Visit Obidos

Visit Obidos is a brief guide to guide you through the treasures of the picturesque village on the Silver Coast region, one of the ex-libris of Western Portugal.

The Obidos village is located to the north of Cabo Carvoeiro and half walls with the neighboring city of Caldas da Rainha.

With a long past and rich history, its scenic setting is one of its greatest brand images and gives it a very unique uniqueness, which would have been one of the reasons why, in the 21st century, Óbidos was considered one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal.

If you want to make the most of your time here, we advise you to plan the best way to visit Óbidos and discover the best that the village has to offer.

Having as its ex-libris its majestic medieval castle, however, there are other elements of interest outside the wall that you should not miss when you visit Obidos making yourexperience even more unforgettable.

The castle was made by the Moors in the 19th century and was conquered by the first king of Portugal: D. Afonso Henriques in 1148.

Nowadays the castle is transformed into an inn with restaurant included.

As it is an inn, the interior of the castle is not visitable by tourists, only by guests.

The view from the top of the village is one of the best in Óbidos, so take the opportunity to take many photos.

It is exactly to elucidate you about what you can find and what you cannot miss, that we present you some suggestions so that you can decide what interests you most.

Starting inevitably from the interior of the Medieval Castle, we propose to divide the visit into three phases.

In this phased perspective, we start by proposing a visit to Religious Heritage, which, as the name implies, focuses on all the churches and chapels in the municipality of Óbidos… and there are “only” nine… all of them with singularities and particularities that will certainly surprise you by diversity, the importance of each one and the richness of its artistic treasures.

Another thematic program to visit Óbidos can be through Museums and Art Galleries, where you are presented the places in the village where art, in its most varied forms of expression can be enjoyed, highlighting for example that there are paintings by Josefa d'Óbidos to be enjoyed ...

The connection between Óbidos and art, which also has a strong and important contribution from major annual events, is so important and productive that in December 2015 UNESCO considered Óbidos as a creative city, as part of the Creative Cities Network program.

Last but not least, you always have the possibility to focus your visit to Óbidos in the Castle and its Walls, which discusses the history, particularities and curiosities associated with the Óbidos Castle, the great visiting card of the town and with which you will also end up framing the program of Religious Heritage and that of Museums and Art Galleries.

But there are also points of interest, not to be missed, outside the Castle.

If you go north, on the road that takes you from Óbidos to Caldas da Rainha, you will find two places that are both so important and so different, but both must be visited.

The first, and easiest to find, is the Senhor Jesus da Pedra Sanctuary, a majestic temple from the 18th century and whose visit is mandatory, having as its central elements its size and the fact that it has some windows ... inverted!

The second site is the archaeological site of the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Eburobrittium, an unequivocal proof of the presence of Roman civilization in the area centuries ago and an important testament to its legacy.

If you head south towards Peniche, you will necessarily pass under the old water aqueduct, which connected Óbidos to the town of Usseira, and which is a testament to the first water supply system in Óbidos together with the fountains that you will find it inside the wall.

The Aqueduct is really one of the hallmarks of Óbidos alongside the essential Castle.

After letting yourself be enchanted by all these pieces of history that helped to build what is today the village of Óbidos, you can and should change your course and proceed to the largest lagoon system in Portugal, the beautiful Lagoa de Óbidos, next to the beach from Foz do Arelho.

The painter "of dead nature" Josefa de Óbidos is one of the great icons of the village of Obidos, and of course, the target of a mandatory stop to visit her works. Start by making Rua Direita until the Municipal Museum of Obidos, where you can find one of her works, and then ahead of the Museum, is the Church of Santa Maria de Obidos, where you will be able to see more works by this famous painter.

Upon arriving at the Obidos Lagoon you will come across several options, all different in their motivations, but all linked to leisure and spending quality time.

There are many trails along the banks of the lagoon that allow long walks where you can relax and see the flora and fauna of this system, as well as going up to one of the specific observation points that exist for bird watching such as Flamingos.

When you take a break you can take advantage of the spaces that exist to be able to have lunch or a picnic, one of these spaces is Covão dos Musaranhos, with its own equipment to cook whatever you feel like eating.

The Obidos Lagoon has more requirements that you will want to take advantage of and after the walks you can always feel like practicing any water sport such as kite surfing, windsurfing or Paddleboard and canoeing.

However, if you are looking for something calmer, you can always choose to practice golf on one of the many courses that exist around the village of Obidos!

There is also the calendar of major events in Obidos, during which the town changes according to each event and during which you will certainly find different reasons and attractions in your adventure to visit the village.

One thing is for sure, you will not be told which options to choose for your visit to Óbidos, being sure that it is best to enjoy a little bit of everything for a more complete experience.

Another feature that you cannot miss is the famous and delicious Ginjinha de Óbidos, a liquor made of sour cherries so famous and so tasty that it is almost a sin not to taste it.

If you are greedy there is also the possibility to taste the cherry in a glass of chocolate, black or white.

Don't waste any more time, pack your bag, take your camera, put on something comfortable, grab your favorite company and come to Óbidos to visit this Wonder of Portugal.

If you still want an even more authentic and detailed experience, GoÓbidos has programs that may interest you, just give us a whistle and we will be here to welcome you and guide you through Obidos!

Since 2013 working in the Silver Coast region, in particular in the village of Obidos, #GoÓbidos offers a set of Guided Tours that will take you to better know the corners of this picturesque village. Discover the main points to visit such as the Church of Santa Maria de Óbidos, Rua Direita or Livraria de Santiago in the heart of the Church of São Tiago.

But not only, take advantage of and get to know some of the paintings of the famous Josefa de Óbidos at the Museu do Munícipio or drink the best Ginjinha de Óbidos, the wonderful liquor made from Ginja (sour cherries).

#1 - XPress Obidos Tour

Visit the village of Obidos with our local guide, and get to know the main spots such as the Church of Santa Maria, the Museum of the Municipality, the Church of São Tiago, the Biological Market, the Castle, and ends up drinking a ginjinha on Rua Direita, one of the best known streets in the whole Silver Coast region!

#2 - Conquest the Castle

Our local Tourist Guide will take you to know everything you need to know in Obidos, such as the Church of Santa Maria, the Municipal Museum, the Church of São Tiago, the Biological Market, the Castle, and at the end you will to give you to taste the best of local flavors such as Sour Cherry Liquor, Local wine, Bread, Chourizo, Cheese and traditional sweets from the village in an unforgettable "Picnic".