A week in the Algarve with kids: beaches, Benagil caves and a water park day

We caught the morning direct flight and were already in Faro before lunch. Picking up the car at the airport and getting to Albufeira took barely three-quarters of an hour, with Mateo in the copilot seat reading the map very seriously and Lucía counting palm trees out the window.

We deliberately kept the first afternoon simple. We checked into the hotel, the kids jumped headfirst into the pool before we'd even unpacked a single suitcase, and Daniel and I finally sat down to breathe. For dinner we stayed at the hotel itself, no need to go anywhere: after a day of travel, the last thing you want with tired kids is to hunt for a restaurant. A quiet dinner, two exhausted children from so much water, and off to bed—the good stuff starts tomorrow.

Our first full day was spent at the beach right at the foot of the hotel, Praia da Falésia, and it was the best way to find our pace. It's one of those scenes that justify the trip: ochre-red cliffs dropping onto soft sand and calm sea, no frightening waves—perfect for Lucía to wade in up to her waist on her own while Mateo tried to act brave swimming a bit further out.

At noon we ate at the beach bar: peixe grelhado, grilled fish for us adults, and toast for the kids—our first Portuguese lunch of the trip. In the afternoon there was nothing to organize; we headed back to the hotel pool during the hottest hours, the kind of heat that makes the body demand a dip, and left the kids to wrinkle up like raisins. A day with no plan was exactly the plan.

We got up early for the plan the kids were most excited about: the boat trip to Benagil cave. We set off in a catamaran from Albufeira marina at first light, and here's the first golden tip we learned planning this: choosing the nine or ten o'clock departure isn't fussiness. At that hour the light streams through the open eye in the cave's ceiling and paints it gold, plus there are fewer boats fighting over the same spot. The famous Benagil cave, with its pierced vault and hidden beach tucked inside, left all four of us wide-eyed, kids included.

tuPetate had booked the boat for us weeks before, and it's a good thing they did: in July it sells out far in advance, so it's not something to improvise on the fly. Back on shore we drove ten minutes to Praia da Marinha, which deserves its reputation as one of Europe's most beautiful beaches: arches of golden rock, turquoise water and perfect visibility for Mateo to show off his new snorkel. We arrived just before two, because the car park is small and fills up quickly, and you get down by stairs—something to keep in mind when you're carrying an umbrella and a cooler.

If there was one day the kids would have signed away the whole trip for, it was this one. Slide & Splash is the largest water park in the Algarve and sits twenty minutes from Albufeira on the A22 motorway. Mateo spent the day challenging himself with the big slides while Lucía never left the kids zone, Tropical Island, with its water jets and shallow pools made for little ones.

Here's the second important tip that saved us trouble: buy tickets online before you go. It's not just about the price, though that helps; in the middle of July the ticket queue can eat your first hour of the day with two impatient kids melting in the sun. We had ours booked from home, so in we went straight away. For dinner we headed down to Portimão, which is five minutes from the park: we walked along the riverside and the adults had grilled sardines while the kids had their beloved piri-piri chicken, that spiced grilled chicken that no one does like the Portuguese do.

After the water park rush, we dialled it back with a morning at Praia da Rocha in Portimão. It's a long stretch of golden sand backed by cliffs and, above all, everything you need: lifeguards, deckchairs, beach bars and water activities for the kids. Lucía and Mateo took a ride on the inflatable banana and came back soaked and happy, while we got to relax knowing there was a watchful eye on the water.

We had seafood at one of the promenade restaurants, with views out to sea and reasonable prices at lunchtime: cataplana stew, grilled prawns and bacalhau, which here is cooked a thousand different ways. It was a short day on purpose, no long journeys, because with kids it helps to alternate the hectic days with calmer ones. The afternoon was back to the pool and siesta, no guilt at all.

We headed to Lagos, on the western edge of the coast, for the other highlight of the trip: a guided kayaking excursion through the caves and arches of Ponta da Piedade. I'll admit we had some concerns about the kids' ages, but the kayaks were doubles so each child paddled with one of us, which was as safe as it gets. Paddling between formations of golden rock, slipping through natural arches with crystal-clear water below, was one of those mornings you don't forget; Lucía kept pointing out every new cave.

In the afternoon we wandered through Lagos's old town, which has medieval walls, the Igreja de Santo António covered in baroque tiles and a market hall where we stopped for fruit and ice cream. We finished the day at the Ponta da Piedade viewpoint at sunset, watching the sun dip over the same cliffs we'd paddled past that morning. For dinner we found a family-friendly spot Lagos is known for, with their prego—steak sandwiches—and mini-burgers that the kids thought were fantastic.

Our last full day we spent saying a proper goodbye to the sea, with two sides of Lagos. In the morning, Meia Praia: miles of calm sand and gentle waters, perfect for Lucía to build her definitive sandcastle without any wave washing it away. Plenty of room to run, play paddleball and not bump into another soul.

In the afternoon we saved the best for last: Praia do Camilo, that tiny cove tucked between cliffs that you reach down a long wooden staircase. It's the picture-postcard Algarve, and the four of us took one, hot and happy at the bottom of those steps. Dinner was farewell food, proper Portuguese cooking in central Lagos—book a table in July—and pastéis de nata for dessert, which by then were officially the family's favourite sweet.

A couple of things we were grateful to have sorted before we left. The first and most important: in July, the Benagil boat and the water park get booked up weeks in advance. These aren't plans to improvise once you arrive; the boat sells out and the water park's ticket queues are endless. Buying both online from home saved us the only worry the trip might have had. The Lagos kayak is also worth arranging in plenty of time during peak season.

Second, a car is essential to link Albufeira, Benagil and Lagos at your own pace; we got one with a big boot for four suitcases. On insurance, Portugal is in the European Union and the European Health Insurance Card covers basic medical emergencies, but we got one with cancellation and baggage cover because, travelling in summer with two kids, we slept better. And a note on typical July weather, not a promise: the midday sun is intense, so we organized our days with beach in the morning, pool and shade in the hot hours, and an activity as evening came on. Hats, sunscreen and plenty of water for the kids, always.