a determination to repurpose. Sustainability extends beyond the styling: instead of air-conditioning, thick walls keep rooms cool; rain water is collected and food composted; 70 per cent of energy for hot water is generated by solar power; and everyone is given metal water bottles to reuse. This is somewhere to teach kids good environmental practice, as well as surfing. The modern way to holiday.
INSIDER TIP En route to Peniche stop off at glorious Santa Rita, a vast expanse of beach crossed with wooden boardwalks.
Casa Pego
Comporta, Portugal
Tapping into the barefoot, salty-haired vibe of Portugal’s coolest holiday destination used to be an exercise in knowing the right people. The best beach shacks were privately owned, and only for friends of friends. Now though, in addition to a number of new hotel openings, the top spots can be infiltrated. This low-slung six-bedroom villa, right behind the high dunes of Pêgo beach in Comporta, is as close as you can get to having your toes in the water. Olive groves and wild pines surround three separate cabanas – ideal for giving grandparents or older siblings a bit of space – that are linked by sandy pathways; there’s no need to bring shoes. Inside, floors are smooth polished concrete and sun-bleached driftwood informs the styling. And while the kitchen is fully kitted out, the house is within walking distance of the gorgeous Sal Beach Club, to which the whole family can decamp for long lunches.
Rodrigo CardosoOutpost
Casa Das Arribas, Portugal
Built for a wealthy family in the 1940s by influential Portuguese architect Raul Lino, this white-on-white estate – high on a cliff in the old seaside village of Azenhas do Mar – lay abandoned for 15 years until it was modishly revived by its German owner Chris Kraus a few years ago. Outpost is now a collection of six cool, clean-lined apartments set in a tropical garden staring vertiginously down to the Atlantic Ocean, while the midnight-green forests of Sintra-Cascais Natural Park creep up behind. They showcase Lino’s pared-down vision and love of space and simplicity. Most have views on at least two sides, plus polished-concrete worktops and exposed ceiling joists. Original terracotta tiles, stone fireplaces and robust, locally made wooden furniture give the place an air of rugged refinement (and parents a sense of relief that there’s nothing too obvious for the children to smash). The Ocean Saloon is the pick of the bunch, with glass doors looking out to a private terrace and roaring, in-your-face sea views. Wool rugs in block-coloured stripes, an oval ceramic bath and a swirling sculptural pendant lamp – designed by Kraus in the style of Le Klint – add character.
In summer, the hotel is filled with fresh-faced, outdoorsy European families. A shared tennis and basketball court, gym, swimming pool, spa and store cupboard stocked with skateboards, games and yoga mats keep everyone on their toes, meaning young ones are adequately exhausted by bedtime. Surfing is a way of life in these parts, and the practically private beach – a minute’s walk from the garden gate – offers sheltered waves suitable for the youngest budding boarders. Massages and fitness classes can be arranged, as can childcare – especially useful for a quick grown-ups-only day trip to Lisbon (about 45 minutes away). But with its hypnotic scenery and soothing, stripped-back interiors, it’s easy to stay put at this crazy–good-value hangout.
INSIDER TIP There’s no restaurant on site, but a breakfast basket can be arranged and lunch and supper easily called in from the delightful Café das Patrícias nearby.
Martin KaufmannCraveiral Farmhouse
Alentejo, Portugal
Eight years in the making, this project – a self-sustaining quinta set in the dusty hills of Odemira in the Alentejo – has finally come to fruition. The founding trio, lawyer Pedro Franca Pinto, and João Canilho and Luís Capinha, owners of gorgeous Casa Amora guesthouse in Lisbon, became fixated with the idea of communal living; of forging a place where families could get up close to nature and experience the workings of a modern-day farm – and their rambling, village-like set-up offers exactly that. Whitewashed houses are clustered around courtyards, with simple wooden terraces for watching fiery sunsets; inside, they’re light and bright, with jolts of colour (a mustard armchair, a navy Hästens bedframe) and slate kitchens for stashing eggs fresh from the hen coop. Rooms are just a bicycle-pedal from the main house, with its curving walls that offer shelter from the Atlantic breeze and a huge pool where children can splash and parents can snooze on loungers. Interiors are cool and contemporary: beneath undulating ceilings are Nordic-style tables, on which breakfasts of charcuterie and soft cheeses, lemon cake and sun-sweetened nectarines are served next to the open fireplace. The buttery suede sofas are less forgiving of sticky fingers, but once the kids are in bed, it’s a great spot for a nightcap, in reach of the help-yourself bar and some very drinkable honey liqueur. Supper is pulled straight from the vegetable patch and whipped up by Portuguese grandmothers: chilled melon and garlic soup, black pork with tangy tomato bread, rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon. Even the Vicentino Alvarinho, from the nearby winery, is a love affair with local living. As is the cork that lines the sauna – the sleek concrete spa is a beauty, with a hammam lit by burnished copper lanterns – and the logs that carpet the entrance. Sustainability runs through Craveiral’s veins: rainwater is collected and filtered; old trees become fuel for wood-burning stoves. A stay here is delightful – a place where children can ride horses by day, and then sleep with nothing but an open door and a billowing curtain between them and the great outdoors.
INSIDER TIP Even in the summer school holidays, rooms are generally less than about £180 per night, and flying to Lisbon rather than Faro cuts the airfare down, too – which makes this a seriously savvy call.
Sivan AskayoVila Monte Farm House
Algarve, Portugal
Most people flying to Faro rush straight to the coast, to the clipped golf courses of Quinta do Lago, the wide beaches of Vale do Lobo, the hit of dark, chilly Atlantic blue on the horizon of any of the seaside sunspots. It’s a well-trodden path. More interesting, though, is to look the other way, back at the hills, to the farmland, where the manicured lawns and indentikit villas make way for scrubby olive groves and crumbling villages. Moncarapacho is less than half an hour from the airport but a million miles away in essence. Vila Monte has somehow managed to remain a bit of a secret, a mini estate of whitewashed buildings that blend Moorish architecture with Andalusian hacienda style. The grounds are exquisitely pretty: lush gardens, aromatic cypress trees, thick herbaceous borders, orange and fig trees, ripe fruit weighing down the branches. Inside, the look is Comporta-cool, thanks to Portuguese design maven Vera Iachia: rattan headboards, sisal rugs on stone floors, pergola-shaded terraces casting shadows on day beds. It’s a big enough place that staying put is perfectly possible – there are terrapin-filled ponds, a chef’s table set in the kitchen garden, two pools, a tennis court, a kids’ club and film nights with popcorn. But there are also trips with a local fisherman to harvest razor clams and oysters (eaten straight away on the boat, washed down with chilled white wine), and adventures exploring the wilder beaches east of Tavira, with their white sand dunes and warm water. At night, after wood-fired thin-crust pizzas and chocolate mousse served from a giant sharing bowl, children run wild across the fairy-lit lawn, collecting carob pods. Back in the room, a plate of freshly baked warm cookies awaits by the bed – a gesture that defines the place rather well.
INSIDER TIP The hotel has a strong wellbeing focus – address frazzled energy levels with sound-healing treatments, yoga and meditation.
Lydia TollSão Lourenço Do Barrocal
Alentejano, Portugal
The Alentejo in Portugal has long been a weekend escape for Lisbonites lucky enough to have farms there. A land of horses and cows, cork and olive trees, its plains stretch under a vast blue sky. This is the Pampas of Europe. When José António Uva inherited his family’s 780-hectare estate at just 26, he devoted the next 14 years to remodelling its ancient village as a hotel. Opened in 2016, it has a barefaced beauty: the whitewashed, brick-floored cottages (with Gaggenau kitchens and bright living rooms), the charming restaurant and Susanne Kaufmann spa are simply dressed with local textiles and crafts. The feel is refined yet relaxed farmhouse. But it’s the mementos displayed – black-and-white photographs, a child’s shoe, a skipping-rope – that give the place a kick of whimsical nostalgia.
Fun and games are cheerfully retro: from treasure hunts to horse-and-trap rides. And all around is this natural playground, with neolithic monumental stones to clamber over, meadows to picnic in, and vineyard trails to explore by bike. Children can dip their potted-shrimp toes into their own pool (there is a separate, deeply tranquil one for adults). Fish-finger fanatics will be inspired to try the field-to-fork traditional dishes once they’ve helped chef pluck carrots from the organic vegetable garden. Meanwhile, grown-ups can get a taste of the terroir with the estate’s own wines. Barrocal has been home to tight-knit clans for literally ages – prehistoric tribes, Roman settlers, 19th-century farmers and now, in José António’s two small children, ninth-generation Uvas. Here is somewhere for families to spend proper time together and get a bit dirty in the dusty earth of one of Portugal’s best-kept secrets. A future classic.
INSIDER TIP
Barrocal is in a dark sky reserve, meaning terrific stargazing. Book an astronomy session at the Alqueva Lake Observatory to scan the moon and Milky Way through its powerful telescopes.
Pine Cliffs, Albufeira
A big, bouncy, box-ticking affair, where there is something for everyone. The sheer space of the resort, sitting atop the russet cliffs above glorious sandy Praia da Falésia, the clear blue skies, the reliable sunshine, and the fact everything you need is on tap all make for a reassuringly relaxing family trip. Those in the know, with a troupe of children in tow, make a beeline for the two- and three-bedroom garden-level Residence rooms, where each of the lovely big bedrooms and sitting rooms spills out onto a clipped lawn, an easy skip away from one of the eight pools. Those in the know also call two or three days ahead to secure a much-coveted sunset supper table at Maré, the gorgeous seaside restaurant; they book in at least three hours at the Serenity Spa for one of the new recovery treatments (immunity-strengthening quartz-crystal massage and Himalayan-salt foot scrubs); and they plot out a healthy timetable of sessions at Porto Pirata, the gallivanting galleon of a kids club. And then those in the know kick back and enjoy the sound of the cicadas, the bracing bite of an Atlantic swim, and the joy of not having to move anywhere for the week.
Four Seasons Fairways, Quinta do Lago
Algarve, Portugal
A delightful, under-the-radar find, even though it’s been here for more than 30 years, quietly being recommended by word of mouth from friend to friend. The crowd that returns summer after summer to the traditional-style terracotta-roofed villas and apartments is a mix of Portuguese and British, who don’t need the finger-clicking service of an all-singing, all-dancing hotel but like having the option of being able to order a coffee by the pool. You can use as much or as little of the place as you like. Hole up in your house, cooking suppers in the fully-stocked kitchen, grilling huge fresh Atlantic prawns delivered from the restaurant on the barbecue, splashing about in your pool, and voila it’s a villa holiday. Or forget about cooking, ignore the Meile dishwasher, order your breakfast on the sunny terrace of Vivo, hit the tennis courts, drop any smalls at the kids’ club, have a snooze by the main pool, try a personal training session in the gym and book supper at the rather smart Amara restaurant. The polished thrills of Quinta do Lago, with its lagoon-side restaurants (do book Gigi’s), wild dune-backed beach and, it goes without saying, very good golf courses, are there on the doorstep too. A low-key secret spot that’s hitting the high notes.
Praia Verde, Castro Marim
Algarve, Portugal
There is a breezy, Mediterranean feel to this hotel in the seaside town of Castro Marim, despite its proximity to the deep blue Atlantic. Surrounded by a sweet-smelling pine forest, with a path cutting through the trees to the beach, Praia Verde is an untapped family hideaway. Staff are young and friendly; children don't need to be shushed, just scooped up and led to the playroom, where they're helped to make biscuits, or treated to popcorn at the night-time cinema. Interiors are simple and white, with wicker furniture and mosaic-tiled floors. The 40 suites have separate sitting rooms with sofa beds for kids and well-equipped kitchenettes to rustle up meals for fussy eaters. At A Terra restaurant, food follows the same relaxed vibe as the rest of the place: big salads to share, crispy pizzas straight out of the wood-fired oven and lots of local products from a corner of the Algarve forgotten by many.
Pensao Agricola
Algarve, Portugal
If your frazzled teenagers are in need of sunshine and downtime after exam exhaustion, consider this whitewashed farmhouse in the Algarve. Pensao Agricola is surrounded by green meadows that are home to snoozy cows and Ernesto the donkey (soon to be joined by a wife amidst plans for an equine dynasty). The six bedrooms are all different and all charming, in a sun-dappled rustic sort of way. Three are in the main house, but if you want a bit more crashing-around space, choose from the other three in the former stables and outhouses. Each of these has its own terrace, where chairs and cushions are laid out for lounging.
Parents should grab the Páteo Suite, which has a tiny sitting room facing a courtyard and fountain, and a bedroom filled with artwork. The rain showers are lit naturally by skylights, there's springtime almond blossom by the bathroom sinks, and the polished-concrete floors have underfloor heating for chillier weather. Furniture is a smart mix of antique and retro and you'll spot little piles of books everywhere (Portuguese authors in translation).
Housekeepers Barbara and Maria stir up dishes inspired by the childhood recipes of owners Nuno Ramos and Rui Liberato de Sousa, including salt cod with layers of sweet potatoes and fig ice cream. There is a small heated pool, dining tables hiding among lemongrass and lavender bushes, and an honesty bar on top of a wall in the shade of a magnificent olive tree. Deserted beaches, such as Lacém, are a few minutes' drive. Those with urban urges could head to Seville, an hour and a half away, or to nearby Tavira, the Algarve's prettiest town. But actually, why move at all?
Sublime
Comporta, Portugal
The sugar-fine, bleached beaches of Comporta, empty as far as the eye can see, hold a particular charm, especially for the smartest Lisboetas for whom it has long been a private playground. Now that Sublime has opened among the sand dunes and emerald rice meadows, there is at last somewhere to stay that's as lovely as the surroundings. Its 14 white-on-white rooms and suites – perhaps not ideal for tiny sticky fingers, but great for slightly older children – are spread between two low-lying, ochre-coloured buildings guarded by the area's indigenous umbrella pine trees. The emphasis here is on authentic simplicity, a back-to-basics existence (albeit a chic one) with a pool to dip in, kayaks and bicycles to take out, surfing off the coast and vivid lizards to chase between the three types of peppermint in the chef's organic garden. Minutes down the road is Cavalos Na Areia, aristocrat Jose Ribeira's riding school, a bucolic straw-filled stable of glossy horses and the odd donkey or two. Beginners can go for a slow morning hack alongside the lush paddy fields. Budding eventers can gallop at the water's edge at the end of the day as the sea rolls in and the sun sinks. Just as delicious are evenings at Sublime, when the fire pit roars into action and the local oysters are brought out.
Vidago Palace, Vidago
Chaves, Portugal
Built in 1910 for the king, who frequently came to take the waters at this natural spa in Portugal's far north, this grand palace has long outlived the monarchy for whom it was intended. New life has been breathed into Vidago Palace a century later, with rooms emerging clad in dazzling De Gournay hand-painted silk wallpapers, all cherry blossom and flowers, the bar lined with leather and the spectacular staircase topped by gilded ceilings. The Belle Epoque exterior in pretty-as-a-picture pink will make little hearts race, while adventurers will love exploring the gardens, the caves and the lakes. All will fall in love with Mirandês Figueiro, the hotel donkey. Thankfully for younger ones, food is more rustic than palatial with dishes such as douradinhos (fish fingers in disguise) and no one will bat an eyelid at requests for more sprinkles on the ice cream. The strikingly modern spa is an architectural anomaly designed by Pritzker-winning Alvaro Siza Vieira, its soaring walls jutting out from the original building. Inside all is minimalist and marble. But perhaps the biggest surprise of all are the treatments for children, including splash-about Vichy showers and drinking small cups of the thermal water – just as the king did all those years ago.
Casa Arte, Lagos
Algarve, Portugal
This is the antithesis of many people's idea of the Algarve, a tiny gem with crisp white lines on a country hillside far from the coastal crowds. It's the kind of place that feels like it's dropped off the edge of the world, where days comes suffused with heat-induced idleness. Charming Lagos with its ancient churches and golden coves is a few miles away, but it's simply too hard to leave the shade of Casa Arte's gnarled olive tree near the swimming pool. Active children can vanish into the large gardens to play when they have wrinkled in the water. The house was built as a private home by an English architect in the late 1970s, so there are only five bedrooms but they're dotted about like dazzling sugar cubes, each one topped with the region's characteristic terracotta shingles and latticed chimney pots. Rounded windows and doorframes punctuate the smooth whitewashed walls. Floors and stairs are sun-burnished polished concrete, with black, white and grey tiled detail. Simple bedrooms lead into oversized bathrooms – four have showers only – with stone basins, fluffy dressing gowns and Ex Voto Paris ginger and sweet jasmine soaps, and cots are available on request. A couple of rooms interconnect for families, but the savviest gangs hook up with friends and take the whole place.
Vila Vita Parc, Porches
Algarve, Portugal
It's surprisingly pretty in Porches, with a Moorish feel to the low-rise architecture, gardens brimming with palm trees and bougainvillaea, immaculate clipped green lawns and paths that all eventually lead down to a terrific beach. But it is big. Vila Vita Parc has eight restaurants (two off site), so there's no chance of going hungry, and the extensive children's menu includes Hello Kitty stracciatella and Lion King Nutella crêpes. Choose a relaxed beach feast, a more buttoned-up Portuguese supper or book the babysitter for an evening at Ocean, one of only three two-Michelin-starred restaurants in the country. Much of the wine, honey, olive oil and meat is from the hotel's organic estate, Herdade dos Grous, in the Alentejo and a visit there makes a great day trip. In the Piazetta, Café Bica serves coffee and the most sublime pastéis de nata, the speciality custard tarts. Breakfast is a selection of meats, cheeses, freshly baked pastries, eggs, five different types of bread and jars of organic jams. There's even a juice corner where you can choose the fruit and vegetables you would like and add spirulina, chia seeds and other healthy toppings. Early risers will be pleased to know it starts at 7am. There are eight swimming pools, including heated baby pools and a large indoor pool, many of them with swim-up bars serving smoothies, milkshakes and pink bubble-gum-flavoured drinks. Book into the Oasis Family Suites- the ones on the first floor have stunning roof terraces with views across the water to Morocco. Kids will be thrilled with the bag of goodies left on their beds, including a baseball cap, crayons and colouring books. Larger families should nab one of the newly renovated villas, Vila Trevo and Vila Praia, which sleep up to 10 and have their own infinity pools.
Conrad Algarve, Almancil
Algarve, Portugal
There is nothing subtle about Conrad Algarve. The Hilton-owned, six-storey whopper of a hotel in Almancil is as full throttle as you might expect. But with all that resorty-ness comes the space for youngsters to wheel around and let off steam and for parents to enjoy candlelit dinners, the brilliant spa (try the Intraceuticals oxygen infusion facial and look 10 years younger) and the excellent golf courses right on the doorstep. Best of all there is always someone in just the right place to arrange it. The Young Guest Concierge will take children to water polo in the indoor pool, to mocktail workshops with Wilson Pires, Portugal's Barman of the Year, to dance classes or to make marzipan golf balls in the Little C Palace kids' club. There are princess tea parties, treasure hunts, films for the tweens and blindfolded ice-cream tastings for everyone. Budding cooks can take sushi-rolling classes with cool Aussie chef Andrew McGie, whose prawn popcorn is a hit at Louro restaurant. Kids can do as much of the organised activity as they want, fine-tuning it day by day.
For a blast of sun, head down past the playground to the largest swimming pool and install the whole brood on the huge day-beds. The poolside Dado restaurant serves giant grilled langoustines, meaty beef burgers, moreish cod-fish fritters and non-alcoholic drinks such as Something is Missing (lime juice, mint, brown sugar and apple juice). The food is excellent everywhere, from the tasting menu at Gusto by Heinz Beck (you will want to eat the fagottelli carbonara every day) to afternoon tea in the bar. Those in search of peace and quiet should go to the heated infinity pool that looks out over the countryside. There might not be a sea view but the Atlantic is just moments away over the sun-bathed, terracotta-tiled roofs of Vale do Lobo.
Pedras Salgadas, Bornes de Aguiar
Between Vila Real and Chaves, Portugal
Muddy-kneed tree climbers will be thrilled at the prospect of sleeping among the leaves and the branches at Pedras Salgadas. Reached by long bridges, these two architecturally astonishing tree houses sit atop five-metre-high steel stilts between the cedars and pines. The forest hideaways are tiny but brilliantly designed like a yacht's galley, with a sleek kitchenette, smart shower room, pristine blonde wood from top to toe and high thread count cotton sheets. A huge picture window in front of the main bed looks onto the park where century-old sequoias soar upwards to the blue skies. All around is this silent, ancient landscape, where red squirrels chase each other and you might just hear wolves howl from the distant mountains. Explore the treetops via suspension bridges, ropes and nets, cycle along woodland paths, hike around the lake or, for those who want to soak up more than just nature, try the spa with its thermal waters – excellent for both respiratory and digestive problems. The park's location is ideal to visit nearby Chaves and Vila Real. Back within the gates, the Casa de Chá restaurant serves up hearty plates of regional sausages and black pudding, beans and pork ears with rice. After supper, work it all off with a dip in the outdoor swimming pool before a night high up under the stars.
Martinhal
Sagres, Portugal
There may be a new Martinhal, which opened a few summers ago at Quinta do Lago, but the original property still feels like a blast of fresh air in the Algarve. It's strung out on its own, on a relatively unspoiled and windswept tip of the western coast. There are empty dunes to run down, beaches with thick sand and little fish shacks, and milky waves for surfing. In the two-bedroomed villas, which are connected to the hotel, the design is clear cut, with muted natural tones. There are stair-gates, cots and plastic plates should you need them, a TV for afternoon quiet time, a mini kitchen to cook in (buy supplies at the on-site supermarket), huge bean bags to flop out on and sun-trap balconies. There are also handy washing machines, towels aplenty and you can order in takeaway suppers. But the restaurants here are right on point, each one with a designated children's area jam-packed with colouring books and games, all overseen by a smiling member of staff who will remember your child's name. This means that little ones can occupy themselves not just before the food arrives, but also afterwards, so parents can actually linger over lunch (the freshest squid, pumpkin risotto with sage, juicy lamb chops). Plus, there's an excellent juice bar: try the yogurt, vanilla and fresh ginger smoothie. Days fly by. Bucket-and-spade time; pool time – there are five different ones, star of the show comes with giant floats and slides; kids' club time (sign up in advance as activities such as T-shirt printing get fully booked); and before you know it, bed time. It's all very good fun. Yes, there's a spa and yes the views are lovely, but mostly this holiday is about your children. They'll be on a high from beginning to end.