3 Best Hotels in Óbidos, Estremadura and the Ribatejo

This hotel has a bit of a split personality: housed in what was once a 19th-century convent, with impressive stone arches and wooden ceilings, its guest rooms are in "eco-chic" style, employing recycled materials with contemporary flair. In keeping with Óbidos's new-found reputation as a literary town, tens of thousands of books line the walls—including in the spacious Book & Cook restaurant (€22), which serves traditional Portuguese fare with a twist.

Sleep like royalty in this charming pousada, which occupies parts of the castle that Dom Dinis gave to his bride, Isabel, in 1282; the suites in three massive stone towers are especially evocative of ancient times, but all guests have access to terraces on the battlements. In the cozy Casa do Castelo annex, there's one room suitable for guests with reduced mobility. If these are all booked up, the Pousada Vila Óbidos, a short walk into town, has another 17 rooms around a courtyard, while the self-catering Casa Lidador has its own outdoor pool. The main pousada restaurant (€25) is also fit for a king: several tables have breathtaking views through elaborate Manueline (Portuguese late Gothic) windows. Try the house bacalhau or regional specialty frango na púcara (chicken, cooked in a clay pot) and then one of the desserts that feature the region's famous pear and apple varieties---pêra rocha or maçã de Alcobaça---cooked in wine or ginja.

"Eco-chic" is the phrase that best describes this award-winning hotel near the Óbidos Lagoon: here, wastewater is recycled, solar panels generate much of the power, and biting insects are kept at bay by amphibians in a pretty pond. Guest rooms are dotted around the landscaped grounds, half buried for insulation. Inside, earthy decoration—floors are concrete, premixed with chalk for a lovely, creamy effect—combines with contemporary design touches, as well as air-conditioning, plus a minibar, coffee machine, TV, and Wi-Fi. There's also an indoor fireplace for winter and a porch for long summer evenings—when reserving you can also request a fire pit for an extra €20 per day, though guests often gather around the common bonfire before dinner. Most vegetables and herbs served in the restaurant come from the hotel's own greenhouse. Borrow a book from one of the two mini-libraries, or make the most of the outdoor pool and bar, the small spa, and the free electric bikes.