Pousada Castelo Óbidos
Why we like it: Pousada inside Óbidos castle, at the northern tip of the wall: rooms in the castle or in the Casa do Castelo, a restaurant and a terrace. From €145.
From €145
View details
Duration1 night
From Lisbon1 h by car · direct bus
ActivityCanoe from €17 an hour
Getting aroundOn foot; car for the lagoon
Best timeApr – Jun · Sep – Oct
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Lisbon on Saturday morning and return on Sunday afternoon. The canoe on the lagoon runs from spring to autumn; in December, swap it for Óbidos Vila Natal. A Nova Casa de Ramiro is closed on Sunday, which is why dinner is on Saturday.
Saturday
- 111:00The walls
Climb onto the wall-walk next to the Porta da Vila and go round: 1.5 km, free, without a railing in many stretches. With children, hold hands; with wind or rain, leave it for the afternoon.
- 213:00Lunch at Petrarum Domus
At number 38 Rua Direita, in a stone house: salt cod com natas or à Brás, octopus and ginja in a chocolate cup. Lunch from 12:00 to 15:30; closed on Tuesday. They ask you to book the day before.
- 315:30Livraria de Santiago and ginja
The bookshop occupies the former church of Santiago, next to the castle. Afterwards, a ginja along Rua Direita and the parallel lanes, with no crowds.
- 417:00Arrival at the hotel
The Literary Man is just outside the wall, two minutes from the entrance: an 1833 convent with 27 rooms and books everywhere. Ask for one on the Corredor das Celas, the old cells. Breakfast is included.
- 520:00Dinner at A Nova Casa de Ramiro
Next to the wall, in vaulted rooms with candles, lanterns and a fireplace. Fresh fish, salt cod and meat. On Saturday dinner is from 19:00 to 23:00; book by phone on +351 967 265 945.
Sunday
- 110:30Canoe on the Óbidos lagoon
At the Escola de Vela da Lagoa, in Nadadouro: canoe from €17 an hour or paddleboarding from €15, always with a life jacket. If you have never paddled, take the private lesson, from €40. From spring to autumn.
- 213:30Lunch at Restaurante Alcaide
Back in the village, at Rua Direita, 60, with a terrace looking over the countryside. The house salt cod or the tournedos with Serra cheese. Sunday from 12:00 to 15:00; closed on Wednesday.
- 315:30Heading back
You arrive in Lisbon around 16:45.
Óbidos can be seen in a day, but it is enjoyed by sleeping there. The excursion coaches leave mid-afternoon, and then Rua Direita, the wall-walk and the little lanes of white houses with blue and yellow stripes are left to those who stay. This getaway takes advantage of that: you arrive on Saturday, walk round the walls in the low light, dine in a vaulted house by candlelight and sleep in a former convent with some 100,000 books. On Sunday you go down to paddle on the lagoon and have lunch in the village before returning to Lisbon.
How do you get there from Lisbon?
By car, along the A8 to the Óbidos exit: about 85 km, an hour. Without a car, there are direct buses from Lisbon that stop in front of the Porta da Vila, five minutes' walk from the hotel. For the lagoon on Sunday you need a car or a taxi: the canoe school is in Nadadouro, on the north shore, about twenty minutes away.
Where to sleep?
The Literary Man is the plan's choice: outside the wall but two minutes away, with its own restaurant and the Lisbon bus stop nearby. If you want to sleep inside the castle, the Pousada Castelo Óbidos, from €145 a night according to its website, has no parking of its own. If you are going by car and prefer a pool and silence, the quinta of Casa d'Óbidos, on the outskirts, with the castle in view.
| Where | Who it suits | |
|---|---|---|
| The Literary Man | Next to the Porta da Vila | No car, book lovers |
| Pousada Castelo Óbidos | Inside the castle | A special night |
| Casa d'Óbidos | Quinta on the outskirts | Car, pool, families |
In December
From late November to early January, Óbidos Vila Natal takes over the Cerca do Castelo with an ice rink and rides. Swap Sunday's canoe for a morning session at the park: €12 adult, €8 child. Book your hotel and dinners in good time: it is the busiest time of the year.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Óbidos, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Óbidos
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Where to stay
Where to stay in Óbidos
The Literary Man Óbidos Hotel
Why we like it: 27-room hotel in a former 19th-century convent, two minutes from the wall, with about 100,000 books, a restaurant and a bar. Breakfast included.
Casa d'Óbidos
Why we like it: 19th-century manor house on an estate on the outskirts of Óbidos, with six rooms, apartments in restored cottages, a pool and a tennis court.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Óbidos
Petrarum Domus
What to order: a house cod dish or the octopus, and for dessert the ginja in a small white or dark chocolate cup, with or without cherries.
Alcaide Restaurant
What to order: the cod "à Alcaide" or the "requinte de bacalhau"; if you want meat, the tournedos with Serra cheese.
A Nova Casa de Ramiro
What to order: fresh fish or one of its cod dishes, and ask for a table in the large room, next to the fireplace.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Walk round the walls first thing on Sunday too: you are two minutes away and there will be nobody there.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth sleeping in Óbidos?
Yes. In the afternoon the groups leave and the village is left quiet for strolling and dining.
Can you go without a car?
Yes, by direct bus from Lisbon. For the lagoon, take a taxi.
How much does the canoe cost?
From €17 an hour; €28 for two hours. Paddleboarding, from €15.
Where can you have dinner in Óbidos on a Saturday?
At A Nova Casa de Ramiro, from 19:00 to 23:00, or at The Literary Man's Book & Cook restaurant, until 22:00.