Medieval town in the center of Portugal - Meet Óbidos, our fairytale place

Take a day off your city tour in Lisbon and Oporto and head to the town of Óbidos. That is the proposal Travel+Leisure offers for your bucket list. It's only a 1h30 away, but it will take you back some centuries...

Óbidos is a fairytale town which even has its own castle

It was built 700 years ago and was offered by a King to His Queen as a wedding present. But the impressive part is that the castle still remains today, as does the wall around the town.

Photo by Zoltan Kovacs on Unsplash

Take a walk on the top of the wall and you will feel as King of the Castle

To sleep as a proper King, spend the night at Pousada Óbidos, an historic hotel. There is even the possibility to sleep on a castle tower. This hotel also has a dining room with two very special tables - the Moon Table and the Sunset Table, where you can enjoy a good meal with a view.

There is also another alternative to spend the night, for book lovers

Stay at The Literary Man and experience sleeping amongst 45.000 books, on an exquisite location. This town is highly known for its medieval ambiance and fantastic views.

However, you won't miss the most fun (and tasty) part of the visit - having a ginjinha at one of the many bars.

Have it straight as a shot or simply sip it - on a chocolate cup. Sounds delicious? That is why it is. Finally, as almost anywhere in Portugal, you can taste many and delicious pastries. Difference here is you will do this while marvelling on the sights and buildings. It is a worth while visit!

MOST PHOTOGRAPHED SITES IN PORTUGAL #6 - ÓBIDOS INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

According to the website sightsmap.com, Portugal is one of the most photographed areas of the world. 

We wondered if some of the photos are yours?

Every year, over 200 000 people go to Óbidos in order to visit Óbidos International Chocolate Festival. In this event, you can find several different varieties of chocolate and a whole more ways to make it. It's the perfect place for everyone who loves this sugary treat.

This amazing Festival has everything, from contests, such as the International Chocolate Recipes Contest, to sculptures made of chocolate, courses and even activities for all age ranks. In fact, there's a Chocolate House just for children. The grown-ups, on the other hand, can enjoy such things as the Research Lab, where they're allowed to make chocolate cocktails, and the cooking session in which chocolate is used in meat and fish recipes.

NORTH OF LISBON - ÓBIDOS, ALCOBAÇA, NAZARÉ, FÁTIMA AND BATALHA

Make it a full day tour and discover the region north of Lisbon. The first stop is the medieval town of Óbidos. Then Alcobaça and its Dominican monastery. The next stop will be Nazaré, a traditional fishing village. Then we will visit Batalha, with its imposing Gothic church, before heading to Fatima, where the world famous Catholic shrine is located.

Find out more in our complete programs: North of Lisbon.

The route starts traversing a landscape dotted with windmills and orchards towards Óbidos, where we will have our first stop. You will be delighted with the harmonious architecture of this medieval city - just make sure you do not forget to try their delicious cherry brandy. After Óbidos, Alcobaça will be our next stop. The main attraction is the Dominican Monastery, where you can admire the elegant tombs of the Lusitanian version of Romeo and Juliet: Dom Pedro and Inês de Castro.

It’s time for a pause! There you can enjoy lunch in a typical Portuguese restaurant, and taste some of the delights of local cuisine. After that, our next stop will be Nazaré, a traditional fishing village know famous on account of the biggest wave for surfing, where you will have plenty of time to discover the legends and traditions of this jewel of the Atlantic coast of Portugal. Next stop will be in Batalha, where you will be dazzled by the grandeur and delicacy of its Gothic monastery, an architectural masterpiece of Gothic declared World Heritage by UNESCO.

To finish the tour, let's go to Fátima, where you can visit the world famous Catholic shrine and even attend a Christmas mass. This is a place considered sacred because it has been permanently associated with the Marian apparitions that occurred in Cova da Iria in 1917 and which were later recognized by the Catholic Church. The tour ends with a return to Lisbon.