Óbidos

Introducing Óbidos

Encased in neatly elliptical medieval walls and set atop limestone heights, Óbidos looks forbidding from the plains it watches over. But enter its dreamy lanes and you’ll instantly be disarmed. Chalk-white houses are bordered in zinging blue and yellow and, in summer, draped with roses and lilacs. Refined architectural elements, from the Renaissance church to the elaborate gates, add their own flourish. Portugal’s prettiest town? It’s definitely way up there. Its charms pull in an increasing number of day-trippers, and souvenir and craft shops await the waves. But backstreets remain surprisingly serene. If you can, stay on to absorb the quiet of the night.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009