Is Fatima worth visiting? Well, for many Catholics the answer will be a resounding yes, but for those who are neither religious nor particularly spiritual, the answer may be an equally resounding no, especially as there’s already so much to see and do in the rest of Portugal.
Visiting Fatima does require a bit of effort, as it’s around an hour and a half north of Lisbon, yet this is a place that attracts millions of travelers and pilgrims from all over the world each year, due to its profound religious significance. Some are dedicated Catholics seeking spiritual solace, while others (myself included) may have had no idea it even existed, and are merely passing through for an hour or two as part of a day trip from Lisbon.
But what actually happened to make this tiny village in the middle of nowhere one of the world’s most popular pilgrimage sites? Its importance to so many people at least prompted me to want to learn more. So, grab your candle and rosary, cos here’s a little insight into its history, as well as my advice on getting there, when to visit, what there is to do, and where to stay…
VISITING FATIMA PORTUGAL
Where is Fatima?
Fatima is located in central Portugal, 88 miles (142 kilometers) north of Lisbon. The is relatively small, with a population of around 11,000 people, based on recent estimates. However, it attracts millions of visitors every year due to its religious significance to Catholics – more details of which below.
Getting to Fatima from Lisbon & Porto
Visiting Fatima from either Lisbon or Porto is relatively straight forward and you have a few different options. Firstly though, note that the train from Lisbon to Fatima isn’t really feasible unless you want to do your own mini pilgrimage for the last part. This is because Fatima train station is located half an hour’s drive, or a 4 and a half hour walk from the Fatima Sanctuary itself. The same applies to Porto to Fatima by train. So realistically, the best ways to get to Fatima from Lisbon are the following:
1. Take a bus from Lisbon to Fatima: board from various bus stations located around Lisbon including: Sete Rios, Oriente and Gare Oreinte. The journey takes around 1 hour 30 minutes or less – ideal for budget-conscious travelers. Full details of all providers and tickets here.
2. Guided Tours from Lisbon to Fatima: a guided tour to Fatima from Lisbon includes transportation and usually offers up insights into the town. They’re ideal if you want to combine a visit to Fatima with stops at other nearby cultural sites, of which there are several – more details below.
3. Renting a car and driving from Lisbon to Fatima: hiring a car in Lisbon and driving to Fatima is the most flexible of all options. The journey typically takes around 1.5 hours by car, depending on traffic. Take the A1 highway northbound from Lisbon towards Porto and exit at the Fatima/Ourem junction (Exit 8) onto the N356 road, which leads directly to Fatima.
There are literally thousands of parking spaces all around the religious complex, so unless you choose to visit on the 13th on a summer’s day, you should have no problem finding a car park.
4. Driving from Porto to Lisbon: if you’re hiring a car in Porto and driving to Fatima the distance is 118 miles (190 kilometers), which should take around 2-2.5 hours, depending on traffic. Take the A1 highway southbound towards Lisbon and exit at the Fatima/Ourem junction (Exit 8) onto the N356 road, which leads directly to Fatima.
WHAT MADE FATIMA FAMOUS?
This tiny village first became known in the early 20th century. On May 13th, 1917, three young children named Lucia (10), Francisco (9), and Jacinta (7), claimed to have seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary while out grazing their flock. These apparitions, known as Our Lady of Fatima, continued over the following 6 months, with each taking place on the 13th day of the month.
The messages conveyed to the children from Mary during these encounters were of peace, prayer, and a glimpse into future global events i.e that the Great War would soon end.
Despite much local scrutiny and the efforts of Fatima’s Mayor to discredit the apparitions and debunk the claims made by the children, word spread like wildfire both locally and nationally, and Fatima quickly became an unexpected gateway to the divine.
The miracle of the sun
The most important (and controversial) chapter in Fatima’s history took place during the final apparition, on October 13, 1917. With an estimated 70,000 people present on site, witnesses claimed that immediately after a heavy rainstorm, the sun emerged suddenly, and moved across the sky in all directions, shining bright colours to all those below, and instantly drying the rain sodden village. This became known as the ‘Miracle of the Sun’.
Among the attendees, however, there was also a significant numbers of naysayers, who claimed not to have seen, nor noted anything special about events on that day. Regardless, numbers continued to grow, and an estimated 7 million visitors each year now come from around the world to pay homage to the Virgin Mary, the apparitions, and the children who saw them, through prayer and reflection at the gigantic Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima.
What happened to the kids?
Lucia dos Santos was the eldest of the three children and the only child with whom Mary apparently spoke to during the apparitions. She later went on to become a Carmelite nun, where she continued to share the events and teachings from the apparitions. In 1948, she published her memoir, titled “Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words.” She died on February 13, 2005, at the Carmelite Convent in Coimbra, Portugal, aged 97.
Francisco Marto and his younger sister, Jacinto Marto both died from the Spanish flu epidemic, in 1919 and 1920 respectively at just 10 and 9 years old respectively. Both were canonized and declared saints on the 100 year anniversary of the first apparition, on the 13th of May, 2017 by Pope Francis. Having lived significantly longer, the background checks for Lucia to reach a similar status will take a fair bit longer, and are still ongoing.
WHAT TO SEE IN FATIMA
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, is the name of the entire sacred complex. Its evolution into the religious site we see today began almost immediately after the apparitions, allegedly at the request of Mary herself. It has since been developed and enlarged and currently houses:
- The ‘Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary’ – built between 1928-1953. Is the location of each of the three children’s tombs.
- A huge colonnade spanning both sides of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.
- The ‘Chapel of Apparitions’ – a small chapel built on the exact spot where Mary is said to have appeared to the children over an oak tree.
- A massive square for worshipers to congregate on, with a centrally located holy water fountain.
- The 8,633-seater ‘Church of the Most Holy Trinity’ – built between 2004-2007.
Catholic pilgrims gather here in their thousands to participate in mass, or one of the evening candlelight processions around the 13th of each month from May-September, although the site remains popular at all times of year.
Despite only being there on a day trip from Lisbon for a couple of hours, I did get to witness some sights that would elsewhere have raised a few eyebrows, including people of all ages walking on their knees, clearly in pain, for hundreds of meters towards the Chapel of Apparitions, as penance for their sins.
WHAT TO DO IN FATIMA?
Museums
Besides the people watching, and the Sanctuary’s various churches, chapels, and other buildings, you could also visit the O Milagre de Fátima Interactive Museum, where they use a host of modern multi-media technologies to tell the story of the apparitions and the children.
If you like the sound of an ecclesiastical Madame Tussauds, then you’ll probably wanna check out the Fatima Wax Museum, which attempts to bring to life the events of 1917 through wax figures. Sounds pretty comical, and a cursory glance at the homepage confirms this, although full disclosure, I didn’t have time to visit myself.
Fatima Tours
If getting a better understanding of the religious significance of this site is of paramount importance to you, then you may want to tour Fatima’s sites with a local guide. You can check the full list of tours on either Get Your Guide or Trip Advisor, but here are my specific recommendations:
Tours from Lisbon
From Lisbon you can take a half-day small-group Fatima tour, which includes hotel pick-up and a visit to Aljustrel.
Alternatively, if your interest in Fatima isn’t quite enough to warrant a tour alone, you can also take a broader look at central Portugal on a day trip from Lisbon that covers Fatima, Obidos and Nazare. I did this myself, and I found it to be a nice balance of the spiritual (Fatima), the natural (Nazare) and the medieval (Obidos) all in one day.
If you really want to max out your Christian history, you may want to consider a small-group tour to the UNESCO world heritage town of Tomar, close by to Fatima. There you can learn about the secretive history of the Knights Templar, through visits to Almourol Castle, the stunning Convent of Christ.
Tours from Fatima
If you’re already in Fatima, then you can take a 4 hour private tour of the Sanctuary. This includes the village (Aljustrel) where the children were born, and hotel pick-up from Fatima.
If however, you’re only interested in the Sanctuary itself then consider this 2.5 hour private tour with a qualified guide instead – start times range from 9am through 3pm.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT FATIMA?
As mentioned above, Fatima gets extremely crowded on the 13th of each month between May until October, as pilgrims flock to be there on the same dates as the original apparitions. So unless you want a piece of that action, it might be worth avoiding those times, although gawping at the sheer number of people present at these times is a spectacle in and of itself.
If you’re not so big on humans and would rather just visit the site with relative ease and comfort, then also avoid weekends and any Catholic festivals to wander around in relative peace. I visited on a Friday morning just before Christmas, and, as you can see from my photos, it was a relaxed day, largely devoid of crowds
How long do you need?
Well, this depends on how guilty you feel, and of course your general interest in the site. If you’re merely dipping your toe into the spiritual, religious and historical pond that Fatima provides, then stopping by as part of a day tour encompassing other nearby sites may be enough.
As I said above, Fatima, Nazare (big wave surf town) and Obidos (medieval fortress village) are all relatively close to each other, so if your time is limited and you want to combine a short spell in each as part of a day trip from Lisbon, there are several of these available, including this private Fatima, Obidos, Batalha and Nazare tour from Lisbon.
If you don’t want to feel rushed though, and you want a deeper connection to the site, then taking your time to spend at least half a day in Fatima is my advice. This should give you enough time to visit each of the chapels and churches at the Sanctuary, to light candles and perhaps also to visit the museums and the children’s family homes.
If you want to take part in one of Fatima’s candlelit processions then you may also want to consider staying overnight in a local hotel…
WHERE TO STAY IN FATIMA?
Obviously, around the dates of the apparitions, Fatima gets very crowded and hotels fill up fast. However, as you may expect there have been a lot of built to cater to the thousands of international pilgrims visiting each year, so generally speaking, the hotel infrastructure is very good and prices remain reasonable throughout the year, aside from apparition dates or when other big events take place.
Just remember to book as soon as you can, especially if you plan to visit at apparition time! Here are my recommendations for each price point:
Luxury hotels
Luz Charming Houses
Luz Charming Houses offer a boutique and super stylish experience, characterised by cozy rooms, suites, or standalone cottages, close to the Sanctuary. Expect attentive service and a range of amenities including an outdoor pool, shared outdoor patios and gardens, and a wonderful breakfast. Set among large grounds, they also offer a range of activities including yoga classes, bike hire and local tours in nature. Prices from around €150 for a double room.
Mid-range hotels
Hotel Estrela de Fatima
Hotel Estrela de Fatima is possibly the best located of all the hotels on this list, being right next to the main entrance of the sanctuary! Expect modern rooms, equipped with everything that you’d typically need, and for the more adventurous among you, their horse riding experience at the nearby Alcaria Equine Centre provides something a little different.
Also check out Steyler Fatima Hotel & Congress or Hotel Santa Maria for similarly priced mid-range hotels in Fatima.
Budget hotels
Coração de Fátima Boutique Hotel
Coração de Fátima Boutique Hotel is located a few steps away from the Sanctuary. Its interior blends modern elegance with traditional Portuguese elements, and the restaurant serves up traditional Portuguese cuisine. From the hotel rooftop terrace you can take in panoramic views of the sanctuary and surrounding area. A great budget option as prices for a double room start at just €50 per night!
Also check out Hotel Anjo, the Aurea Fatima Hotel Congress and Spa or the Mercure Fatima for other reasonably priced hotels in Fatima.
FATIMA PORTUGAL: IS IT WORTH A VISIT? OUTRO
For believers this one is pretty obvious, as the spiritual energy of the Sanctuary and the opportunity to attend a mass or join a pilgrimage gives Catholics greater spiritual connection to their faith. Equally important is the chance to visit the site where the Virgin Mary appeared to Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco.
If you’re not a believer, whether you believe the events that allegedly transpired in 1917 or not, there’s enough history, zeitgeist and beauty within the Sanctuary’s past and present to interest secular visitors too. So it may be worth suspending your cynicism, even if just for a while. At the very least, just marvel at the sheer mass of people thronging to be a part of this tiny village, even for a brief moment.
I reckon the story of Fatima not only provides valuable insight into Portuguese village life in the early 20th century, but also shines a light on the human condition during the first world war, as villages across Portugal struggled with the consequences of its soldiers and sons never returning home. How this fact may have influenced the path this small village took is unknown, but the faith and comfort that the apparitions must have given to spiritual families wrestling with loss at that time, is OK with me.
Anyway, for those of you that are also visiting Lisbon as part of your Portugal trip, then do check out my posts on traditional Portuguese food, my thoughts on the best time to visit Lisbon, and where to stay in the Portuguese capital!
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