Lisbon is a perfect city to spend a few days with the children. It is safe and friendly, the climate is favourable and it is easy to get around on foot. And that is all in addition to the countless activities and facilities, both outdoors and indoors, especially put on for children.

If it is good weather, take to the capital’s parks and gardens. Try the city zoo with its dolphin shows and lion feeding or for a better view of the animals, ride the cable car. In Monsanto, the city’s forest, let the kids run off high spirits on the swings, slides and other amusements of the Park of Índios.

And if the day is a little cloudy, there is a full range of museums and libraries holding courses and workshops. The Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium will tell them all they want to know of the stars above. And the Pavilion of Knowledge will reveal the latest in scientific advances in an especially child-friendly manner. However, the favourite is undoubtedly the Lisbon Oceanarium for an evening spent in the unforgettable company of sharks.