Obidos. It seems like it should be easy to pronounce, however, the correct pronunciation is O-bi-doush. Not to worry, everyone will still know where you mean if you pronounce it O-bi-dos, or at least they seemed to. Now that’s sorted, here is a guide to make the most of your visit to this beautiful historic town.

How to get there:

If you aren’t in Lisbon already, head back to Lisbon, it will make your life a lot easier. I left Sintra in the morning, got the train back to Lisbon, took the underground to Campo Grande and caught the Rápida Verde 788 bus from there to Obidos. The bus journey took just over an hour, and was only €8 for a one way ticket (buy from the conductor). It will drop you off directly outside the castle walls.

| INSIDE THE WALLS

You can easily explore Obidos (only 1/2km long) in a day. However, if you have time, I would definitely recommend staying the night. This way, you can enjoy it before and after the crowds have left. Plus, you can enjoy a sunset stroll along the walls without having to rush back to the bus.

Obidos is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Portugal, but not exactly a hidden gem. As such, the two most popular attractions are the castle walls and the main shopping street, Rua Direita. If you want to find those beautiful houses you’ve seen online, you must to explore the cobbled streets away from the shops by the north wall. Here are some of my favourites…

| GIFT SHOPS

Get away from the tourist tat shops and visit Casa dos Azulejos, a small artisan tile studio within the walls. It’s owned by a lovely lady who will happily teach you about azulejos as she paints fresh tiles at her easel.

She can create a custom tile in 1 day. So, if you will be in the area for a few days, you can order a custom tile and collect it in 24 hours. It’s perfect for you to take home as a gift or unique memento. While I was in the studio, I could hear speaking noises coming from the rattan balcony above. She laughed and explained it was her young daughter, who was watching paw patrol while her mum worked. Apparently, a few tourists had been in the studio earlier that day and thought she had a pet bird!

| EXPLORING THE ALLEYWAYS

Never mind the houses, the alleyways had me stopping every five seconds to photograph different angles. Obidos is littered with archways that lead through hobbit-sized doors, covered walkways which emerge onto sunlit terraces. Something that I didn’t expect to find though, was graffiti. The graffiti was all one shade of deep blue and the only words written were names. I never did find out what it was about, but there were signs on walls everywhere begging people not to add to it.

Some archways were so low, I played a game of chicken with myself, wondering if I would skim my head and sunglasses on the ceiling. Surprisingly, even the lowest one gave me a few mm to spare. I can only think the yellow stripes at the base of the walls created an illusion of false height.

| GATE HOUSES

The gates or fortified entrances to Obidos are open 24/7, allowing you to come and go as you please. Altogether there are three entrances, all of which have ornate little balconies. The most stunning by far, is the tiled one photographed below. If you are around at midday you might see local buskers sitting beneath the balcony playing to visitors. My personal favourite was a lady playing a steel drum.

| THE INNER WALLS

When I arrived, the outer walls were a little busy, so I walked the inner walls first and didn’t bump in to a single human. I can’t recommend exploring every corner of the town enough.

| ON THE WALLS

Any which way you look, the view from the walls were incredible. Wether you’re looking over the town’s rooftops, or out over the Portuguese countryside it’s all photogenic.

I thought the views of the fields were breathtaking, but everyone seemed to be ignoring them and making their way to one end of the castle walls. Turns out, they were heading to the same ‘insta-spot’, a hole in the wall from which you can see a small windmill. Tourists sat in the gap posing for selfies, but very few bothered to climb the steps on their left to the viewpoint above. Undoubtedly a mistake, as up there is the highest point of the walls from which you can see the entire town. I’ve posted both views below so you can decide for yourself…

Perhaps the best spot of all though, is from the porch swing at dusk. To get there you must climb down stone steps hidden amongst the overgrown bushes at the lower corner of the north wall. Once there, you will find a public garden where you can watch the town rise and fall asleep as the wall lamps begin to glow.

| WHERE TO STAY

I chose a hostel a few metres outside the wall, called Hostel Argonauta (photo below). It had a very bohemian and laidback vibe. Inside there was one private double room and a dorm room made up of 6 mismatched beds (1 bunkbed and 4 single beds). The house had a limitless collection of quirky art decorating walls and high ceilings. The owner whatsapps you where to find the key and leaves you to it. Ultimately, it feels like a communal Air B’n’B.

For budget travellers, there is a hostel inside the walls. However, it’s twice the price of the one I stayed in (mine was £22) and looks far less interesting.

| WHERE TO EAT

My favourite place in Obidos to eat was a courtyard collective of independent cafes. I ordered the delicious burger below as a take away from Avocado Coffee and Healthy Food. It was a ‘Caco spinach cake, chickpea, sweet potato and curry burger with fresh spinach, avocado, vegan mayonnaise and sweet potato chips for only €8 (need I say more). I took my takeaway and sat on the castle walls watching as day visitors left for the buses.

If I had had more than 1 day in Obidos, I would definitely have come back to the courtyard and tried some of the other cafes and food stalls. Luckily while I was waiting for my burger, I had time to wander around the garden there and see part of the old town viaduct. I also cam across a pop-up illustration studio on site. I was so chuffed to have found this little haven.