Inspiration

Why You Should Visit Fátima, Portugal's Holy City

Fátima is the ideal launching point to explore the culture, history, and natural beauty of Portugal's Centro region.
The Sanctuary of Ftima
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One hundred years ago, the sleepy agricultural town of Fátima in Portugal’s Centro region skyrocketed to international renown when three children reported seeing an apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Since then, Fátima has become a wildly popular destination for religious-based tourism. Even Pope Francis recently visited for the centennial of the miracle, where he canonized two of the children as Catholic saints. But even if you missed His Holiness's visit, there are plenty of other celebratory events scheduled through October, including exhibitions and concerts. Even if you are not planning on visiting to commemorate the centennial, Fátima and the surrounding towns can provide a laid-back antidote to Lisbon while still offering much to the traveler looking for culture and natural splendor. Here, we tell you what to do in Fátima and the surrounding areas, even if you're a non-believer.

What to do

For the devout and curious alike, there are a number of ways to commemorate Fátima’s centennial, including a contemplative walk to the village of Valinhos where one of the apparitions occurred, or by joining a candlelit vigil at the Sanctuary of Fátima in the city center. As a tourism destination, Fátima’s most popular sights are related to the apparitions, but other nearby towns offer more secular attractions. There are plenty of cultural points of interest in this part of Portugal including the Monastery of Batalha, a 16th-century masterpiece that blends Gothic and Manueline architectural styles.

Over in Tomar, a scenic 25-mile drive from Fátima, the Convent of Christ is one of the country’s most visited attractions thanks to its history: Founded by the mysterious Knights Templar order in the 12th century, the well-preserved complex includes a castle, a convent, a church with ornate Gothic sculptures, and cloisters leafy with fragrant orange trees.

This central pocket of Portugal is also packed with natural wonders. About six miles from Fátima is the Serra de Aire national park, which is home to the world’s largest collection of sauropod dinosaur footprints. (You are also encouraged to leave behind your own, as the park is host to hiking trails of various difficulty.) And because the Centro region can get awfully hot during the summer—temperatures can hover around 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day—a visit to Praia Fluvial do Agroal, a nearby river beach, offers a nice reprieve.

The Batalha Monastery is worth the short trip from Fátima.Getty

Where to stay

A lot of the hotels in the center of Fátima are spartan in terms of design and amenities, perhaps owing to a history of catering mostly to pilgrims. Instead, hide away at Luz Houses, a hotel whose style blends seamlessly with the region’s natural beauty, tucked away as it is in a remote area surrounded by small mountains and dense forests. The entire hotel is meant to replicate a small village with several terra cotta structures housing guest rooms and a main building for the reception and dining room. Everything here is supremely Instagrammable: from the white-washed booths in the restaurant to a spa treatment room built into a small hill. To recognize the area’s mystical reputation, there’s a small non-denominational hermitage where you can pray or meditate.

Where to eat

The slightly upscale Tia Alice is one of the culinary icons of Fátima thanks to a kitchen that focuses on hearty homemade meals including a cod gratin with shrimp and a slow-roasted veal. About five miles outside town, the more modest restaurant at Pousada de Ourém focuses on both national and regional dishes—think black sausage rice topped with a baked apple and creamy goat cheese croquettes drizzled with homemade pumpkin jam.