CHILDREN’S ATTRACTIONS
1. Planetário do Porto
This planetarium and science centre features a 40-minute show under a 12.5-m (41-ft) dome that will entertain the family’s younger space cadets and would-be astronauts and astronomers (see Planetário do Porto).
Planetário do Porto exhibits
2. Pavilhão da Água
Children with an interest in saving the planet and its natural ecosystems will be fascinated by this state-of-the-art visitor centre (see Pavilhão da Água). Reopened in 2019 after an extensive upgrade, the pavilion has entertaining hands-on exhibits that put the environment and environmental issues of the River Douro and its hinterland into a global context in a fun and accessible way.
3. Jardim do Passeio Alegre
The mini-golf course is the big attraction for young visitors in this attractive park (see Jardim do Passeio Alegre) in the seaside neighbourhood of Foz do Douro. There is also a decent children’s play area where little ones can while away the hours on the park’s swings and roundabouts.
4. World of Discoveries
Children will be amazed when they learn of the cramped conditions faced by the Portuguese seamen who sailed the world during the 15th century, and they will be delighted by a fun river trip through a replica tropical rainforest at this interactive family-friendly museum and theme park (see World of Discoveries).
5. Praia do Homem Leme
Ave De Montevideo
Families looking for a bit of bucket-and-spade beach time, will enjoy this tiny bay of yellow sand hemmed in by stony expanses that are exposed at low tide and therefore perfect for rummaging around in rockpools. The water is sheltered, making the beach popular with young families.
6. Museu das Marionetas
Young visitors can learn all about the history and artistry of puppetry at this interesting museum attached to Porto’s respected Teatro das Marionetas do Porto (see Museu das Marionetas). Here, both children and parents can also enjoy watching traditional Portuguese puppets in original and innovative performances.
Museu das Marionetas
7. Museu dos Transportes e Comunicações
Children who have grown up with the latest smartphones and 21st-century tech will be baffled by the antiquated computers, telephones and much older contraptions that are on display at this museum (see Museu dos Transportes e Comunicações). They sit alongside a number of vintage vehicles, including a collection of exclusive limousines used by the 20th-century dictator António Salazar and his ministers. Another highlight is Portugal’s very first automobile, a Panhard-Levasseur, which was imported from France by a Portuguese aristocrat in 1895.
8. Parque de Serralves
These lovely subtropical landscaped gardens (see Parque de Serralves), with their trim lawns, fountains, shrubberies and wooded areas are a safe and pleasant space in which children can interact with outdoor sculptures and play among the flowers and greenery.
9. Zoo Santo Inácio
The Asian lions are the highlight of this zoo (see Zoo Santo Inácio), where the animals are kept in areas that are designed to mimic their natural environment as closely as possible. A breeding programme run by the zoo contributes to international efforts to protect rare and endangered species like the snow leopard and Siberian tiger.
10. Piscinas das Marés
Ave da Liberdade, Matosinhos • Open May–Sep: 9am–7pm daily • Adm • www.matosinhosport.com
Porto’s Atlantic beaches, with their often rough and chilly seas, are less than ideal for families, but this landscaped saltwater pool complex by the sea is perfect for a summer day. Built into natural rocks, it has a shallow pool for kids and a larger one for adults and teens.
Piscinas das Marés swimming pools
