Traveling w. Teens in Portugal

The best beaches in Portugal are in the south and for surfing the best are in Ericeira. Rent a car and travel to Aveiro, Nazaré, Obidos, Lisbon, Comporta and Algarve. Throughout the trip there is plenty to choose from and enjoy with your children.

If you'd like, you could involve your teens in the planning. We used Cynthia Harriman's "Days to Choose" method (see her out-of-print book "Take your Kids to Europe" for details) but the general idea is everyone comes to a family meeting with ideas of maybe two or three things each person wants to see. Everyone gets some input and agrees to participate in the choices of others. From these suggestions you build an itinerary. Sometimes it works better if an adult lays out the route then the family contributes suggestions of activities in those locations. We use a Captain for the Day approach where the captain plans meals (chooses restaurants) as well as activities.

It takes some "group mindedness" but in my family everyone is willing follow the Captain's plan knowing that each will have a turn. On our trip to Japan we saw some of the sights everyone sees but we also went to a bird refuge, a baseball game, a video arcade and a Samurai house.

If you'd like, you could involve your teens in the planning.

You should absolutely get them involved. The more skin they have in the game the better the trip will be for all. Not that teenagers are ever a problem.

Great advice, what beaches would you recommend for beginner surfers? Also I am seeing all of the best beach spots in the south so it sounds like it is a better approach to fly into Lisbon than Porto? Unless you recommend something amazing in Porto for a family with teens?

Not really a surfer nor beach person, so can't help with that. Perhaps others can.

Don’t go to the Algarve in summer! Overrun with Brits, stag parties, and bad behavior by young people! Not my favorite part of the country anyway.

There are many beaches in the Lisbon area and north. If you are in the Lisbon area, Carcavelos on the Cascais train line has a great beach and more than one surf school. The waves aren’t overwhelming and perfect for beginners. Outside of Cascais, Guincho beach has a surf school. In the summer, the waves aren’t too big for beginners. Carcavelos is reachable without a car. Guincho not so much.

Ericeira and Peniche are also good surfing towns but I believe the waves aren’t too big bigger.

There are likely good beaches for surfing closer to Porto, I’m just not familiar with those.

We went to the Algarve in October and really enjoyed it. I would not go in August. The roads are narrow and windy and while pleasant for tooling around in the fall, the infrastructure I am sure can’t handle the crowds.

But the biggest reason is the beaches themselves are pretty narrow. The highlight of the area are the rock formations and they are stunning. The beaches are basically between them.

I personally think the hiking is the highlight.

I appreciate the feedback and ideas, thank you! I did book our flights in and out of Lisbon so any other suggestions for tours or sites to see in Lisbon are needed. Also knowing it will be hot and crowded this time of year any "off the beaten path" ideas that are day trips or charming beach towns that don't get crowded but must see would be appreciated. I would like to rent a house or condo walking distance to a beach for most of our stay or if anyone has recommendations for resorts they enjoyed in the south 1 - 2 hr drive from Lisbon please share.

https://www.rapturecamps.com/blog/portugal-best-surf-spots/?campaignid=21988356714&adgroupid=&creative=&keyword=&matchtype=&device=t&utm_term=&utm_campaign=MaxPer+-+ACQ+-++CR+-+MaxC+-+WW+-+EN&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=9953689683&hsa_cam=21988356714&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADfndgMpGU1dPK99vfaXtM6VFyCSP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5a2_-7HViwMVkQatBh0xECApEAAYASAAEgIgjfD_BwE

Ten days (nights?) is not a long time. I suggest that you pick one surfing destination for four nights and stay six nights in Lisbon with a day trip to Sintra. You can fit more cities in, but then you lose a lot of relaxation.