Holiday in porto with Kids

sidneyyoungblood

Thinking of heading to Porto at the end of august for a 3 days with my 11 year old .. Looks nice but worried not much to do for a 11 year old ( gets easily bored ) - more interested in adventure than museums and history .

Can anyone who has been give some advice on sites and things to do . thanks

Emmia

How keen on walking up and down fairly steep slopes/steps is your kid? We went to Porto a couple of years ago, and we (fit adults) joked that everyday was leg day... We loved Porto, enjoyed a couple of tours of different port houses, good food and drink, walking around, churches and culture.

However, I'll be honest I'm not sure Porto would be my first choice with a child.

There is the "Harry Potter Library" the Livraria Lello, but it is quite touristy/queue heavy as a result... We didn't bother going in, walking past the door and looking in was enough.

Edit: The port houses would be interesting for you, but probably a bit dull for a kid - and they can't do the tastings. The tram is nice as is a boat trip on the river... But it depends on the child - it's not really a "fun parks" and "adventure" place.

elsien

Have to be honest, I wasn’t a fan of Porto, although only there there for a day before moving on elsewhere.

I found it a bit rundown, crowded and overhyped. Just wondering why you havs picked there rather than somewhere else? What do you like doing, as well as your child?

NoodleDoodleMan

"I'll be honest I'm not sure Porto would be my first choice with a child."

Ditto.

Kids want sand, sea and fun parks etc.

sidneyyoungblood

Thanks for the comments and advice - is there anything within an hour of porto which would be more suited for a 10 year old ?

elsien

https://portoalities.com/en/top-things-to-do-in-porto-with-children/

Cisco001

Beware of pick pockets. My dad lost his wallet…

winkowinko

There are sandy beaches less than 5 miles from the city centre.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82090864#Comment_82090864

…one of which is reachable via an old tram along the riverbank, which is a fun journey in itself (for some!).

winkowinko

I've been several times (ex gf from there). Granted, I was in my twenties.

It's a great place, the centre is situated on either of the river Douro. Port wine houses on one side, and the main city centre (Ribeira) on the other.

As mentioned, you can get the tram to the beach in Foz, where you will find sandy beaches. It is the Atlantic coast though, so don't expect Mediterranean sea temperatures, even in the summer.

Rosa_Damascena

Another one who loves Porto (and Lisbon) - such a lovely climate off peak. Expect August to be hot - no worse than what we have had here this year, I imagine quite bearable with the Altantic breeze.

Both were a great travel destination as a single female in my 20s/30s - back in the day when you could hop from bar to bar to sample different ports for EURO1 each. Plenty of sightseeing, a lot of Christian tradition evident, but as mentioned previously, pickpockets are rife (esp on public transport); they tend to work in pairs.