We knew the second we stumbled upon Óbidos on Google Maps that we’d have to make our way to this historic city. So we looked into camping in Obidos and found this unique campsite.

It was such a cool experience camping in Obidos with the castle in the background and the famous castle wall arches right next to us. Camping here ended up making us fall in love with this medieval city after figuring out there’s so many things to do in Óbidos.

We’re not kidding when we say it’s a very unique campsite that you’ll most likely not see anywhere else in the world. It’s not the most glamorous and there aren’t many amenities but the uniqueness of the campsite makes it absolutely worth it for at least a night.

Pin for Pinterest for a campsite in Óbidos.

Camping in Obidos

There’s something magical about Óbidos. We’re still trying to figure out what exactly it is but we loved the whole experience of walking around the castle, exploring the narrow streets, and camping right outside of the castle walls. Obidos was amazing and we think it has to be one of the most underrated places to visit in Portugal.

If you have the time and you’re travelling up the Silver Coast, drive inland a bit and explore this historic city and stay a night in this little car park that has been converted into a campervan spot. We highly recommend it!

We also recommend downloading Park4Night and Flush. They are both great apps that helped us tremendously while camping around Portugal. If it wasn’t for Park4Night we probably wouldn’t have ended up camping in Obidos.

Beautiful view of a campervan in Óbidos.

Where to camp in Obidos

Well, it’s not entirely a campground but it is possible to camp in Obidos. We’re not sure what the story behind it is but essentially someone decided to convert this little parking area into a place where camper vans could park and spend the night. 

All you have to do is pay €6 Euro and you can keep your van there for the night. When you get there, the payment “office” might be closed – especially if you’re travelling during the off-season like we did. If that’s the case someone will come the following day and leave a little envelope on your windshield. From there you can slip the €6 into the envelope and into the little “honesty box” at the entrance to the car park. So easy!

One of the nice things about camping here in Obidos is that there is actually a self-service water station along with a drain to dispose of your dirty water properly.

All in all, this camp spot offers everything an actual campground offers without actually being in a campground – apart from a bathroom! But you’re in this absolutely stunning little pocket of Portuguese countryside with this beautiful castle right next to you, so you can’t really complain 😉

You can see exactly where you can camp in Obidos here. It’s easy to find. Once you drive past the big touristy parking lot you will see a sign for camper vans and a smaller more hidden parking lot right behind that sign. That’s where you park.

A girl standing outside of a campervan in Obidos.

Free washrooms in Obidos

If you have a completely self-contained camper van then you probably don’t have to worry about this. Our campervan had a sink where we could wash dishes, etc but we didn’t have a toilet so wherever we camped we always tried to make sure that there was some sort of restroom/facility nearby! Thankfully Obidos has that!

If you walk a few minutes towards the castle right where all the tourist buses park you can find a decent-sized rectangular building that has restrooms. Essentially, if you walk towards the castle from the car park, you won’t miss it. It’s right near the information centre.

Here’s the exact location so you won’t miss it.

This is the closest restroom to the car park we managed to find. If you’re walking around the castle ground then there’s one more area with a few toilets.

You can find the public washroom inside the castle ground here. They’re not open 24/7 but they do open quite early and stay open quite late so hopefully, you’ll be fine.

Other related questions to Obidos

Is Obidos worth visiting?

Yes, Obidos is absolutely worth visitng and also camping or spending a night at a hotel inside the city walls. Obidos is a historic and beautiful city full of charm and character. You can easily spend a full day exploring everything inside the city walls of Obidos.

What is Obidos known for?

Obidos is mainly known for its stunning medieval castle and what lies behind the castle walls. The Castelo de Óbidos has been very well preserved over the centuries and now with its walls you can walk around, stunning hotels inside the walls, and beautiful viewpoints makes it one of the highlights of Obidos.

How many days do I need in Obidos?

You need at least one full day in Obidos but it’s worth either camping the night or staying in a hotel in Obidos. The reasoning is the sunset from the castle walls is incredible and the next morning you can also wake up and enjoy an Obidos sunrise.

If you’re just passing by though you can still enjoy Obidos in 2-3 hours staying at least a full day and a bit of the next day is totally worth it.

How far is Obidos from Lisbon?

Obidos is 85km away from Lisbon and easily doable as a day trip from Lisbon. You can easily get between the two cities in around an hour.

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Recap of camping in Óbidos

Camping in Óbidos will be one of those places you remember for a long time. It’s an amazing spot to camp in a beautiful part of Portugal that doesn’t get enough attention. If you’re lucky you may even meet some other friendly campers staying the night and watching the sunset over the beautiful Obidos Castle. 

It really is straight out of a storybook and we hope you have just as amazing of a time camping in Óbidos as we did. It’s one of our favourite little campsites in Portugal and hopefully will become one of yours as well.

Have fun!

Dom & Jo
Red White Adventures

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