Portugal - Part VIII - Obidos

I woke up early the next morning as I had a busy day trip out of Lisbon planned as we were venturing off to see quite a few sites in the spectacular countryside. My first stop was at the small town of Obidos.

Known as the "fairytale town" once I saw it in the distance and then pulled up inside I immediately knew that I would be spending more time here than I had originally planned as the place was simply gorgeous.

Sitting high atop a hill this medeival walled town was once one of the country's most important settlements. Dominated by the castello (castle) pictured at left the view from atop the town walls was unbelievable.

Pictured at left is one such view over the lush countryside with it vineyards and perfectly manicured sown fields. The town itself was abuzz with a summer festival and the narrow streets were packed with tourists and locals alike.


The small town of 11,000 people has been dubbed the "fairytale" town and it was easy to see why. Completely encircled by high defensive walls its cobble stoned lanes are lined with perfectly preserved and/or restored whitewashed buildings.

It was mid summer and all the flowers were in full bloom leading to some magnificent displays of colour. The small shops and cafes were teeming with activity. I strolled through various nooks and crannies and came away with a collection of shots and memories that I will cherish forever.

I ended up sitting down at one of the outdoor patio's and enjoyed a fine lunch while people watching and snapping away with my camera. I simply couldn't get enough of this pretty little town.

As always, I eventually had to leave as I had so much on my agenda this day that I knew that my overstay in Obidos was going to make it a longer day than originally planned.

Needless to say at only about 1 1/2 hours north of Lisbon I highly recommend that anybody visiting the capital should put a day trip to Obidos on their itinerary.