Ginja de Óbidos in a chocolate cup on Rua Direita

What it is

Ginja is a sour-cherry liqueur, made from the tart cherry grown in this part of Portugal's Oeste region, macerated in spirit and sweetened. In Óbidos you drink it in one go from a little dark-chocolate cup that you then eat: it is the ritual of the town. Since 2016 the European Union has protected the name Ginja de Óbidos e Alcobaça as a geographical indication: only liqueur made in this area may carry it.

You can order it with fruit, with a cherry in the glass, or without. It is sweet, thick and strong: one shot is enough.

Where to drink it

All along Rua Direita, the main street that climbs from the Porta da Vila towards the castle, there are counters, local-produce shops and bars serving it in a chocolate cup. There is no need to look for a particular one: the ritual is the same everywhere. Buy it at one, drink it standing up and keep strolling.

If you want to take a bottle home, the same shops sell the ones from several producers, often with a box of little chocolate cups. Choose one with Ginja de Óbidos on the label.

Visiting a factory

If you are interested in how it is made, Ginja Mariquinhas, which has been making ginja since 1949, has its factory in Gaeiras, on the outskirts of Óbidos. There is a shop and guided tours covering the production, the cellar where the liqueur ages and the history of the brand. It also has two shops inside the town. Check tour times and prices on its website before you go.

The 2026 family ticket for Óbidos Vila Natal includes two ginjas and a voucher for the Mariquinhas experience.

How long and how much

Drinking a ginja takes five minutes; the price depends on the place, and it is cheap. It fits into any walk around the town: before or after going round the walls or going into the Livraria de Santiago. The factory visit, with travel, takes an hour or a little more.

Getting there

Óbidos is beside the A8, exit 15. Leave the car in the car parks outside the walls, near the Porta da Vila, and walk in: Rua Direita begins just through the gate. Gaeiras is a few minutes from the town by car.

With children and if you are driving

Ginja is an alcoholic drink: it is not for minors. If you are driving, remember that in Portugal the general blood-alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l, and 0.2 g/l for drivers who have held a licence for less than three years; even a small cup counts.