The Village of Óbidos
“The village of Óbidos is exquisite in every way. You could wander round these streets with a camera for hours…which I did!”
Rua Porta do Vale in the delightful village of Óbidos
FROM A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE
“One thing that puzzled me, though, was that the locals seemed so sad! ”
They walked along the main street with their heads hung low. Had an important figure in the village died? Maybe they’d 3-putted on the 18th at Royal Óbidos and lost the match.
Then I realised that the cobblestones on those magical, meandering lanes were so uneven; they were watching out for their feet! Fair play!
Rua Porta do Vale looking the other way. Whichever way you’re looking, you’ll get a great picture!
This medieval village is one of the most picturesque & best-preserved in all of Portugal. It’s only an hour north of Lisbon and 20 minutes from the golf hub of Praia D'el Rey.
The town was already established long before the Romans arrived in 205 BC. The castle dates back to the Roman occupation, but the current layout is Moorish, combined with several restorations and reconstructions from various Portuguese kings. The main towers you can see now date back to 1375 so it’s pretty good going.
In the 19th century, the village & its castle became prosperous when King Dinis offered it to his wife Isabel, who turned it into a fashionable spot for the royal court!
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
There’s an aqueduct around the main village which looks Roman but it’s actually 16th-century, built at the orders of Catherine of Austria who was Queen of Portugal from 1557 until 1562. Most of the royal families were connected in one way or another. Catherine in fact married her first cousin, King John III of Portugal.
HIGHLIGHTS
Óbidos walkways are charming but treacherous if you’ve had a few ‘Ginjas’.
As if the place isn’t sweet enough, they hold a ‘Chocolate Festival’ in March which by all accounts is a good time to drop in. But any time of the year is good to sample Ginja, a sour cherry liqueur served in a chocolate cup.
There’s the Medieval Market in July which is hugely colourful and maybe the best time to visit. Óbidos Vila Natal, the Christmas Festival covers pretty much all of November & December.
The most popular local dish here is bouillabaisse made from fish from the Óbidos Lagoon and the wines of the ‘Oeste’ region go particularly well.
