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Things to do in Obidos (Portugal) – Photos + Visit Tips

Last updated on December 21, 2020 By Claire, the Travel Planning Geek

Discover this magnificent medieval village of Obidos, Portugal. A fantastic place to visit, where you can tour the fortifications for amazing views! Many things to do in Obidos Portugal, including the Obidos Castle, the wall, and exploring the village... Below is my guide to help you plan your visit.

Castelo de Obidos Castle - things to do in Obidos Portugal Travel Guide

Table of Contents
Why visit Obidos in Portugal? Video
Planning Tips - Obidos, Portugal
Arriving at Medieval village of Obidos
Things to do in Obidos - Map
Exploring the streets
Obidos Castle (Castelo do Obidos)
Walking on the WALLS - my favorite activity in the village
Ginja De Obidos (Ginjinha de Obidos)
And a few more Obidos Photos

Navigate back to the complete Travel Portugal Guide

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Why visit Obidos in Portugal? Video

Obidos is one of the most charming villages to visit in Portugal.
It offers:

  • Fortification walls all around offering beautiful views of the village and the region
  • a castle
  • a maze of white houses inside the fortifications

Let's start with a short video showing what it is like to tour the village of Obidos Portugal:

This is one of the best places to visit in Portugal.
Many photos and details avec the planning tips.


Planning Tips - Obidos, Portugal

How to get to Obidos Portugal

  • Obidos is located North of Lisbon, not far from the Atlantic coast
  • Lisbon to Obidos - 1h drive via the Motorway
  • Lisbon to Obidos by bus - the Rapida Verde Bus (Express Green) takes over an hour from Campo Grande Station in Lisbon (managed by Rodo Tejo)
  • Day trips are organized from Lisbon if you want to just sit and relax and they are combined with other stops such as Fatima, Nazaré and the Monastery of Batalha

This location with its GPS coordinates and planning info is included in my eBook to help you easily plan your Portugal road trip:

Be overwhelmed by the beauty, not the planning!

Portugal road trip guide ebook cover

Plan your perfect trip around Portugal with:

  • 13 easy-to-plan Maps
  • 120+ pre-selected scenic locations
  • Planning tips to make the most of your time
  • 200+ large photos to decide where to go
  • GPS coordinates direct to the carparks

LEARN MORE

Visiting Obidos Portugal

  • It is a great idea to stay in Obidos, so that you can enjoy the walls early morning before all the tourists on day trips from Lisbon arrive. See suggested Obidos accommodations in the next paragraph
  • But if you are not staying, plan at least half a day to really explore
  • Wear good shoes because the streets are paved and the walls uneven
  • A medieval festival takes place for 2 weeks every July - would be busy but fun

Note: Obidos Lagoon

Obidos is not right by the sea but it is not far. I you want a little bit of fresh air you can head to the Obidos Lagoon for white sand and enjoyable waters.

Obidos Hotels - Where to stay in Obidos

Obidos is a touristic place, so you will find plenty of accommodations. You can stay inside or just outside the walls. There are many small guesthouses, which is great to have a chat with locals!

Obidos Portugal hotels
Obidos hotels
  • I stayed at the Casa de Fontanerio de Obidos just outside the wall. The atmosphere was excellent and the family owning the guesthouse was adorable. See my full review on my article about Portugal Accommodations or check directly for availability and prices
  • LUXURY AND HISTORY - a fantastic option is of course to stay in the Obidos Castle Hotel i.e. Pousada Castelo de Obidos. Some rooms even include stone walls!!! Check the amazing photos and latest prices 
  • INSIDE THE WALLS - if you want to stay inside you should consider Casal da Eira Branca. It has a beautiful terrasse to relax at the end of the day. Check photos and prices
  • FAMILY - It is a bit further away from Obidos (but not that far...), but you can fit many people in Valentine's House which is decorated with a lot of taste. This is one of the best rated accommodations on Booking.com - Check Photos and Prices
  • CHEAPER OPTION - Hostel - For those on a budget the Hostel Argonauta has really good reviews and is really well located - Check photos and prices

Arriving at Medieval village of Obidos

As you drive from the South, the arrival in the city looks promising

You can reach either by renting a car or by organized tour from Lisbon:

View of Obidos Portugal

Main Entrance

The main entrance is from the Town Gate built in 1380 - Porta da Vila. Obidos has been a national monument since 1951. However, 2 other doors allow access to the village on the same side.

Portugal Obidos Gate

As you enter, you discover the oratory or Our Lady of Piety which was created during the 17th century. It is a covered with beautiful tiles (Azulejo) from the 18th century.

Oratory Obidos Gate

Things to do in Obidos - Map

Obidos Map

Close to the main gate, you can find a map of Obidos Portugal (left is South and right is North).

1 is the main gate and around 6 is access to the Obidos Castle.

Obidos Portugal Map

History of Obidos

Before I take you on a visit via my photos, here are few interesting facts about Obidos Portugal:

  • It is thought that the name comes from the Latin word Oppidum that means fortified city
  • Archeological surveys indicate settlements on that hill back to the Celt and the Romans
  • In the 8th or 9th century, fortifications were established by the Moors

Exploring the streets

Walking up Main Street - Rua Direita

From the gate you can climb to the fortifications right away. And I will show you that later. But first let's discover the main street that leads you from the gate to the Obidos Castle. 

Main Street in Obidos Portugal

The main street is the busiest. This is where you can find all the souvenir shops and opportunities to drink the specialty Ginjinha de Obidos (see later in the post).

It is great to discover the side streets leaving from it with the colors and flowers.

Main Street in Obidos Portugal 2

On your way, you will walk by Santa Maria Church, all white and brown. They were setting up for a festival when I visited so, the view was obstructed...
This is where King Afonso V and Isabella of Coimbra were married in 1441 when they were just kids.

Igreja de SAnta Maria Obidos POrtugal

And at the end, just before the castle is Santiago Church between the 2 fort towers.

Igreja de Santiago Church Obidos Portugal

Pictures from other streets

Take the time to get off the main street to explore the small streets all around where you will find gems:  colors, flowers, tiles...

Visiting Obidos Portugal
Visiting Obidos Portugal 2

Obidos Castle (Castelo do Obidos)

The main Obidos attraction, apart from walking on the walls (I will show you that soon), is the Obidos Castle a.k.a Castelo do Obidos in Portuguese

The best view is from the back. Go through the gate near the Santiago church and walk towards the North end of the hill.

Portugal Obidos Castle

Light would be better in the afternoon, with the sun rays hitting the façade, but it is still quite impressive. It is really massive with very few openings.

Castelo de Obidos

The entrance to the castle is actually on the city side of the wall. But the Castle cannot be visited because it is today a hotel: the Obidos Castle Hotel. 

Obidos Castle hotel

Walking on the WALLS - my favorite activity in the village

And here is the highlight of any visit: walking on the fortified walls of Obidos.

Several staircases allow you to climb up there. They have between 40 and 60 steps each. The steps are high and uneven, but it is worth the climb!

The Staircase near the main gate is actually one of the hardest. If you follow the fortification at the bottom on your right after entering, you will find a straight staircase that is larger and has only 40 steps.

Staircase wall Obidos Portugal 2

It is possible to tour the whole fortifications. It is a 1.5km walk (so 1 to 2 hours depending on how many pictures your take). Some sections are large and with a border, but others are narrower and with the big drop just next to you (be aware if you suffer from vertigo)

Here is the view right after the climb at the main gate.

Walking walls of Obidos
Walking walls of Obidos 2
Walking walls of Obidos 3
Staircase wall Obidos Portugal
Walking walls of Obidos 4

From the west side, you have beautiful views of the area and agricultural fields.

Walking walls of Obidos 5

The mix of stone wall and white houses is really stunning. Don't you think?

Walking walls of Obidos 6

The Obidos Tower

At the South end of the fortifications, you can continue climbing big steps to reach the top of the tower. It is quite impressive and definitively not for people with vertigo!!!
From up there you can see the whole village of Obidos in its length.

Tower Obidos Portugal
Tower Obidos Portugal 2

Ginja De Obidos (Ginjinha de Obidos)

Obidos is also famous for the quality of its cherry brandy liqueur: Ginjinha.
You can pay for a shot just on the stalls outside. However, the classic way is to drink it in a chocolate cup 🙂 Drink and eat!

Chocolate cup Ginjinha De Obidos
Ginja De Obidos

And a few more Obidos Photos

It is so photogenic, there are no best spots to photograph Obidos... You just have to tour the fortifications and streets to find the best angles with the light you have... But you won't be disappointed!

Portugal Obidos Photo
Portugal Obidos Photo 2
Portugal Obidos Photo 3



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Would you walk on the walls?

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Comments

  1. Laurie says

    February 4, 2019 at 12:13 AM

    Looks amazing! I definitely want to add this village & castle for a future trip to our list.

    Reply

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