The medieval walled village and castle of Obidos.
Visit Obidos on Portugal's Silver Coast.
Visiting Portugal and booking a holiday to stay in Portugal is often associated with the Algarve in the south of the country. It has long been a favourite with tourists and holidaymakers and is to a great extent built with tourism in mind.
If you venture just a few hours north, you leave not only the heaving beaches and British accents behind, but you are treated to a beautiful and wonderful part of Portugal called the Silver Coast.
Here you will find plenty to enjoy and do, loads of great attractions, but also great culture and history.
One place that people often remember after a holiday in Portugal, especially if they have been in the central coastal region of the Silver Coast, is the wonder that is Obidos.
It is not the only attraction to be found on the Silver Coast, in fact it is only one of many, but it has the wow factor. It has charm, charisma and beauty in no small measures, it has history, tradition and culture stamped all over it, and it has some nice little bars and restaurants too.
Obidos is a medieval walled town in the heart of Silver Coast country. It is not more than 10 minutes from Caldas da Rainha, Bombarral or 20 minutes from Peniche (and the popular golf resort of Praia D'el Rey). It has a stunning castle that is complete, no ruins here, and it is host to a large variety of different festivals and celebrations.
There is a huge choice of accommodation near Obidos to help you get the most from your visit. Ranging from cheap bed and breakfast to villas, apartments and hotels.
If you are having a holiday in Portugal then you really must make the effort to see Obidos in all its glory. Check the official Obidos website, there is a link to it at the bottom of this page, and you will get some idea of what is on and when.
To give you some idea, normally early in the year because of the lower temperatures, there is a chocolate festival. In July usually, there is a medieval festival where people perform medieval dances and routines in the streets and street restaurants feed you in typical olde worlde style...even to the point of allowing you to throw bones over your shoulders (OK I'm joking, but you get my drift.) Perhaps the most popular festival is the one celebrating Christmas which lasts several weeks and is covered in more detail in another article.
Another feature of Obidos, apart from the cobbled streets which you find everywhere, is the lagoon which many years past was actually the moat protecting the town. The water has receded many kilometers, but is still regarded as the Obidos Lagoon by most people. The lagoon is worth visiting to walk along the recently installed boardwalks which can take you all the way to the coast if you want. Foz Do Arelho is on the opposite side of the water.
Enjoy a day out at Obidos, let it be your main reason for visiting Portugal.
Obidos in just 15 minutes away from the Vineyard Retreat by car and is one of the seven
wonders of Portugal.
No visit to Portugal would be complete without a day in Obidos.
