Lisbon Trip Overview
We start this tour in the famous Fátima Shrine. Being Catholic or not, this is a mandatory stop. It is one of the biggest centers of pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary of the Catholic world. Fatima’s Shrine attracts more than 1 million pilgrims every year. Visit the Basilica of Our Lady and the Chapel of Apparitions.
Then we will go to the small town called Batalha. Visit the Batalha Monastery, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, world heritage of UNESCO.
Then, indulge yourself with fresh fish from the fishing village and Surf Mecca of Nazaré framed by the Atlantic Ocean.
After lunch explore the charming medieval town of Obidos surrounded by imposing walls of the fourteenth century that make up a castle well preserved. Scroll through your walls and landscapes of small alleys and churches, and taste Ginjinha de Obidos a liquor that you will never forget.
If you wish, there is also time to stop at the Buddha Eden Park
Explore the portuguese western region in the most luxurious way
Additional Info
* Duration: 8 hours
* Starts: Lisbon, Portugal
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Lisbon, Central Portugal, Portugal
We start this tour in the famous Fátima Shrine. Being Catholic or not, this is a mandatory stop. It is one of the biggest centers of pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary of the Catholic world. Fatima’s Shrine attracts more than 1 million pilgrims every year. Visit the Basilica of Our Lady and the Chapel of Apparitions.
Then we will go to the small town called Batalha. Visit the Batalha Monastery, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, world heritage of UNESCO.
Then, indulge yourself with fresh fish from the fishing village and Surf Mecca of Nazaré framed by the Atlantic Ocean.
After lunch explore the charming medieval town of Obidos surrounded by imposing walls of the fourteenth century that make up a castle well preserved. Scroll through your walls and landscapes of small alleys and churches, and taste Ginjinha de Obidos a liquor that you will never forget.
If you wish, there is also time to stop at the Buddha Eden Park
Explore the portuguese western region in the most luxurious way
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Fatima, Fatima, Santarem District, Central Portugal
Fátima is a city in the municipality of Ourém, Beira Litoral Province, in the Central Region and Médio Tejo intermunicipal community of Portugal, with 71.29 km2 of area and 11,788 inhabitants.
The worldwide fame of the city is permanently associated with the apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported by three little shepherds – Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta – from 13 May until 13 October 1917. The Catholic Church later recognized these events as “worthy of belief”. A small chapel, now known as the Chapel of the Apparitions, was built at the site of the alleged supernatural events, and a precious statue of Our Lady of Fátima installed.
Due to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, a Marian shrine complex containing two minor basilicas, located in the wealthy quarter of Cova da Iria, the city has become in one of the most important international destinations of religious tourism, receiving between 6 and 8 million pilgrims by year. It attracts the religious, but also those who seek a peaceful lifestyle usually only found in the convents and monasteries.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, 2495-402 Fátima, Portugal
The Sanctuary of Fátima (Portuguese: Santuário de Fátima), also known as Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima (Portuguese: Santuário de Nossa Senhora de Fátima), is a group of Catholic religious buildings and structures in Cova da Iria, in the civil parish of Fátima, in the municipality of Ourém, in Portugal.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Capela Das Aparicoes, Cova da Iria Santuário de Fátima, Fatima 2495-580 Portugal
The Chapel of the Apparitions (Portuguese: Capelinha das Aparições) is a small chapel located in Cova da Iria that was constructed in the 1920s to mark the exact location where three little shepherd children reported having received the famous apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Batalha, Batalha, Leiria District, Central Portugal
Batalha is a town and a municipality in Leiria District, Pinhal Litoral Subregion, Centro Region, Portugal. The town’s name means battle. The municipality population in 2011 was 15,805.
The town was founded by King D. João I of Portugal, jointly with the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória na Batalha, to pay homage to the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota (August 14, 1385) that put an end to the 1383–1385 Crisis.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Batalha Monastery, Largo Infante Dom Henrique 2440, Batalha 2440-484 Portugal
The Monastery of Batalha (Portuguese: Mosteiro da Batalha), literally the Monastery of the Battle, is a Dominican convent in the municipality of Batalha, in the district of Leiria, in the Centro Region of Portugal. Originally, and officially, known as the Monastery of Saint Mary of the Victory (Portuguese: Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória), it was erected in commemoration of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota and would serve as the burial church of the 15th-century Aviz dynasty of Portuguese royalty. It is one of the best and original examples of Late Gothic architecture in Portugal, intermingled with the Manueline style.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Nazare, Nazare, Leiria District, Central Portugal
Nazare is a municipality in Oeste region and Leiria District, in historical Estremadura province of Portugal.
It is one of the most popular seaside resorts in the Silver Coast (Costa da Prata). The population in 2011 was 15,158,[1] in an area of 82.43 km².
The town consists of three neighbourhoods: Praia (along the beach), Sítio (an old village, on top of a cliff) and Pederneira (another old village, on a hilltop). Praia and Sítio are linked by the Nazaré Funicular, a funicular railway.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Obidos, Obidos, Leiria District, Central Portugal
Óbidos is a town and a municipality in Oeste region. The town proper has approximately 3100 inhabitants
In Roman times, the region was the westernmost limit of the Roman Empire. Near modern-day Obidos was a town called Beleza Moreira, about which little is known due to its recent discovery. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Moors took over most of the Iberian Peninsula and ruled the Obidos area until 1148. In that year, Afonso Henriques captured and claimed the town for Portugal. In 1195, the town received its first charter under the second king of Portugal, Sancho I.
Under Portuguese rule and thanks to its location along the Atlantic Ocean, Obidos flourished into a major trading port. It enjoyed the favor of one 13th-century queen, Dona Isabel, to whom Obidos was first given as a wedding present. Unfortunately, by the 16th century, large deposits of silt at the river delta dammed up the harbor area and destroyed the port. However, the city remained a favorite among the royal family of Portugal, and every Portuguese queen after Dona Isabel, up until the 1800s, was given Obidos as a wedding present. Though monarchs no longer rule the country, Obidos continues to be a popular destination during the summer, when tourists jam the streets to explore the city’s medieval charm.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Castelo de Óbidos, R. Josefa de Óbidos, 2510-001 Óbidos, Portugal
The history of medieval Portugal is well documented by a number of artifacts, but also in its incredibly beautiful buildings. One of such structures is Castelo de Óbidos – a castle with roots deep in antiquity.
The castle is one of the official wonders of Portugal, and it’s a source of national pride. The rich story of the area of the settlement sounds like a movie scenario. The castle was a witness to fights for the throne, political changes, and even Roman activities. It continues to be one of the central sites related to the colorful history of Portugal. It was a home to broken hearted queens and a safe harbor for some kings.
Now the Óbidos castle is a famous site, but two centuries ago it was just another Roman settlement. This location was mentioned by Pliny the Elder, and it is known that it was an important place for Romans until it became a Visigoth territory in the 5th century. Later, the area belonged to Muslims, who fortified the town during the 8th century. This was the beginning of the castle’s construction.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Lagoa de Obidos, Obidos Portugal
The Lagoon of Óbidos is the most extensive lagunar system in the coast of Portugal. It has an approximate area of 6.9 square kilometres and an average depth of two meters, with a quota that goes from half a meter to five meters.
The Lagoon of Óbidos extends through two branches: Braço do Bom Sucesso towards West, and the Braço da Barrosa facing East. It also borders the municipality of Caldas da Rainha (North) with the Parish Councils of Foz do Arelho and Nadadouro, and the municipality of Óbidos (South) with the Parish Councils of Vau and Saint Maria.
It has a maximum length of 6 kilometres and a width that varies from 1 and 1,5 km, with a NW-SW orientation. The Lagoon was actually much larger having reached, in earlier times, the Castle walls of Óbidos.
The natural tendency of the Lagoon of Óbidos is to close its connection to the sea, become a swamp and eventually disappear. Also, with the human presence, silting has increased mainly due to the constant changes that have occurred in the lagoon and which have lead to the accumulation large sediment deposits. However, the population has tried to invert the situation by intervening through dredging, increasing the profundity of the lagoon.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Baleal Beach, Avenida da Praia, Peniche 2520-559 Portugal
The beach of Baleal sits at the opposite end of the wide bay, around 4km (3 miles) from the town of Peniche. The sandy beach here connects the island of Baleal to the mainland around 100 metres away.
Baleal is a great, clean beach popular with families and even more so, surfers. The variety of coastline here means there are waves suitable for all levels of surfer and all weather conditions.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Bacalhoa Buddha Eden, Quinta dos Loridos, Bombarral 2540-480 Portugal
Who would have guessed? Just an hour north of Lisbon, in the countryside, is a beautiful managed garden intended as “a place for reconciliation.” Buddha Eden is 35 hectares (86 acres) of natural fields, lakes, manicured gardens, contemporary sculpture…and Buddhist statuary!
The story of how the garden came into existence is both intriguing and endearing. In 2001, wealthy Portuguese investor and art patron José Berardo was shocked by the Taliban government’s destruction of the Giant Buddhas in Afghanistan. In response to the demolition of these masterpieces of the late Gandhara period, Berardo initiated the Buddha Eden in an homage to the cultural and spiritual monuments.
Six tons of marble Buddhas and figures were are installed throughout the garden. Walkways, piers and gazebos provide access to areas for contemplation. And additional feature of the gardens is a cobalt blue replication of the Terracotta Army from China.
A portion of Berardo’s vast sculpture collection is here too. The Garden of Modern and Contemporary Sculpture showcases works by Joana Vasconcelos, Alexander Calder, Fernando Botero, Tony Cragg, Lynn Chadwick, Allen Jones and many others. The African Sculpture Art Garden is dedicated to the Shona people of Zimbabwe, who for over a thousand years have carved stone by hand into works of art. There are more than 200 African works arranged under the shade of 1000 palms.
The non-profit Berardo Foundation manages the facility with the mission to create a space for all people regardless of religious affiliation, ethnicity, national origin, sex, age or social standing. They call for unity, communication and meditation as a way to discover happiness. And, perhaps in doing so, these actions counterbalance the destruction in Afghanistan, and instead, spread a culture of peace.
Duration: 1 hour
