Why we went…
Both Rick and I have spent a good amount of time in Europe together and separately, but neither of us had been to Portugal. We were excited to experience a new European country for the first time with our children.
How we got there…
We flew through Frankfurt on the way to Lisbon and through London Heathrow on the way home. We used 240,000 United miles to book four round trip coach tickets on Lufthansa. We earned 100,000 of those miles from United credit card sign-up bonuses and the other 140,000 miles were converted from Chase Ultimate Reward points.
Where we stayed…
We chose to visit two places in Portugal during this 8 night trip: Lisbon and Evora. We have found that visiting one big city and then exploring a countryside location gives us the best balance when we are traveling with our young children. We all get the culture, dining, and museums, and then we find a spot where the kids can run free and enjoy the swimming pool. In Portugal, we found the best of both worlds.
In Lisbon, we booked our accommodations through AirBnB. Staying in an apartment is our favorite way to discover a big city with the kids plus we get a lot of extra space and a kitchen. Our apartment was managed by Lisbon Cheese & Wine and is located in the Chiado district of Lisbon, which is central to most things you would want to visit. It is a lively neighborhood with trendy restaurants and shops. Cheese & Wine also helped us arrange our transfer from the airport to our apartment which is key for us when we get off a long international flight with the kids. The check in and out process was very smooth, the apartment was spacious and clean, and the location was perfect.
In Evora, we stayed at the Convento do Espinheiro, which is an SPG Luxury Collection property. We were able to use SPG points and were upgraded to a suite in the cloisters of the monastery. There is also a newer contemporary part of the hotel if you prefer that aesthetic. It was a treat to stay in this beautiful hotel that is rich with history. We enjoyed exploring the chapel, admiring the architecture and art, walking the grounds, climbing on rocks by the 1000 year old olive tree, playing hide and seek in the “maze” garden and, of course, swimming in the pool.
What we did in Lisbon…
Lisbon is one of my new favorite European cities. It is compact and easy to navigate. There are endless small streets to explore, beautiful tile buildings around every corner, an impressive castle, a rich history, and excellent restaurants and bars.
Visiting Castillo Sao Jorge is a must. The views of Lisbon are amazing from the top of the hill, and the castle itself is quite impressive and well preserved. There is a lot to explore. The kids loved walking along the ramparts, seeing the moat and climbing up to the towers.
After visiting the castle we walked back to our apartment through the oldest part of the city, Alfama. I loved exploring the small streets and all of the beautiful buildings adorned with Portuguese tile.
It is worth taking a full day to explore the area around Lisbon. We hired a driver to take us to Quinta la Reglaria, Sintra,
Quinta da Regaleira was the perfect first stop for our family on our full day tour. We arrived about 10 minutes before opening and the kids were annoyed that they had to wait outside the gates. Once the gates opened and they discovered the seemingly endless paths and unique sculptures, buildings, waterfalls and wells, they were in heaven. There are other castles and mansions in the area that are worth visiting, but we enjoyed this one with our kids.
The small town of Sintra was cute but touristy. It was nice to spend 30 minutes exploring the small streets and shopping for small souvenirs for the kids.
Our next stop was lunch at a seafood restaurant on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The kids picked the fish out from the refrigerated display and the chef grilled the whole fish for us with a side of broccoli and potatoes. The preparation was simple, but amazingly good. Rick and I enjoyed some Vinho Verde (green wine) with our seafood and it paired perfectly.
The second half of the day was spent along the coast visiting the most western point in mainland Europe, Cabo da Roca, for beautiful vistas and Cascais.
Where we ate in Lisbon…
Bairro do Avillez – Jose Avillez is one of the hottest chefs in Lisbon. His two-Michelin star restaurant, Belcanto, is supposed to be amazing. Since we had the kids with us, we tried his more casual restaurant Bairro do Avillez. We ate at the Taberna on the first night and then tried the Pateo a couple nights later. We loved the modern and unique twist on classic Portuguese dishes. Everything we ordered was great. The exploding olives was the kids favorite dish! Ainsley also loved the chocolate cake. The décor was fun and each room had something unique to look at. This isn’t a kid restaurant, but the staff was very friendly and welcoming to our family and we were easily able to find menu items that the kids would enjoy. The steak appetizer on the Pateo menu was perfect for them!
Doca Peixe – Our kids love the simply prepared fresh white fish in Portugal. They also love picking their own fish out of the refrigerated display and looking at the lobsters and fish in the tanks at Doca Peixe. It was also fun discovering a new part of Lisbon near the bridge.
O Purista Barbiere – A haircut and a beer! Why not? One of our favorite memories of the trip and the best haircut Spencer has ever had. This barber/bar is just next to Bairro Avillez.
What we did in Evora…
We loved spending an afternoon in the town of Evora. We explored the cathedrale which had many spiral staircases to excite the kids and great views from the roof. The kids also loved exploring the streets and shopping for various cork items. The historic walled city of Evora also has wonderful restaurants which I will get to later.
Evora is located in the region of Alentejo which is south east of Lisbon and known for amazing wines, cork trees and quaint hill top town with castles. Our hotel arranged a car for us one day to take us to the walled medieval town of Monsaraz. It was one of the most picturesque towns that I have been to. We felt as though it should have been over run with tourists, but the streets were empty. The buildings are white washed, the narrow streets are paved with cobble stone, there is a church and castle and the views from the hilltop are breath taking. We enjoyed walking the streets and exploring the castle.
In Monsaraz, we ate lunch at Sabores de Monsaraz, a lovely homestyle portugues restaurant perched on the side of the hill. Our hotel made the reservation for us to dine on a Tuesday at the restaurant, but there was a miscommunication because the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. The restaurant was hosting close family and friends for a birthday celebration and invited us to dine at the restaurant despite being closed. It was a very special meal.
On the drive back to the hotel, we stopped by one of the largest wineries in the region, Herdade do Esparao. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of wines and the friendliness of the winery with our children. The four of us had a private tour of the winery. The kids really enjoyed seeing the machinery and learning how wine was made. They were even given bunches of grapes to taste and carry around which kept them happy while mom and dad were learning. During our tasting the kids decided to put their new knowledge to good use and make their own “wine” with the grapes they had been given.
During our time in Alentejo, we enjoyed discovering the wines. We dropped into the beautiful Monte da Ravasqueira without an appointment and they were able to accommodate us. We learned about cork and tried some olive oil, as well. We also had lunch at Enoteca Cartuxa where we were able to try a few of their wines by the glass along with a great meal.
Where we ate in Evora…
Divinus – I would highly recommend dining one evening in the Divinus restaurant at the Convento do Espinheiro. The hotel recommended a trusted babysitter, and we were able to have an adult evening downstairs at the restaurant. We enjoyed a wonderful local tasting menu with local wines in a beautiful setting. Pre or post dinner drinks in the cloister is highly recommended as well.
Restaurante Fiahlo – This is a beautiful restaurant with wonderful high end local cuisine in the center of town. The atmosphere was lovely. They brought us a wonderful spread of appetizers to start. One of my favorites was the egg and sausage! We left full and very satisfied with the experience and meal.
Taska Finca – We stopped in here for a late lunch. It was a casual spot with authentic Portuguese cuisine and a yummy chocolate mouse. A highlight of the meal was a hug from the chef and owner at the end of the meal.
Taberna Tipica Quarta Fiera – This was one of our favorite restaurant experiences of our trip. It is a family style dining experience. You eat what they are making that night. The food was amazing and the service was top notch. All of the food was great. Spencer especially loved the very sugary dessert, encharcada, typical of the Alentejo region of Portugal. Definitely make a reservation! The chef plans the menu for those who have reserved. They cannot accommodate walk ins. One of the highlights was watching Ronaldo score a goal for Portugal with our server, the son of the owners.
Traveling Lyons 