Exploring Obidos Portugal

After arriving by air in Portugal for our May 2024 trip, we rented a car and decided exploring the medieval town of Obidos would be our first adventure. The drive from Lisbon International Airport was uneventful and took about an hour.

Location

Obidos, Portugal, where our exploring began, is about an hour north of Lisbon International Airport and is not a difficult drive.

History

A settlement in the Obidos area of Portugal can be traced back to ancient times setting a foundation for what you see today. In the 8th century the Moors fortified the city and built the beginning of the castle. King Alfonso Henriques conquered the Moors in the 12th century and he made the fortification a key part of his kingdom. In the 13th century King Dinis gave Obidos to his wife as a wedding present. Consequently, Obidos continued to be handed down as a dowry with subsequent marriages. Through the years the Portuguese kings updated and strengthened the castle into a magnificent stronghold. King Fernando built the Keep in the 14th century and Queen Catherine commissioned the aqueduct in the 16th century.

Pastel de Nata

We were very excited as we saw the aqueduct and castle walls as we approached. Once we parked and before we even entered the gate, we stopped to try our first Pastel de Nata. It was fabulous. Portugal is known for their Pastel de Nata’s and exploring local food was as high on our list as exploring Obidos! Pastel de Natas are small custard tarts which you can eat warm or cold throughout Portugal. Although both ways are delicious I prefer them warm.

Walking the Castle Walls

After we enjoyed our snack we entered through the gate. The inside of the gate is beautifully tiled. Once through the gate, we turned to the left to ascend the castle walls! We had heard you could walk on the walls around the town and we were excited to do this.

In medieval times the walls not only protected the castle but often protected the entire town. Many towns in Portugal became fortified for protection. These walls were a lot of fun to walk on. The views were amazing! In addition, looking down on the town you could see the narrow medieval maze like streets. Be careful as the wall is 13 m high and there are also no guard rails. In addition, the stone wall has a few loose rocks.

The Castle

The outside of the Castelo de Obidos is opened to the public and at no charge. Although the interior of the castle is mainly a hotel, you can wander in and out of the castle doors and around the castle.

The Streets

Exploring Obidos includes wandering through the narrow streets which gives you a good idea of what a medieval Portugal fortified town was like. It actually felt like it was right out of a storybook. I really thought this was a very cool place to visit. Unfortunately, most stores and shops were not opened due to both the time of the year we were here and the time of day. Nevertheless, it was a fun time.

Ginjinha

Gingjinha is a Portuguese sour cherry liquor and I had to try a shot. It was really good, especially drinking it from an edible dark chocolate shot glass. Actually, it was so good, I had a second one!

Roman Aqueduct

Just outside of Obidos, and one of the first things we first noticed, was the Roman Aqueduct. It was near the parking area and we decided to check it out after we visited the town. Built in the 16th century the aqueduct brought drinking water to the town. It started at a nearby spring and transported the water to the fountains in the village. Quiet impressive.

Conclusion

In conclusion, exploring Obidos was a wonderful way to start our Portugal vacation. It was so much fun wandering around and I would highly recommend it. All in all, we spent about an hour and a half here and it was about right.

Diary of a Gen-X recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences. We do not receive compensation for recommending at any of these nor are we affiliates of any hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companines. All photos are taken by myself and my husband unless otherwise noted.

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Planning

I do a lot of research before a trip and below are some of the items I use to help plan. I also use these items throughout my trip and they have all been a good resource.

My favorite travel guides are the DK Eyewitness guides. These books are smaller and fit nicely in your bag, come with a removable map, are durable, sort the information in a logical way, and are also easy to read. While they just give a brief synopsis of each area, I find areas I like and then google or search for more information.

I also like a map when I travel because you never know when you will loose GPS. We have many times had to rely on the old fashion method of pulling out a map. I have found the National Geographic Maps to be very useful. The ones I have used have been accurate, durable, and easy to follow. You can click on an Amazon link to a map here https://amzn.to/4dRJNqQ

We are an Amazon affiliate so if you purchase the tour guides or maps we do get a small commission at no cost to you.