If you’re planning to spend your family summer holiday in the Algarve, there is one thing I can promise you: It will be heaps of fun for your little ones. The region has been developed for holiday-makers, and there is a huge variety of activities and days out perfect for children.
The Algarve’s relatively small size means that pretty much everything is within a short (ish) drive. This includes our favourite summertime spot: the water park Slide & Splash in Lagoa.
Without a doubt the best water park in the Algarve, we’ve been going to Slide & Splash at least once a year for about a decade. During this time the park has grown, with new thrill slides, and a much-improved child’s pool area. The latter is fantastic for younger kids, with tiny slides to get toddlers used to splashing into water, as well as larger slides that 3 year-olds can ride on their own, boosting their independence.
You have various types of lounge areas including a large grass patch with palm trees by the children’s pool, paid-for poolside loungers (these are in between the grass and water-path, so are everything but relaxing), and a larger grass area by the big pool, which is usually much less busier than the other areas.
If you have children, I’d really recommend arriving early and pitching your stuff near the kids pool and under a palm tree for maximum shade. The park also rents sun-umbrellas, which are a must-have for a rest from the blazing sun.
SLIDES FOR BABIES, TODDLERS & SMALL CHILDREN
The pirate pool is every kid’s dream. There is a wide variety of slides and fountains, perfect for children of all ages. Babies will love splashing about in the water and seeing the water fall from the mushroom sprinklers, toddlers will feel confident sliding down little elephants and the dragon, while older children will absolutely love being able to go on a ‘big slide’ all by themselves. There are also racing lanes for little kids (4+) which are my son’s favourite slides – although he is tall for his age and very daring with this kind of stuff.
I always thought it was a great day out with a baby, because the grass-area is so large and perfectly safe for babies to crawl around as their big sibling(s) are exploring the park.
FOOD
The restaurants offer the typical theme-park grub, burgers, fried chicken, etc, so why not plan ahead and bring a tasty picnic? The food areas are large and I used to go there with C. during his naptime for a break from the sun.
TRANSPORT
The park offers a shuttle service to a variety of hotels, but don’t forget that by going with the shuttle you’ll end up arriving late and leaving early. If you want to make the most of your day at the park I recommend either booking a taxi from your hotel, or hiring a car for the day as it may cost the same as shuttle tickets for a family of 4.
DID YOU FORGET SOMETHING?
There are a few shops on site in case you forgot your sunscreen, or a towel.
As a whole, I think a day at Slide & Splash is a fabulous family activity in the Algarve, and it certainly won’t disappoint. They even let you take Iggle-Piggle on the slides! Oh, and don’t despair if you see a bit of rain/clouds in the sky (unlikely in the Algarve), as this only means you’ll have more space and less queues, big temperature drops are very rare.
Find out more on the Slide & Splash website or follow them on Facebook for park updates.
nb: This post has not been sponsored by Slide & Splash, it is simply me wanting to share my experience with other holiday makers.
