Fátima - pilgrim's guide

Why go

The message of Fátima is very close to Catholics around the world: the Rosary for peace, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the First Saturdays are practices found in many parishes. In Fátima you can see where they came from and pray where three children listened to Mary.

The shrine combines great gatherings in the prayer square with quiet places in the surrounding area. The evening Rosary and candlelight procession bring together people from all over the world, and the path through the fields to Valinhos and Aljustrel lets you sense how humble the life of the little shepherds was.

A short history

In 1916 Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto saw an Angel three times, who taught them prayer and sacrifice. From 13 May to 13 October 1917 Mary appeared to them six times: five times at the Cova da Iria and, in August, on the 19th, at Valinhos. During the last apparition, on 13 October, a crowd of many thousands gathered at the site.

Mary asked for the daily Rosary for peace, for prayer and sacrifice for sinners and for devotion to her Immaculate Heart. In 1930 the Bishop of Leiria declared the apparitions worthy of belief.

Francisco died in 1919 and Jacinta in 1920. John Paul II beatified them on 13 May 2000, and Pope Francis canonised them on 13 May 2017, the centenary of the apparitions. Lúcia became a nun and died in 2005 at the Carmel in Coimbra. All three rest in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Getting there

Fátima lies in the municipality of Ourém, in the district of Santarém, in central Portugal. The most convenient way is to fly to Lisbon or Porto and continue by long-distance coach to the Fátima bus station. Organised pilgrimages combining flights and coach travel are also popular, linking Fátima with other shrines in Portugal and Spain.

• by air: Lisbon and Porto airports have direct and connecting flights from many European cities; check current airline routes
• by coach: regular long-distance coaches run from Lisbon to the Fátima bus station, and there is also a service from a stop at the airport; check the timetable with the operator
• by train: rail is less convenient, because the station called Fátima lies a considerable distance from the shrine and you have to continue by road; most pilgrims choose the coach
• by car: from Lisbon or Porto by motorway; there are large car parks by the shrine, but on 12-13 May and 12-13 October they can be full

When to come

The shrine is open all year round. The most important events are the international anniversary pilgrimages on the 12th and 13th of each month from May to October, with an evening Rosary, a candlelight procession and Mass the following day. Most people come in May and October. Those seeking quiet should choose an ordinary weekday outside these dates.

• 12-13 May - anniversary of the first apparition, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims
• 12-13 June, July, August and September - anniversary pilgrimages
• 12-13 October - anniversary of the last apparition, the second peak of the year

What to see and experience

• the Chapel of the Apparitions - the heart of the shrine, on the spot where the small holm oak stood over which Mary appeared
• the Rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions and the evening candlelight procession
• the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary with the tombs of Sts Francisco and Jacinta and of Lúcia
• the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity - a modern, round church for thousands of people
• the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament with perpetual adoration, and the reconciliation chapels used only for confession
• the great holm oak - a centuries-old tree linked to the time of the apparitions
• the Way of the Cross along the shepherds' path, with Valinhos, the place of the apparition of 19 August
• Loca do Cabeço - the place of the first and third apparitions of the Angel
• Aljustrel - the village where the shepherd children were born, with the Arneiro well by Lúcia's house
• the Museum of the Shrine of Fátima

Practical information

• times of Masses, the Rosary and adoration: check the current schedule on the shrine website
• language: Portuguese dominates; many languages are used in the large celebrations, and groups with a priest can book their own Mass
• groups: the shrine's pilgrim services office handles pilgrimage registrations; register in writing and in advance, especially for the anniversary days
• what to wear: comfortable shoes for long walks across the square and along the paths, a hat in summer and something warm for the evening procession
• confession: in the reconciliation chapels; check on site which languages the priests hear confessions in
• accessibility: the square and basilicas are extensive and flat, but distances are long, so people with limited mobility should plan their route

Accommodation and food

Around the shrine there are many hotels, guesthouses and religious houses, often close to the prayer square. The shrine runs its own accommodation, booked through its official booking system. For the anniversary days rooms go well in advance, so book as early as possible. There is no shortage of restaurants and cafés in Fátima itself, and many groups take their meals in pilgrim houses.

On foot and on the trail

A network of waymarked trails, the Caminhos de Fátima, leads to Fátima, prepared by the Centro Nacional de Cultura in cooperation with the shrine. The routes avoid busy roads and follow field tracks and quiet country lanes. The waymarks feature an oak motif in blue, and the project website offers downloadable guides with maps. Pilgrims can obtain a passport in which to collect stamps along the route.

Once there, it is worth walking from the shrine to Valinhos and Aljustrel along the shepherds' path, lined with the Stations of the Cross.

Frequently asked questions