Exploring Portugal: Óbidos

When looking for recommendations of places to visit in Portugal, one name came up time and time again – Óbidos. Curiosity aroused, we shoe-horned it in to our whirlwind tour of Central Portugal, and booked an overnight stay.

Located in Estremadura, this walled town has its origins in Roman times. However, the Romans abandoned the town in the 5th century for a more secure hilltop location. The Moors took it over around 713 AD. They lived there for centuries until it was taken from them in 1148 by the first King of Portugal, Afonso I (r. 1139-1185).

In 1210, Afonso I's grandson, King Afonso II (r. 1212-1223) gave the title of the town to Queen Urraca (whose name means 'magpie' in Castilian). Since then, Óbidos has often been patronised by the Queens of Portugal, which led to it being informally called Vila das Rainhas (Town of the Queens). In keeping with this, King Dinis I (r. 1279-1325) gave the town to Queen Isabel, who was then aged 11, as a present on their wedding day in 1282. Over time, the town underwent several changes. The castle and the town's walls were remodelled during the reign of King Dinis I, while a castle keep was built by his great-grandson, King Fernando I (r. 1367-1383).

Today Óbidos is a favourite with tourists and it's not hard to see why. The narrow cobblestoned streets are lined with whitewashed houses edged with vivid yellow and blue paint. Climbing the 13m-high (45ft) medieval walls gives you outstanding views of both the town itself and the surrounding countryside. When you have drunk your fill of the views, you might consider visiting one of the many bars for a sample of ginjinha, a liqueur made of Morello cherries and sugar, and served in shot form in a chocolate cup that you then eat.

Blue skies – the perfect complement to the whitewashed walls

The main street

Blue-edged houses leading to back streets and the city walls

Another cobbled street, another blue-edged house

 

 

I wonder where this goes...

 

 

Quaint houses

 

Walking the walls is a must. From your 13m-high (45ft) vantage point, you can see the town in all its glory. On clear days, you are also afforded extensive views across the surrounding countryside.

Looking towards the castle



Outside the walls some of the houses have red edges

The main street from above

Miles of countryside

Another view of the town from the walls

As with everywhere I go, having seen the main attractions, I found myself being drawn to the details, the things that could be easily missed – colourful plates hanging on a gallery wall, pretty shop-front decorations, street-level windows, and statues bearing plastic poinsettias...

Colourful gallery front

Decorative entrance

 

A street-level window

 

  

Signage outside a shop

 

 

Flower-bearing statue

 

If I'm honest, I don't really think that the town really warranted an overnight stay as what's there can easily be seen in a couple of hours. However, it was nice to be able to have the town to myself in the evening after the hordes of day-tripping tourists had left. Oh, and the hotel I stayed in was gorgeous!