Fatima as a starting point ??

[Pablo Mac]

Has anybody walked from Fatima ? Is it even possible ?

 

[Former member 22438]

There are people who are doing it

from Lisbon of from Porto follow the blue arrows and you'll arrive in Fátima.
Fátima pilgrims walk the shortest way so sometimes you see them walking in their fluorescent safetyvests ,on sneakers and a light daypack at the side of the motorway.
The caminho leads more through the scenic landscape.
Several times when we spoke to the local people they asked us if we went to Fátima and were slightly disappointed when we told them we walk to Santiago.
Last May we were in Fátima as tourists after our camiño Ingles we walked. To us it was big, big ,big.
Not our place so we did not stay for long

 

[Pablo Mac]

Thankyou Albertinho

Its merely a desire at the moment , but its nice to know that it could be done . I would like to start in Fatima and finish in Santiago . My next way will be the Vdlp God willing .

Pablo

 

[Former member 22438]

You're welcome

It is quit a job to get there
There are trains but the station is far away from the place to happen.

I cannot tell you how to get there-we arrived there by our car and we stayed at a campingsite near Tomar.
Maybe my good friend Diogo knows how to cope with that. He is Portugese and maybe he had been there before. Send him a conversation personal message. diogo92. You find him very often on the Portugese forum

 

[Former member 22438]

On the forum you definitely find some answers how to get from Fátima on to the Caminho. I thought you have to find your way direction Ansião from there.
Back to Tomar should be a solution and continue from there but this is a detour. By the way Tomar is worthwhile seeing. The Convent of Christo is beautiful

Anyway. Bom caminho

 

[Pablo Mac]

Where there is a will there is a WAY , pardon the terrible pun . I look forward to figuring it out .

Cheers

 

[OTH86]

Thank you for this thread! I'm thinking about my 3rd Camino (haven't yet started the 2nd!), and am thinking about the Portuguese. Was in Portugal and at Fatima almost 30 years ago, and would like to return -- and walking thru this time, at this point in my life seems the thing to do. So am grateful for the Portuguese forum!
Terry

 

[Diogo92]

Has anybody walked from Fatima ? Is it even possible ?

It's very easy for a person to reach to Fatima. Just take the Express Bus from Lisbon. Almost every bus, that goes to northwest Portugal stops in Fatima (Porto, Braga, Ponte de Lima, etc, etc).

Just pay attention that the Caminho Portuguese doesn’t really go through Fatima. The markings from Lisbon untill Porto/Braga, are based on a 15 or 16th century description of a monk who has done that Caminho. The miracles in Fatima only happened in the last century. You will still have the markings, but it's always considered a detour.
I advise you if possible, to contact either Via Lusitana (http://www.vialusitana.org/) or Associação de Amigos dos Caminhos de Fátima (http://www.caminho.com.pt/), for better information’s about the way and where you can sleep. I believe that it's still a 2 or 3 day detour, untill you rejoin again the Central Caminho.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[scruffy1]

Fatima on a busy day is quite moving and indeed lovely, but as you can see from the pictures above from a day with no festival etc, it can be eerie, bordering on frightening, recalling the unpleasant government and person who built the site. On such a day, the monumental statues and ornamentation take on a domineering overwhelming feeling offering little comfort. The great space around has all the attraction of a football pitch 45 minutes after the last whistle. The souvenir stands with touts and hawkers do not add to the atmosphere-on a busy day they are not needed a quiet day it is their only means to survive. I walked on from Fatima to Bathala before turning north to rejoin at Coimbra, a dangerous decision due to the traffic – the Portuguese people are some of the kindest and most welcoming people you will ever meet just don't give them the steering wheel of a car. By all means visit Fatima but plan well and arrive on a celebration day.

 

[Former member 22438]

Fatima on a busy day is quite moving and indeed lovely, but as you can see from the pictures above from a day with no festival etc, it can be eerie, bordering on frightening, recalling the unpleasant government and person who built the site. On such a day, the monumental statues and ornamentation take on a domineering overwhelming feeling offering little comfort. The great space around has all the attraction of a football pitch 45 minutes after the last whistle. The souvenir stands with touts and hawkers do not add to the atmosphere-on a busy day they are not needed a quiet day it is their only means to survive. I walked on from Fatima to Bathala before turning north to rejoin at Coimbra, a dangerous decision due to the traffic – the Portuguese people are some of the kindest and most welcoming people you will ever meet just don't give them the steering wheel of a car. By all means visit Fatima but plan well and arrive on a celebration day.

I agree with you @ scruffyas far as Fátima concerned

I drove my car and caravan in almost whole Portugal last May and a part of June but remarkable is that there is hardly any traffic on motorways and national roads. Very quiet and relaxing
andcertainly not agressive as most people think. Our Dutch drivers are more agressive especialy in the big cities.

 

[Lynda t]

Yes walked from Lisbon and got mixed up with the Fatima route. Glad we did. The service and blessing was amazing with people arriving crawling on their knees. I think there were 100,00 people there. Special date. Walked on to Santiago after. Very glad of the diversion. We slept on school classroom floors and at bomberos, that is the fire stations. All free but the floors were hard. So many memories. That was in May 2012.