Óbidos (São Pedro)

Nadia, our guide for the day, picked us up from our apartment at 10.30 am. Nadia, who took us on a day trip to Sintra in 2019, was as bubbly and talkative as ever. We love her enthusiasm and love for life and adventure. Today, she was taking us to the medieval town of Óbidos about 80 kms north of Lisbon. The weather was quite rainy and overcast but we hoped it would clear by the time we there.

Óbidos grew from a Roman settlement near the foothills of an elevated escarpment, constructed by early Celt tribes. It was later a centre of trade for the Phoenicians. Archeological evidence from the base of the medieval tower at Óbidos also indicates Roman construction; surveys found the remains of a forum, baths and other Roman structures. After the fall of Rome, the region came under the influence of the Visigoths. Sometime after 713 the Moors established a fortification on this mountain, while a Christian community of Mozarabs lived in the Moncharro neighbourhood. So, quite a colourful early history.

The area was taken from the Moors by the first King of Portugal, Alfonso Henriques, in 1148. The retaking of Óbidos was a final stage of the conquest of the Estremadura Province region. In 1120, King Afonso II gave the title of this village to Queen Urraca. Since then, Óbidos has often been patronised by the Queens of Portugal, giving rise to its informal title as Vila das Rainhas (town of the Queens). The 1755 earthquake caused damage to the village walls, a few churches, and many buildings, and resulted in the loss of much of the Arab and Medieval architecture.

It is a visually beautiful town with a well preserved wall surrounding it. We parked and walked through narrow streets of the old village. There are beautifully maintained buildings and it is a colourful town. As we wandered about the town the rain started again. Once we had walked through the town we headed off to the coastal surf town of Nazaré.Read more