Things to Do in the Algarve with Kids: Our Two Weeks Around Albufeira

Our first two days at the hub set the tone: a candy hunt, a sunset dance party, and more new faces than we'd met in the four weeks before it. We'd booked two weeks with Naturally Richer thinking we'd be ready for some socializing by this point in the trip, and we were right. The rest of our time in the Algarve was a mix of hub outings, beach days, and the slower, everyday rhythm you only get when you stay put for a while. This is everything we did with a 7- and 2-year-old, based near Albufeira.

Things to do in the Algarve with kids: our list

• Praia da Galé: our home beach, for boogie boarding, swimming around the rocks, and lunch at a beach restaurant.
• Praia da Marinha: a tunnel through the rock to a hidden beach, plus a cliff walk above it.
• Praia do Carvalho: a staircase carved through the cliff down to a small cove.
• Ponta da Piedade: a two-hour boat and kayak trip through the sea caves near Lagos, for under €20 each.
• Parque Aventura in Albufeira: a whole morning of ziplining and climbing for Remi (and eventually Dani).
• Play Albufeira: an indoor playground with drop-in activities and coffee for the grown-ups.
• Albufeira old town: the tourist train and the AdventureHQ indoor playground.
• Armação de Pêra market: bifanas and pastries.
• Pizza Night Algarve in Monchique: unlimited pizza and a rave in the hills.
• Quinta dos Capinhas: a winery tour and tasting, with apple juice for the kids and Oreo milkshakes afterward.

Beach days on Praia da Galé

Most of our days started and ended at the beach. Praia da Galé runs in both directions from where we were staying, and the eastern side (Galé Leste) became a favorite. It has rocks to swim around and a beach restaurant where we had a long lunch with sandy feet. Remi had her first real go at boogie boarding there and was in heaven. She'd have stayed in the water until dark if we'd let her.

We gave one full Saturday to the beach, with no plan beyond swimming, digging, and snacks, and it was one of the best days of the trip. We also spent a day at Praia da Oura in Albufeira, where we ate at a beach restaurant and the boogie boards came out again.

Hidden beaches: Praia da Marinha and Praia do Carvalho

The two Algarve beaches we'll remember most were the ones hidden in the area's unique cliffs, and the adventure to get there was part of the fun! Praia da Marinha is one of the most photographed beaches in Portugal, all golden cliffs and stone arches. We arrived early and went looking for the hidden beach at the far end, which you reach through a tunnel in the rock.

The tunnel is about 100 feet long and winds around, and partway through you have to climb over rocks about five feet high. Someone had left a step stool at the entrance to help, which tells you something. With flip-flops, beach bags, and a toddler, it was not nothing. But the end of the tunnel goes from dark to a window of blue-green water, and stepping out felt magical.

We had the little beach to ourselves for about 20 minutes. For the kids it was just "wow," followed by more water and sand to play in. For Dani and me it was even more special, because we knew how rare it is to be alone in a place like that.

Some friends from the hub met us there, and after a swim we walked part of the cliff trail above the beach. From up there you can see the arches and caves you were just standing in. It's an easy walk with kids, as long as they stay well back from the edges (some of the others needed a few reminders).

A few days later, Praia do Carvalho gave us the same "earn it" feeling. From the parking lot you go down a big staircase and then through a tiny tunnel of stairs carved into the rock, wide enough for one person at a time. The cliffs on either side have ledges people jump from into the water. A few brave people from our group jumped, and we cheered from the sand.

Kayaking the sea caves at Ponta da Piedade

The hub organized a boat trip with kayaking at Ponta da Piedade, near Lagos, and it was a highlight for all of us. We went with Discovery Tours, and it cost less than €20 each for two hours. The coastline there is a maze of rock pillars, arches, and grottos, and from a kayak you can paddle right into them. It's the kind of place you see on every Algarve postcard, and it was even better from the water.

Afterward we had lunch at My Sushi, a cute sushi place in Lagos's old town that somehow managed to seat all 25 of us, and it was delicious. If you're not traveling with a group, you can compare Ponta da Piedade boat and kayak tours on GetYourGuide and filter by length and age limits before you book.

Ziplining at Parque Aventura in Albufeira

The zipline at Parque Aventura was Remi's day. She went up with just the kids from the hub, no parents, and she was so brave: climbing, jumping, and zipping down courses that got progressively higher. After a few hours she convinced Dani to join her, and the two of them did another hour or so of runs together.

That afternoon was the seventh birthday party of the friend Remi had made on our very first day by the pool. It was a big day for one seven-year-old.

Albufeira with kids: the in-between days

Not every day needs a big outing, and we got good at in-between days. Play Albufeira became one of our go-to spots. It's an indoor playground with toy areas and lots of drop-in activities, run by lovely owners, with snacks and coffee for kids and grown-ups. We went back for their workshops, a micro-ocean one day and a seaweed canvas the next, and it's a great option for a hot afternoon or a day off the beach.

We rode the tourist train into Albufeira's old town, wandered the streets, and then let the kids loose at AdventureHQ, an indoor playground. Remi lost a tooth that day, which made it one of her favorite days of the trip. (Yes, the tooth fairy found her in Portugal, and left €5.)

We also spent a morning at the market in Armação de Pêra, eating bifanas and pastries. Bifanas are Portugal's classic pork sandwich, marinated pork in a crusty roll, and they're perfect market food.

Unlimited pizza night in Monchique (the baby rave)

The hub group chat listed a Wednesday activity as "unlimited pizza," and that was all we needed to make the trip. We expected a restaurant. Instead we found something we might have stumbled on as 20-something backpackers.

Pizza Night Algarve is down a dirt road in the hills near Monchique, about 50 minutes from where we were staying, and you walk the last 100 feet. Built into the mountain is a party: several stages of DJs with electronic music pumping, tables surrounded by fairy lights, a long bar, and a big pizza kitchen. An assembly line of different pizzas comes out of the kitchen to a table where everyone lines up for slices. Adults pay €20 each and kids are free.

We came early, as recommended, so we didn't wait long for our first slices. There were no plates, only napkins. I'm sure that helped keep it fair, since nobody could pile up a stack, but it meant waiting in line again for every slice, and I left still a bit hungry.

Once the kids had eaten, we explored the stages, and it was full rave music. They danced a bit, found friends to play with, and loved the dirt everywhere (mostly Arlo). The crowd took us right back to our backpacking days: a parking lot full of campervans and a very laid-back, hippie feel. The difference was that, at least while we were there, it had nearly as many kids as adults. We heard it gets more packed later at night, with fewer kids.

It was too far for us to go back, but if you're staying closer it's a great deal. Either way, it's worth going at least once for something you won't find anywhere else.

Mums' nights and time for the grown-ups

What I didn't expect was how much of the hub was for the grown-ups. Every week there's a mums' night, an adults-only evening with wine and friends that I hadn't had in a while. It was adult conversation and connection, and stories from other moms who appreciate the travel lifestyle and the opportunities it gives our kids as much as I do. Since it's weekly, Dani and I took turns, and she went the following week to the sangria theme night.

There was also a mums' circle, which is like mums' night without the cocktails. We went around the room talking about what was going on in our lives and how we could support each other. Listening to everyone, I realized how many different ways there are to give kids real life experiences, and that ours is only one of them. I also made it to a yoga class, and Dani got a massage. Small things, but on a long trip with a 7- and 2-year-old, they matter.

A winery afternoon at Quinta dos Capinhas

After a round at Adventure Mini Golfe Park in Albufeira one morning, we spent the afternoon at Quinta dos Capinhas, a winery near Porches, and it was a highlight of the whole trip for Dani and me. The property was gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and the tour was just us and one German couple. We tried four wines with generous pours, the kids had apple juice, and we shared a charcuterie board.

Remi loved the cat that followed us around the whole tour, and Arlo dug in the dirt again (a theme by now). We felt so relaxed, and found ourselves reminiscing about the wine trips we took around Australia, Europe, and the US before kids. It was a reminder that the things we loved doing then still fit, with a little apple juice added. Afterward we found Oreo milkshakes at a café, as a reward for the kids being so good through the whole tour and tasting.

Why meeting people at a hub feels different

When you meet someone at a hub, it's understood that you're both open to getting to know each other. Traveling with kids, you meet people all the time, because the kids start playing and the parents start talking. Usually, though, you're just passing each other, and the conversation stays on the surface. At a hub, everyone is living abroad, traveling long-term, or seriously thinking about one of those. Most have traveled a lot, so you start with plenty in common and plenty of stories to swap.

It was also inspiring to meet so many people living life in different ways, with kids, and some with "regular" jobs. There's no one way to do this, and seeing a dozen versions of it up close was one of the best parts of our two weeks.

Say yes to what's on offer

The biggest lesson from the hub was to say yes to the things that are offered, even the ones you wouldn't normally pick. A mums' night with women I'd known for a few days, a pizza night 50 minutes into the hills, a zipline course Remi did with kids she'd known for a week: none of those were on our list, and they're the parts of the trip we talk about most. That's what living bold looks like for us on the road.

We ended with a sunset dinner on our last night, and the next morning we caught the train to Lisbon. We loved our time at the hub and would go back. It's inspired us to seek out more hubs in other places and to build chances to socialize into our trips from now on.