Pousada Castelo Óbidos

Sleeping inside the castle

The Pousada Castelo Óbidos occupies the town's castle, at the northern tip of the wall, at the end of Rua Direita. It has been a pousada since 1951: it was the first time the Pousadas de Portugal network opened a hotel in a listed monument. According to the house, King Dinis gave the castle to Queen Isabel on the day of their wedding, held there, and hence comes the custom of Óbidos forming part of the queens' dowry.

You can choose between two places. In the castle you sleep between medieval walls, with narrow windows and stone stairs. In the Casa do Castelo, the building next door, the rooms are more village-house in style and there are more types: standard, superior, superior with balcony, suite and a large house for families, for four adults and a child up to 12. In the castle are the classic and superior rooms and a special suite.

Prices, hours and services

The website publishes prices from €145 a night for two adults in the standard room of the Casa do Castelo, €164 for the classic in the castle and €289 for the special suite. These are "from" rates that already include the Pestana customer club discount, so without registering you will pay somewhat more. Check-in is from 15:00 and you leave the room before 12:00. There is free wifi, 24-hour reception, room service and non-smoking rooms; breakfast is a continental buffet.

Eating at the pousada

The castle restaurant has sixty seats and serves Portuguese cooking with produce from the Oeste: fruit and vegetables from the region, fish from the coast and traditional meats and cured sausages. The website gives lunch from 13:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 19:30 to 22:30, with a separate note for Friday and Saturday: confirm dinner by phone before counting on it. It is also open to non-guests, and there is a bar and a terrace over the wall.

Getting there and parking

The pousada has no parking of its own. Leave the car in the public car parks outside the wall and walk up Rua Direita, about ten minutes with a suitcase and cobbles; it is a good idea to travel with light luggage. From Lisbon it is about 85 km along the A8.

What is nearby

The climb to the wall begins next to the castle, and the Livraria de Santiago is a couple of steps away. In December, the Vila Natal is set up at the foot of the castle. The lagoon and Foz do Arelho are twenty minutes away by car.