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Óbidos, Portugal

A tiny, charming town with over 3000 inhabitants, Obidos is an hour from Lisbon and feels like stepping back in time. The medieval town’s historic centre features picturesque cobbled streets and traditional white houses, surrounded by a crenellated castle wall which is accessible by foot. The entire scene is like something out of a story book, enhanced by the surrounding hilly landscape. Many people visit Obidos on a day trip from the capital and it is also less than 10 km from the medium-sized city of Caldas da Rainha. On our Discover Portugal small group tour, Obidos is home for three nights, on Days 7 to 9, which leaves time to explore the walled town well beyond a day trip.

Small Group Tour

Discover Portugal

18-Day Tour · Lisbon to Porto · Small group, up to 16 travellers, solo travellers welcome

Three nights in Obidos on Days 7 to 9: a half-day sightseeing tour of the walled town, ginginha in a chocolate cup, an excursion to Nazaré and the Monastery of Alcobaça, and a free day to rest or stroll at your own pace.

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The History of Obidos

King Dinis I and his wife, Elizabeth of Aragon (also known as Isabel)

Humans have settled in the area of Obidos since the Lower Palaeolithic period and it was once a Celtic settlement, on a coast where the Phoenicians traded, before becoming an important Roman settlement. After the fall of Rome, the Visigoths captured the region but sometime after 713 the Moors built a fortification on the hillside of Obidos and laid out the streets. In 1148, the area was taken from the Moors by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques. The castle that remains the town’s most famous landmark was largely rebuilt by later kings, above all Dinis I.

In 1282, King Dinis I took his wife, Elizabeth of Aragon, to Obidos and she fell in love with the hillside town. In response, Dinis made the town a wedding gift to his queen, starting a tradition, the town passing from queen to queen, that would remain in place until 1834. In this way, the town is tied up with the history of Portugal itself, however, after this point the castle remained unoccupied for some time. Up until the 15^th century, the town overlooked the sea but the bay gradually disappeared and the town is now landlocked.

Both the earthquake of 1755 and the Peninsular War of the 19^th century led to the castle and its walls being damaged but repairs were made and thankfully the little town retains its medieval charm.

What to See in Obidos

The walkable city walls

One of the absolute highlights of visiting Obidos is walking the city’s Moorish walls and admiring the amazing views of the magnificent town completely contained below. Majestic and fully intact, the 1.5km looped wall reaches as high as 13 metres in some spots and there are four separate staircases from which you can access the wall. A walk around the perimeter takes around an hour but there is no guardrail and it can be narrow in parts. From the walls you can not only see down into the town but you can see the surrounding scenery, including the Obidos Lagoon, one of the town’s most recognisable landmarks after the castle. The lagoon lies on the coast and opens up into the ocean. It is one of the largest coastal lagoons in Portugal and its spot on the coastline, surrounded by beaches, makes it a popular destination for swimming and other water sports. A walk along the walls is a great way to see the mix of landscapes that surround Obidos, from the coast to the hills. The castle itself is a little younger than the walls, built in the 13^th century and transformed into a Manueline palace in the 16^th century.

The Castle of Obidos

Today, the castle has been converted into a beautiful luxury hotel and high-end restaurant called the Pousada of Obidos. Some of the rooms still have stone walls and four-poster beds and are named after the famous monarchs who have stayed in the town. The castle was classified as a National Monument of Portugal in 1910, and when it opened as a pousada in 1951, many historical artefacts, including the furniture and other precious items like paintings, were brought to the castle. Visitors who are not staying there may be able to see some of these features, but access for non-guests changes, so check before you go.

Ginja being served in chocolate cups

Obidos is also known for the traditional Portuguese drink ginja. A sour-cherry liqueur, ginja is usually traced to a recipe first made by a friar in Lisbon, and sour cherries are still grown around Obidos and nearby Alcobaça. On the main street in Obidos, Rua Direita, you will find many shops selling the drink served in dark chocolate cups you can eat afterward.

One of the best things you can do in Obidos is to simply explore its beautiful cobbled lanes and get lost in the medieval architecture. Go for a stroll through the streets and you will find restaurants, bars, bookshops and other small surprises tucked away in the little streets as well as other important sites such as the Renaissance-period Santa Maria Church and Paço dos Alcaides, a 16th-century palace. In the evenings, there are plenty of places to try traditional Portuguese fare.

Seeing Obidos on our Discover Portugal tour

Obidos is our base for three nights on the 18-day Discover Portugal tour. We arrive from Evora on Day 7 for a half-day sightseeing tour of the walled town, a taste of ginginha in a chocolate cup and dinner at a local restaurant. Day 8 is an excursion to the fishing town of Nazaré and the Monastery of Alcobaça, stopping at Caldas da Rainha on the way, and Day 9 is free to rest or stroll the town at your own pace. Groups are small, up to 16 travellers, with an Odyssey Program Leader. Our Lisbon and Barcelona small group tour also visits Obidos, with a sightseeing tour of the town on a day out from Lisbon. Our article on visiting Obidos on the tour describes the stay in more detail, and our country profile lists our tours in Portugal.