Fátima



Fátima is a world famous Catholic pilgrimage city and civil parish in the municipality of Ourém in Portugal's Beira Litoral region.

Understand
Fátima (FAH-tee-muh, /ˈfa.ti.mɐ/) is a world-famous place of Christian pilgrimage in commemoration of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported by three young shepherds (Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta) from 13 May until 13 October 1917. The Catholic Church later recognized these events as "worthy of belief". A small chapel, now known as the Chapel of the Apparitions, was built at the site of the supernatural events, and a precious statue of Our Lady of Fátima installed.

Due to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, a Marian shrine complex containing two minor basilicas in Cova da Iria, the city has become in one of the most important international destinations for religious tourism, receiving between 6 and 8 million pilgrims by year. It attracts religious people and also those who seek the kind of peaceful lifestyle usually only found in convents and monasteries.

Get in
There are buses to and from Lisbon (1 hour) and Porto (2 hours 30 minutes) at least every hour from dawn to dusk. A round trip can cost up to €25. From Fátima bus station, it is a short walk of a few hundred metres along the streets with shops and hotels to the Sanctuary (the Marian Shrine).

Do not catch a train to the misleadingly-named Fátima station, as this is over 20 km by road from the city.

Get around
It is a short walk from the bus station to the basilicas and the Chapel of the Apparitions. It is also possible to walk to the Way of the Cross in Valinhos and to the Aljustrel village, the birthplace of the children who claimed to see the Marian apparition.

Within the city there is an electric mini train.

See


The Sanctuary of Fatima, also known as Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, is a group of religious buildings and structures in Cova da Iria, a place in the civil parish (freguesia) of Fatima.

In addition to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, the sanctuary comprises the Chapel of the Lausperene, a great oak tree (near which the famous Marian apparitions occurred), a monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Chapel of the Apparitions, where three children Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, were first visited by Virgin Mary. In addition, several other structures and monuments were built in the intervening years to commemorate the events associated with the events in 1916, including: the Hostel/Retreat House of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Rectory, the Hostel/Retreat House of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a segment of the Berlin Wall, monuments to Fathers Formigão and Fischer, a High Cross (by artist Robert Schad), and individual monuments to recent popes. Across from the main sanctuary is the much larger Basilica of the Holy Trinity constructed after 1953, owing to the limited scale of the Marian shrine for large-scale pilgrimages and religious services.



Do
For Catholics visiting Fátima as a pilgrimage, there are several masses daily at the basilicas and at the Chapel of the Apparitions.

Do a tour to the places surrounding the Sanctuary of Fátima or even to the medieval Castle of Ourém, where you can drink "Ginjinha", the special morello cherry liqueur.



Buy
The street between the bus station and the church are lined with shops that sell church-related items (rosaries, statues of the Virgin Mary, etc). The Basilica itself has a shop as well. Some items of note are rosaries with a little bit of earth from Fátima (€3-€4.50). With several masses each day at the Basilica and at the Chapel, there shouldn't be a problem finding a priest to bless the rosaries after you purchase them.

Eat
Do not forget to taste the pastries of Fátima (Pastéis de Fátima).



Sleep
Fátima is a city of hotels and guesthouses, so it's not difficult to find a place to sleep. Budget accommodation with breakfast starts at €30 for a twin room. If you want to book in advance via hotel booking web sites, the time for best prices is approximately one to two weeks before your stay.

Around town, there are also some lodging alternatives for those who want to get away from the conventional hotels. Here are some examples:



Go next

 * Batalha &mdash; near Fátima is located the beautiful Monastery of Saint Mary of the Victory of the Battle
 * Ourém &mdash; the city's beautiful castle and regional liqueur (Ginjinha) are musts for any visitor
 * Tomar &mdash; the city of the Knights Templar: it is highly recommended to visit the medieval castle and the Convent of Christ
 * Alcobaça &mdash; 12th-century Cistercian Gothic monastery listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and excellent conventual sweets and pastries
 * Nazaré &mdash; a lovely village that became an international surf spot and entered into the Guinness World Records for its gigantic sea waves
 * Santarém &mdash; the city where is located the Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle
 * Leiria &mdash; town with a castle and with the episcopal cathedral
 * Óbidos &mdash; a village dominated by an old medieval castle