Best things to do in Fatima
Find out more about those top places in Fatima
In a world where religion appears to play an ever-decreasing role in modern life, the town of Fatima highlights the continued power of faith. In 1917 Fatima was little more than a hillside farming community but following the alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary that year the town quickly blossomed into one of the Catholic Church’s premier sites of pilgrimage. Today, Fatima is packed with hotels, restaurants, gift shops and churches all servicing the vast pilgrimage industry that sees upwards of six million visitors arrive in the town per year. Regardless of your faith, Fatima is an impressive town with two of Portugal’s largest basilicas facing one another at opposite ends of a monumental boulevard. If religion really is not your thing, underneath the nearby villages of Mira de Aire and São Mamede are two of Europe’s largest subterranean cave systems that are home to awe-inspiring rock formations.
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Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
This sanctuary is one of the biggest sanctuaries in all Europe but its sheer size alone isn't what brings thousands of tourists to it every year. The sanctuary was built a long time ago, and in the sanctuary is where the Chapel of Apparitions is found. The Virgin Mary was said to have appeared to three kids there to tell them some secrets. It is in this same sanctuary that over 60,000 people have claimed to experience various miraculous sightings.
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Basilica of the Holy Trinity
Basilica of the Holy Trinity is clearly the largest cathedral in all of Portugal. The tomb beneath the Basilica serves as the final resting place of Mario, Jacinta, Lucia, and Francisco. You would also get to see where Virgin Mary was said to have appeared to some shepherd kids.
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Moeda Caves
There are countless caves in all of Portugal alone but not far away from Fatima is where you would find one of the largest concentrations of the caves in the country. The caves here are gorgeous on the inside and can be explored for hours without one getting bored. It is, however, advised that you visit the place with knowledgeable tour guides to keep you from getting lost.
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Chapel of the Apparitions
With Portugal being a very religious country, there is an endless number of cathedrals and chapels all scattered around the country. Of them all, the Sanctuary of our Lady Fatima is the most popular where in 1917, the Virgin Mary was said to appear to three shepherd children to tell them three important life secrets. The chapel has been dubbed the Chapel of Apparitions since then.
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Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary is the fourth largest church in Europe. Its unique yet imposing structure automatically humbles worshipers and visitors alike. The sheer size of the church attracts many people from different cultures and races during the Catholic mass. It is a site that it totally worth checking out.
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Francisco and Jacinta's House
Fransisco and Jacinta were two of the three shepherd kids that the Virgin Mary appeared to in 1917. Unfortunately, the kids didn't live for very long after the experience of the apparition. Up till today, their home is a well-visited site. The house is not far from the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima where is said that the apparition occurred.
