6 Reasons to Stay Overnight in Obidos
- Lucy and the lens
- Sep 12, 2018
- 3 min read
Most people who visit Obidos, which is about an hour from Lisbon on the bus, come for the day. We stayed for three nights (which included a day trip to the beach on a particularly hot day!) and while our B&B hosts thought we were mad for staying so long, we really enjoyed the laid back pace of life, and discovered that some of the best of what Obidos has to offer happens before the day-trippers descend or after they've left. So here's my list of reasons you should stay overnight in Obidos! And if that doesn't convince you, check out my Obidos Photo Story, too, which features photos mostly taken early in the morning or later at night.
1. The deserted morning streets.
On the day we arrived, we wandered around the old town, surrounded by medieval fortified walls, and saw a lot of beautiful places. The thing was, the most beautiful places were also the most busy. I decided to get up before breakfast the next day and take my camera for a spin before the day trippers arrived, and it was magical. The only other people I saw between 7:45 and 8:45am were locals sweeping the streets and unloading produce. The once-busy Main Street was deserted and the loveliest walk. Just see below, where my first picture (taken from the walls at 10am) shows what the Main Street is like all day, while the second one shows that same street at 8am!
2. Staying in a traditional Obidos home
More specifically, Casa Picva, a beautiful old, traditionally-decorated Obidos building with the most delicious breakfasts of home-made cherry jam and lemon curd, freshly-baked bread and plentiful pasteis de nata. The hospitality was as great as the decor and our grassy terrace looked out over a beautiful village square. It's also just seconds outside the old town walls.
3. The after-hours ginja
Ginja (cherry liquor) is the big draw to Obidos and the reason the Main Street is so busy - it's full of ginja stalls selling chocolate shot cups of the stuff. But in the middle of the day the wait for a cup can get a bit long - so staying later or starting earlier in the day means you get all the ginja to yourself! You can also visit Bar Ibn Errik Rex ginja bar for some sausage cooked at your table on a flaming griddle to go with your ginja.
4. The incredible food
There is absolutely a reason that A Nova Casa de Ramiro is the top-rated restaurant in Obidos. It far surpassed every other restaurant we ate at during our entire stay in Portugal. The owner is the friendliest, most welcoming guy you'll ever meet (he WILL demand selfies with you). And then there's the food...
We both ordered the steak cooked to 'mother's secret recipe'. I couldn't say how it's made but there was a poached egg, red pepper grounds and an incredible sauce involved. We could both truly say, with no exaggeration whatsoever, that it's the best steak we've ever had, including in Michelin-starred restaurants. The owner's mother is a genius. Just make sure you make a reservation via their Facebook page, as it was fully booked all night!
5. Sunset from the castle walls
We enjoyed two incredible sunsets while we were in Obidos. The first was from on top of the castle walls themselves (anywhere else, our vantage point would have been teeming, but everybody had left!)
The second was from outside the old town, looking back over it. The castle was silhouetted against the sky beautifully.
6. You've got time in the evening to read the books you've purchased at the Livraria de Santiago!
I love all bookshops, but it's even better when you walk into a church expecting to see, you know, a beautiful church...and it's actually a beautiful church-turned-bookshop instead!
I hope these six ideas convince you to give Obidos a chance to show you its best side - although spending three nights there as we did might be extreme, everyone should give it at least one night to shine!
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