Lovely Lisbon and Cascais - a perfect family holiday

View of pool from our villa 

The beach in Cascais

T snoozing in Sintra

Gorgeous views in Sintra

Delicious dinner in Mar do Inferno in Cascais 

I THOUGHT holidays abroad were out of our reach now that my eldest child is in primary school. Gone are the days of taking off whenever we want - our schedules are now dictated by the academic calendar and going outside of school term usually means paying double what we’ve been accustomed to. But the stars aligned this year when Easter bestowed upon us a three-week break and a Ryanair sale meant we got flights to Lisbon for all five of us for just over €350. It was a no brainer. We were going. 

One thing that did worry me after booking our flights was that we’d booked a city break - this wasn’t the Algarve or the Costa del Sol. This was a European capital and our children are all aged five an under. What were we thinking? The panic dissipated, however, when we discovered Cascais - which is only around half an hour from Lisbon. It had the beach, gorgeous hikes and walks and was so accessible to the city. The best of both worlds. Think staying in Killiney whilst enjoying all that Dublin city centre has to offer, or relaxing in Kinsale and moseying into Cork city for the action.

We stayed at the newly-opened Martainal Cascais family resort, having previously fallen head over heels for the set up at its sister property in Sagres on the Algarve. The Martinhal empire is ever expanding - there’s also Martinhal Quinta too, and a new property is due to open in Lisbon city centre later this summer. The luxury family brand was the brain child of the dynamic duo, Roman and Chitra Stern, who realised the importance of catering to families with kids when they had there own and realised the lack of facilities on offer for people who like good food, relaxation and who also happen to have children. Perfection. We stayed in a two-bedroom villa overlooking the outdoor (heated) pool, less than a minute from the kids club, bar and playground. Did I mention the bar is right above the kids club, overlooking the playground? There are supervised play areas in all the restaurants as well, so myself and himself got to mull over desert and wine while the kids happily played in the corner, being taken care of and entertained. The playground is huge and has equipment suitable for all ages - from baby swings to a zip-line, to trampolines and a treehouse type of contraption. The kids were in their absolute element and we actually had the opportunity to relax and spend time together as a couple thanks to the kids club, which catered for all ages. The hotel is a short shuttle bus from down town Cascais and if you’re feeling energetic you could walk it in around 20 minutes. The area is safe and a stroll along the coast is a feast for the senses.

Cascais itself is a joy to just walk around and experience. We went to the outdoor market and sampled delicious food for half nothing. There’s a merry-go-round slap bang in the centre which of course the kids had to ride on every day and a local ice-cream shop called Santini with ice-cream so delicious that people queue outside the door to get into the place. I’d also highly recommend a seafood restaurant called Mar do Inferno, which is located outside the centre, along the coast. As an islander, fish is my thing and this is up there amongst the best I’ve ever eaten. Apart from people watching and mulling around the city and our resort, we also did some hiking with a company called portugalwalkhike.com. Our personal guide, Teresa, took us around a forest trail where we enjoyed magnificent views. Breathtaking. I’d highly recommend it to get a little bit off the beaten track and to get local knowledge and insight into some stunning places. 

Speaking of stunning, we also visited Sintra - a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is really easily accessible from both Lisbon and Cascais. This is the place that inspired Walt Disney to create Disney World and it’s easy to see why. The palaces and castles are straight out of a fairytale and the lush greenery is mythical and inspiring. The kids adored exploring Quinta da Regalaria’s parks, grottos, wells and gardens. There’s also the glorious Pena Palace and Moors Caste, which was built into the edge of the mountain. We learned about the early at the tourism centre’s Myths and Legends exhibition, which the kids loved too. I highly recommend Cafe Saudade near the Sintra train station and their XL, gigantic scones are delicious for when their little legs get tired. George spilled his hot chocolate all over the table and the lovely waitress whizzed over to clean it up and promptly replaced it with a new cup with a smile and a pat to his head. Child friendly at its best. 

In Lisbon itself - which is an underrated gem of a city - we dedicated a few days to exploring it and it still didn’t seem like enough. There’s just so much on offer and with trams, buses and the metro, it’s really easy to find your feet and make your way around. And of course, strolling around the streets is an option too. On our first day there, we went to the Lisbon Story Centre on the Praca do Comercio plaza and got a quick history of the place. We went to the top of the Augusta Arch and took in panoramic views of the city. We visited the Oceanario de Lisboa - a fantastic aquarium that housed all the marine life you could think of. The kids had great fun pointing out all the Nemos and Dorys and favourites also included otters, sea horses and star fish. The place was mesmerising, and right next to a huge shopping centre as well as the Meo Arena, which will house the Web Summit in November. I can’t help but think of excuses to attend the event, if it means getting back to this amazing city within the next few months. Another gem we found was the Puppet Museum, the Museu da Marioneta, which was really cute and the kids had great fun running around the place. There’s a wealth of amazing little coffee and pastry shops (I left with an addiction to traditional custard pastries) and really reasonably priced and tasty restaurants. We had a child-free night out and enjoyed dinner at Cantinho do Avillez, which is part of a chain owned by a Michelin star winning chef. The food was delicious and not expensive by Irish standards. Heavenly. 

We left Lisbon feeling wrecked but exhilarated in knowing that experiencing a cultured, city break with sight seeing and adventure, whilst allowing for relaxation with the kids, was still possible. We hadn’t enjoyed a city break since BC (before children) so it really felt like we’d achieved something while at the same time recharging our batteries and enjoying quality time together as a family.

Where to stay:

Martinhal Cascais: For early summer offers, check out www.martinhal.com/cascais. Currently available are specials of seven nights half board (a full buffet, delicious breakfast plus a three course lunch or dinner every day) for two adults and up to four kids in interconnecting rooms, with full use of the indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and sensations shower at the glorious Finisterra Spa. Free wifi throughout the resort and impeccable kids playgrounds. €2814. If you upgrade to a deluxe villa, the price is €3780 but it sleeps up to five children. 

We flew from Dublin to Lisbon with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) but Aer Lingus also fly to the Portuguese capital. The 2.5 hour flight and no time difference is great when flying with kids.