DESTINATIONS LISBON FAMILY HOLIDAYS
the choice feels design-led with an added bonus that any inadvertent headbutts hurt less. Ride up in the lift, and you’ll soon
see why the hotel brands its 37-strong accommodation ‘family suites’ – even the studio apartments come with fully equipped kitchens. Our light, airy one-bedroom deluxe apartment, from £229 per night, was perfect. At just over two, we chose to put Dexter in a cot in our bedroom, though if he’d been much older, we would have used one of the handy bunk beds that fold back into the living room wall. Having two separate spaces meant
our evenings didn’t involve sneaking around in silence – we could open some wine, order takeaway and throw open the windows to watch the city lights while Dex slept. To one side of the lobby, the secure kids’ club (the door is always locked so there’s no risk of any child managing to wander out) has a range of zones suited to different ages, from baby- focused soft play to a climbing wall for older children, plus a space with toys that parents and kids can use together throughout the day – a great initial ice-breaker for toddlers who might be resistant to unfamiliar daycare. Kids’ club hours run from 9.30am to 5.30pm, plus there’s a pyjama club from 6pm-10pm, allowing parents to enjoy Lisbon’s nightlife. If they’re worried
The largest indoor aquarium in Europe is sure to be a hit, with its vast central tank home to sharks, rays and a sunfish
ABOVE: Martinhal Cascais Villa
BELOW: Lisbon
about straying too far, the bottle-lined, barrel-vaulted bar and restaurant By The Wine is just across the street, serving local dishes and vintages from one of Portugal’s oldest wineries.
w TIME TO EXPLORE A fresh and extensive buffet breakfast is served in the hotel’s M Cafe, and this friendly spot has a healthy yet appealing kids’ menu for lunch and dinner, but we wanted to get out and about to sample the city’s cuisine. Luckily for us, just a short walk
downhill to the riverside brought us to one of Lisbon’s culinary highlights, the Time Out Market. Here, alongside meat, fish, fruit and flower stalls that provide an entertaining ramble for a toddler, you’ll find some of the city’s best street food. We plonked ourselves down at one of the communal tables and introduced Dex to Portugal’s national favourite bacalhau, in the form of salted cod croquetas. In my book, a good city break
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includes plenty of eating, watching the world go by, and sightseeing. We managed to introduce Dex to a little of all three, taking him for an amble along the banks of the Tagus, spotting the colourful azulejo tiles in the streets around our hotel, and to the Lisbon Oceanarium. The largest indoor aquarium in Europe is bound to be a hit with any child, with its vast central tank home to sharks, manta rays and even a sunfish, plus additional habitats for penguins, sea otters and jellyfish. But Lisbon isn’t entirely child-
friendly. Its narrow, steep streets are cobbled, making long distances by buggy tricky, and in summer, the sun reflects to glowingly beautiful but unrelentingly hot effect off its creamy- toned stone. Having a kids’ club on hand meant we could visit the many Miradouro viewpoints overlooking the city, wander the backstreets of the old Alfama neighbourhood and dodge across the road between the city’s famous yellow trams without dragging a hot, crotchety toddler with us.
w COMPROMISE IN CASCAIS Where Lisbon really excels is in its proximity to the beach, allowing families to compromise and enjoy a combination of sightseeing and sand in one trip. After a few days in the city centre,
we moved to sister property Martinhal Cascais, where our deluxe room started from £162 per night. Just 30 minutes outside the city
PICTURES: NUNO VALADAS; SHUTTERSTOCK
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