Óbidos is one of those places that you fall in love with the moment you see it. Small enough that can forget about your car and walk around the romantic medieval centre and enjoy life.
Everything you need is there from amazing handmade local crafts to cherry liqueur and chocolate while you read a nice book that you bought in one of the truly amazing bookshops you find. And that’s probably why I see more and more people going there every year.

Things to do in Óbidos

We already touched on some of the highlights, like trying the amazing cherry liqueur, the delicious chocolate and visiting the great bookshops and local artists, but wait there’s even more.

• Check out the castle
• Walk around the city walls
• Take one of the hiking paths near Óbidos
• Lose yourself in the streets of the city
• Visit the church and sanctuary of Óbidos
• Admire the city entrance with its tile work
• Óbidos aqueduct
• Check out the Museum
• Take a short trip to the lagoon

Bookshops in Óbidos

Ok, this deserves a highlight, first because we love books, I mean who doesn’t but more importantly because I find the bookshops to be super original and cool. I can just browse the books and loose track of time.

Óbidos cherry liqueur

Every time we visit Óbidos the first thing we do is look for a place to have a cherry liqueur cup. It’s served in a chocolate cup, and it has a similar taste to “Mon Cheri” only ten times better. We love it and we are not alone because this is quite popular for both Portuguese and foreigners alike.

Óbidos castle

Aside from all the cool things that we mentioned the castle and it’s walls are probably the main reason we keep visiting. We love the views and how you can good around the entire city, this alone is worth the trip.
This year we did take our son and we had to be extra careful as it’s easy to just fall off a great height given the lack of any protection.

Óbidos from Lisbon

This is our usual trip as we have a house in Lisbon and it’s a perfect day trip. You can take a highway all the way to Óbidos and be there in less than one hour. Upon arrival, you will find some parking areas are paid but you can simply park a bit further in a free area and walk as it’s super close.

Hotels in Óbidos

You will find many options ranging from the exquisite Pousada if you want to stay in a 700-year-old castle and your budget allows to family-owned hotels in the centre. Have your pick.


Booking.com

A Christmas village

From the end of November until early January Óbidos turns into a Christmas fantasy land. Quite famous, crowded and you do need a ticket usually around €5 but kids love it. Santa Claus makes an appearance of course as do the many helpers, and it seems like the village is turned into a life-sized Christmas crib. A must for families with young kids.

Chocolat festival

Don’t go if you’re on a diet of course. This is a proper international festival with famous chefs, large chocolate sculptures, demos and workshops. You can appreciate the creativity and detail that goes into these delicious pieces of art plus you get to taste some amazing combinations.
Usually from around 25 of Abril to May 5th, and if you plan on visiting be sure to book a place to stay early as the accommodations are quite limited in Óbidos.