After flying from London Luton Airport to Lisbon we hired our rental car and set off on the road to the cute, quirky, quaint and colourful town of Obidos!

Navigating the roads of a foreign country via car is never stress free and we thought we were doing okay, until we reached the walled village perched on a hilltop. Google maps of course wanted to get us as close to our accommodation, which was inside the city walls, as possible but with not much experience and no nerve for driving in tiny, narrow streets, with a high stone wall on one side and another car on the other side we found this very challenging! After lots of manoeuvring we managed to park our car and Andy ran inside to find our accommodation. As it was not too far from the nearest gate we unloaded our luggage and decided to find a parking spot with a bit more space just down the hill from the old city. Crisis averted. Phew!

Where to stay

We stayed at the authentic, historic Torre de Maneys Guesthouse which we loved! Although it did feel a little strange as we saw no other guests, nor staff (except for one at breakfast time) our whole visit! Our room was a small one on the ground floor but fine for the three of us for just one night. I am a huge fan of atmospheric and memorable holiday breakfasts and this one was right up there. Where else can you have breakfast with a fully fledged knight in shining armour costume?

Dinner & dancing in the streets

The town is very popular, especially with bus tours, and the narrow streets inside the city walls were heaving with tourists when we arrived. But as the day drifted away and evening descended the streets became less and less hectic. Staying overnight meant we could enjoy a relaxing meal and wander of the city streets in the evening and we were able to get up early in the morning (hello travelling with a toddler!) and walk the walls with virtually no-one else around.

Cobblestoned streets, whitewashed walls and flowers galore

As you will see from the sheer volume of pictures I took, this place is a photographer’s dream and packed with so much character in every street and building. Brightly coloured blue walls contrasting with heavenly hued yellow blooms, historic white buildings offset by vivid pink bougainvillea, prettily detailed blue and white tiles, terracotta pots gathered on ledges, elegant black and white signs with old-style typography and a visual feast around every corner. Heaven in a camera lens!

Souvenir shopping

From pretty painted blue and white tiles to Portugese style plates, local cheese and chocolate or a bottle of Ginja, Obidos’ specialty cherry liquor there are plenty of ways to spend you pennies in Obidos. I only wish I hadn’t been so worried about the size of my luggage and stocked up on ceramics!

Walking the city walls

Of course, the must-do activity in Obidos is walking the city walls, which date back to Moorish times and offer great views over the surrounding countryside as well as glimpses down onto the streets, and into some of the local houses and gardens. The walls are rocky with a sheer drop in many places so keep a close eye on your children if you are travelling with little ones! The walls are easily accessed via stairs next to the main city gates.