Home » The ultimate guide to the medieval town of Óbidos

The ultimate guide to the medieval town of Óbidos

Last Updated on February 17, 2024 by

guide to Obidos
What to do in Óbidos

Seated on a sunbed in my garden during an unusual warm day of early May, I was planning my trip to Portugal. A month-long on the road in the ancient land of the explorers. Avid of getting all the information possible, I was reading my Lonely Planet guide all in one go. Here my eyes stumbled on the name of a town called Óbidos. This was described as “surrounded by a classic crenellated wall, Óbidos’ gorgeous historic centre is a labyrinth of cobblestoned streets and flower-bedecked, whitewashed housed livened up with dashed of vivid yellow and blue paint”. In a few words, a dream for medievalists like me. I knew I would love Óbidos at first sight and now you will probably love it too! In this guide, you will discover what to do in Óbidos on a day trip from Lisbon or Coimbra.

You will find a practical itinerary, tips and the best photo spots.

Where is Óbidos?

Óbidos is a little town located in the western-central province known as Oeste region. Historically, this was part of the Estremadura (1936–1976). A province along the Atlantic Coast that included several cities including Lisbon and Nazaré.

Óbidos. History of a medieval wonder 🏰

Óbidos was a former Roman settlement known as Eburobrittum. A name likely inherited from the original Celtic form “Eburobricio“. This form was transformed in to the latin Oppidum meaning “fortified citadel”. During the Roman era, Eburobrittum was a flourishing urban area that included baths, forum and even an outpost. With the fall of Rome in the 5th century, Eburobrittum lost its prominence and was largely abandoned.

However, around 713, the Moors arrived in the area and established their fortification on the site of the current castle. They governed the city and part of the nearby territory until 1148. During this year, Alfonso Henrique gained the control of Óbidos to complete his conquest of the Estremadura region.

During the middle ages, Óbidos was known with the nickname of “Queens’ town” (Vila das Rainhas). This because the town has been patronised by the Queens of Portugal until the 16th century. This royal tradition started when King Alfonso II donated the city to Queen Urraca in 1210. For the next 600 years every king of Portugal perpetuated this tradition as a part of the nuptial gifting. As response, every Queen of Portugal enriched the town with donations.

It is said that Óbidos had many beautiful buildings of Arab inspiration. Nevertheless, nothing of this architecture survived following the powerful earthquake of 1755. This destroyed also part of the medieval architecture. Nevertheless, the town still remains one of the most well-preserved walled cities of Portugal.

In 2015, Óbidos was declared by UNESCO a “City of Literature” for its contribution to the promotion and creativity of its urban development throughout the creation of the Óbidos Vila literária since 2011.

Getting to Óbidos

Getting to Óbidos from Lisbon

Reaching Óbidos from Lisbon is very easy. Indeed, this is quite a popular day trip from the capital because Óbidos is it just at 1h drive from Lisbon via the A8 (toll route) – 85 km circa.

You can also take a direct train from the Lisbon train station of Santa Apolonia (direction Caldas da Rainha) and stopping in Óbidos. This will take 2h circa.

Getting to Óbidos from Coimbra

If you are travelling down south from Coimbra, Óbidos is definitely one of the nicest stop to do. The town is at just 1h 25 mins drive from Coimbra (135 km circa).

To reach Óbidos from Coimbra with the public transport, you should take the regional train to Caldas da Rahina and here change with another regional to Mira Sintra-Melecas (this have a stop in Óbidos). It will take more or less 2h and 15 mins.

Things to do in Óbidos

Despite small and visitable in one or two days, Óbidos is full of surprises! Discover what do in this little medieval gem below!

Walk the medieval walls of Óbidos

View of Óbidos from the walls
View of Óbidos from the Belvedere/walls

Encircling the city since the 8-11th centuries, Óbidos’ walls are perfect for those in search of unique viewpoints and a bit of adventure. These extend for a length of 1.5 km around the town’s perimeter and reach an height of 13 mt (in the most elevated part). People can start their walk immediately after the Porta da Vila and follow the way up to the castle.

Some sections of the walls have shortcuts leading to beautiful view points (see picture above). To find these sections, follow the direction signs saying “Miradouro“.

Important things to know about the walk on Óbidos walls

Part of the obidos walls without railing
Part of the Óbidos walls without railing

The walls have been restored after the 1755 earthquake. Nevertheless, no attempt to “modernise” them has been made. With this statement, I mean they still keep their original architecture and no intervention has been made to facilitate the walk to current tourists. Indeed, there are no walking aids (e.g. railing), the terrain can be uneven and you can literally fall from a height of 13 mt if you don’t pay attention.

Don’t undertake this walk if you are afraid of height or, most importantly, travelling with small children. It won’t be a safe activity to do.

This was the reason why we didn’t undertake the walk but went straight to the viewpoint near the castle. We could use the backpacks to carry the babies but we thought it was unsafe anyway. Of course, I would absolutely done it without the kids but their safety come first. So, you should judge if this walk is suitable for you.

Óbidos walls entrance fee

The Óbidos walls are completely free to enter and walk! You just find the most suitable spot to start your walk but the best starting point is the one immediately after Porta da Vila.

Admire the beautiful Porta da Vila

Like any other medieval walled town, also Óbidos had its own fortified entrance gate. This was (and still is) famous with the name “Porta da Vila”.

The original function of this gate was purely military. Indeed it was used as deterrent against possible cavalry charges during the Middle Ages. The external walled architecture, featuring a double gate, dates back to the 14th-century (probably built during the period of King Fernando). The oratory/chapel located on the right, after the first gate, dates back to the 16th century. This is known with the name Nossa Senhora de Piedade (who is also the patron of the town).

The main feature of this chapel is the stunning work done with the blue and white azulejo tiles dating back between 1740-1750.

I have to say this was one of my favourite landmarks in Óbidos! The tile work is really eye-catching and it’s impossible to not stare at it for at least 10 minutes!

Explore the old Rua Direita

After passing the beautifully decorated Porta da Vila, you will see the town unfolding from its main street called Rua Direita. This is Óbidos main street connecting the main Town Gate to the Castle. The original architecture of Rua Direita dates back to the 13th century and, if you pay attention, you can still spot some well-preserved Gothic portals decorating Rua Direita’s colourful houses.

During the 16th -17th centuries Rua Direita underwent important transformation and renovation but, since this period, it remained pretty much the same. This grants visitors a very Medieval-Renaissance feeling when walking the narrow path, particularly during the annual medieval celebrations.

Today Rua Direita is famous for its shops selling traditional handmade souvenirs, Ginja and local restaurants. Moreover the street connects directly to the Igreja de Santa Maria, which is very popular for its beautiful blue and white azulejo tiles similar to those seen in Porta da Vila.

Find more than 14 Óbidos bookstores

Igreja de Santiago - Bookstore in Óbidos
Igreja de Santiago – Bookstore in Óbidos

In 2015, Óbidos gained the title of “City of Literature” and this wasn’t just a case. This town has probably the highest concentration of bookstores than any other place I ever visited! There are no less than 14 bookstores located in the most unlikely places. From churches to markets and restaurants!

For reason of time, I could’t visit all the bookstores around Óbidos. However, I was able to see a few of them along the way. I loved in particular Livraria do Mercado and Livraria do Mercado Biologico (that are basically one next to the other). My absolute favourite (and quite unexpected) was the one inside the church Igreja do Santiago, called “Livraria de Santiago“. This church dates back to 1186 even if it was rebuilt after the earthquake between 1755 and 1778.

During the Middle Ages, the church was largely used by the royal family as its former architecture featured a direct access to the castle from a hidden corridor. Moreover, it was also a famous stop for pilgrims directed to Santiago de Compostella (hence the name). The church now hosts one of the most fascinating bookstores in Óbidos. Surely an unmissable stop for bookworms like me!

Map of the Óbidos bookshops

Want to visit all the Óbidos bookshops but don’t have the time to search for them? I got you covered. During my visit, I made a map of all the bookshops I wanted to visit on Google mymaps and now I will share this with you! Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to visit them all (there are way too many) but if you have more than one day in Óbidos, you can surely do better than me!

As you can see, there are definitely more than 14 bookshops and it might take a little time to get them all. Moreover, I’ve heard of very hidden bookshops that I unfortunately couldn’t find because you need a little time to explore each single place that may host one.

Have a taste of traditional Ginja de Óbidos (ginjinha)

Ginjinha or Ginja is one of the most famous liqueurs produced in Portugal. It’s made of infused cherries, alcohol, sugar and cinnamon and it’s very sweet! Apparently, it’s origin dates back to the XVII century when it was produced within monastic settings. In this regard, Óbidos is one of the main cities producing the nationally-famous drink and it’s particularly famous for its quality cherries. People from Óbidos are particularly proud of their local production and you can have a taste of Ginja almost in any shop you can visit! So, give it a go!

Visit the Óbidos Castle

View of the Obidos Castle
View of the Óbidos Castle from the Cerca

The Castelo de Óbidos dates back to the 12th century. Records, report its existence already in 1153 (built over the ruins of a former Roman fortress). Nevertheless, it’s medieval appearance was certainly different from the one we know today. Indeed, the castle has seen different restoration, additions and expansions of its original site. One of the most important restorations was the one started in 1932 which lately included the transformation of the Castle into a luxury hotel named Pousada do Castelo de Óbidos.

Can you visit the Castle of Óbidos?

Yes and No. This means there are parts of the castle that are free to access to general visitors and parts that can’t be visited because part of the Pousada (the Hotel). Ergo they are accessible only to guests. The locations open to visitors are: the Belvedere (located just in front of the Pousada), the walls (see paragraph above) and the Cerca (the main courtyard behind the castle).

All the other parts of the Castle, including the Manueline extension are part of the Hotel, so they are not accessible to general public.

Explore the hidden alleys

If I learnt something after all these years travelling, is that it’s always a good idea to get a bit lost in a new place. Reserving a part of your journey to free exploration allows you to discover the soul of the places you visit. The “getting lost” part of Óbidos didn’t disappoint and lead me to some picturesque colourful alleys. Leave Rua Direita and start exploring some side hidden alleys. You will see photogenic doors framed by beautiful flowers, colourful shortcuts to the castle walls, lots of cats and unexpected intriguing viewpoints. This part of the day was probably my favourite…but don’t tell it anyone!

Want to discover Portugal? Find out my guide to the best places to visit here!

Where to eat in Óbidos

There are plenty of places where to dine in Óbidos. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Petrarum Domus. Don’t get me wrong, the restaurant was quite good but because I didn’t plan anything for our lunch I chose this place just for its name. I thought “well done keeping your Latin name! It must be good!”. Sorry. That’s what a historian does but I won’t recommend do it on your own.

Petrarus Domus inside – Photo Credits, Petrarus Domus Restaurant

Anyway, the exterior appearance of the restaurant it’s quite anonymous but once you enter inside it has a very traditional vibe and cosy feeling. I warmly suggest you to try the cheese platter and the pork fillet with potato sautéed! They were delicious.

FOR FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN: the restaurant can provide some portable chairs that are attached to the table (not very safe for toddlers who move a lot). They don’t have high chairs or baby change. However, the staff was very kind to let us using the floor upstairs to change the babies. The floor was closed to the public for low affluence.

Where to Stay in Óbidos

I can’t give you a very good opinion on where to stay in Óbidos because we visited as a part of a day trip. However, it’s my intention to visit again in the future and if I have to chose a place where to stay, I would probably stay at the Pousada do Castelo de Óbidos. It’s one of the best places in town and I definitely want to check the areas of the castle not open to the general public.

The Literary Man. Photo Credits: Booking.com

I would probably give a go also to the Literary Man. It doesn’t have the same good scores of the Pousada but I would go at least for its fantastic library!

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guide to Obidos
What to do in Obidos
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5 Comments

  1. May 21, 2022 / 3:40 pm

    I had never heard of Obidos before but it looks like a beautiful place to visit with so much history!

  2. May 21, 2022 / 3:44 pm

    Obidos looks like the perfect medieval getaway! I can see I need to add Portugal to my bucket list, and walking around the cobblestone streets sounds like a great way to spend several days.

  3. Lasma
    May 21, 2022 / 7:23 pm

    Oh! This is so fantastic! I absolutely loved Obidos and I think this guide is perfect to plan a day in this fantastic Portuguese gem! I would love to walk on the walls once again! This makes me miss my life in Lisbon!

  4. May 22, 2022 / 12:21 am

    I’ve been to Obidos and loved it. We just passed through and had an amazing lunch at one of the restaurants. The town is adorable and I loved the castle and the medieval walls. You brought back such fond memories.

  5. May 23, 2022 / 10:56 am

    There’s so much history in Rome, it’s incredible. I love how beautifully you’ve explained it all, with all functional information of places to visit as well. We need more blogs like this one! 🙂

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