Sanctuary of Fátima

Sanctuary of Fátima tickets: which one to buy

The Sanctuary of Fatima lies in the town of Fatima in central Portugal, about an hour and a half north of Lisbon by car or bus, and it is one of the largest Marian shrines in the world, visited by several million pilgrims a year. Entry to the sanctuary and all its churches is free. Day tours from Lisbon often combine Fatima with Batalha Monastery, Nazare and Obidos, which is a long but efficient day; pilgrims usually stay longer to take part in the rosary and the processions.

Buses run frequently from Lisbon's Sete Rios station. Nearby, the village of Aljustrel preserves the houses of the three shepherd children, and the Valinhos path leads to the site of another apparition. The sanctuary is huge and open, so visitors should dress modestly and be prepared for walking. Quiet is expected in the chapels. Candles can be bought at stands beside the Chapel of the Apparitions and burned at the large candle holders nearby.

Visiting Sanctuary of Fátima: what to see

In 1917, three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the Cova da Iria, a field outside the village, on the thirteenth of each month from May to October; on 13 October a crowd of tens of thousands reported the Miracle of the Sun. The Chapel of the Apparitions, a small open-sided building, marks the spot where the Virgin appeared, and a statue of Our Lady stands there, with pilgrims praying day and night. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, completed in 1953, stands at the top of the huge esplanade, and it holds the tombs of the three children;

Francisco and Jacinta were canonised in 2017, and Lucia, who became a nun and died in 2005, is on the way to beatification. At the other end of the esplanade is the modern Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, consecrated in 2007, one of the largest churches in the world, seating nearly nine thousand people. The crown of the statue in the Chapel of the Apparitions holds the bullet that struck Pope John Paul II in 1981, offered by him in thanks. A long marble pathway along the esplanade is used by pilgrims who approach the chapel on their knees. A museum in the sanctuary displays gifts and votive offerings from around the world.

Sanctuary of Fátima opening hours and the best time to go

The sanctuary is open all year, day and night. The most important pilgrimages take place on 12 and 13 May and 12 and 13 October, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims fill the esplanade for candlelight processions and masses, and on the thirteenth of each month from May to October. Accommodation must be booked well in advance on these dates.

The rosary and candlelight procession are held every evening, and they are moving to witness. Summer is busy and hot, and winter is quieter and cool. Allow at least two hours for the sanctuary, and half a day to include the village of Aljustrel and the Valinhos path. A section of the Berlin Wall stands near the Trinity Basilica, recalling the message of Fatima about Russia.