Welcome to Fatima
Welcome to Fatima - The city of the believers and sceptics
Fatima, a little town in the municipality of Ourem in Portugal, has been one of the biggest Catholic meeting points since the 1917, when it is said the virgin Mary appeared to three Portuguese shepherd children for the first time. The most representative event might have been the well known "Miracle of the Sun", an inexplicable phenomenon that made the sun spin in the sky which led the witness and millions of sceptics to believe in the children's story.
There are visits to Fatima throughout the year but it receives the greatest amount of people on 13th of May and 13th of October to commemorate the phenomenon of the apparition, many of the pilgrims go on their knees to the basilica.
Night-life
Having in mind that Fatima is a town visited by people of strong religious faith and beliefs, it is understandable that you will find problems to find activity at night, the best option would be have a drink in your hotel or surrounding hotels and you could always head outside Fatima to some nearby towns.
Shopping
The shops operated by religious organizations normally offer lower prices and more quality items, perfect for the visitors who want to acquire this kind of goods for blessing and gifts. Also you will find statues, books and other religious articles specialised in the story of Fatima which you will not find in other places.
Sightseeing
You could go for a walk and enjoy some of the attractions in Fatima such as the peaceful "Our Lady of Fatima Basilica", the modern "Igreja da Santissima Trindade" or the well worth a visit "Moeda Caves". If you prefer to experience how it all happened you could take a look to the interactive museum "O milagre de Fatima" with recreations of the apparitions of the Angel of Portugal, Our Lady of Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun. Related to the miracles you will also find the "Fatima Private Tours", one of the biggest sanctuaries where it is said the Virgin Mary appeared in 1917 and actually it is the forth biggest catholic church in the world.
Time
Standard time zone: GMT+01:00
Climate
During Spring and Autumn, when the most important events take place, have the mildest temperatures, with averages highs and lows around 20ºC and 13ºC respectively. On average, the warmest month is July whereas the coolest one is January.
Public transportation
You will find it is easy enough to get around by foot as there are only a major local attractions, but also the bus and the train are easy ways to get around the area surrounding Fatima.