PUB
Day 1
Fatima – located in central Portugal – is one of the most visited cities in the country. Its Sanctuary is the city's most prestigious monument, but there is much more you can visit. While visiting Fatima’s centre, make sure you go to the Ethnographic Museum of Consolata, the Wax Museum, or the House of Candles, which holds the relics of seers Jacinta and Francisco Marto.
Walk towards the Via Crucis on the Path taken by the Little Shepherds and learn a bit more about the story of the Apparitions: this is where the Angel would have appeared for the first time before the seers. This is also where the Virgin Mary appeared on August 19th, 1917. At the end of the Via Crucis, you can visit the houses where Francisco and Jacinta Marto lived, Lucia’s home, and her uncle and aunt’s home, in the typical village of Aljustrel.
A little off the centre, you can visit the Windmills of Fazarga, which in ancient times would rotate the millstones with the wind; or the Windmills of Giesteira, where you can enjoy the panoramic view over Fatima and Ourem. You can spread a towel on the ground and have a picnic.
Tip: Visit the Windmills of Giesteira at the end of the day and enjoy the sunset among nature.
Day 2
It is the host of the city, and according to records, it has existed for thousands of years. The Castle of Porto de Mos used to be an important Roman lookout station and there it stands keeping watch over the city that was built around it. Its unique architecture grants to the Castle unique beauty.
Follow in the direction of Batalha and visit the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitoria, which was built in 1385 in order to mark Portugal’s victory over Castile. The Monastery of Batalha took two centuries to be built and was seen as a sign of changes: it was different to all works until that date, and it asserted itself as a project that served to legitimise the new dynasty – the Aviz dynasty.
Day 3
Follow west and navigate towards the coast. Nazare combines Religion, History, and Beaches. This coastal town is known for its fishing tradition and giant waves, but Nazare was also stage to a miracle: Dom Fuas almost fell into a precipice while chasing a deer. The Virgin Mary, to whom he prayed right then, came to his aid and by miracle stopped the horse, which Dom Fuas was riding towards sure death. The site where the miracle took place is Sitio da Nazare, where you will also find the Memory Chapel, a bandstand, and the church that was built in honour of the Virgin Mary.
You can go down to the Beach and take a stroll along the shoreline, where you are bound to notice the traditional boats, the skirts with seven petticoats worn by the so-called ‘pevideiras’ – who sell nuts and snacks –, or the fish dried directly in the sun. In the afternoon, you can spread a towel in the sand and dive into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Visit the South Beach in the south and the North Beach in the north, which is Garrett McNamara’s favourite beach; he surfs its giant waves every year.
In this itinerary, you will visit:
1 - Sanctuary of Fatima, Ethnographic Museum of Consolata, Wax Museum, House of Candles
2 - Arneiro Well, Angel Statue, Hungarian Calvary, and Loca do Cabeço
3 - Aunt and Uncle’s Home, Home of Francisco and Jacinta Marto, Lucia’s Home
4 - Castle of Porto de Mos
5 - Main Gate, Founder's Chapel, Church, Glass Windows, Chapter House, and the Imperfect Chapels
6 - Memory Chapel, Bandstand, Church of Our Lady of Nazare
7 - Nazare Beach, Shoreline
