Looking for information for a group walking from Lisbon to Fatima

[SiobhanDub]

Hi, we are a walking group and approximately 16 of us wish to walk from Lisbon to Fatima in early May 2025. We are all over 70 years of age and are experienced Camino walkers. Our last Camino was in spring of 2024, we walked from Santiago to Muxia which we found quite challenging due to the steep hills. After that experience, we prefer to walk shorter daily distances, around 20kms, if possible, particularly if there are steep hills. We hope to use a Camino travel company to arrange accommodation and luggage transfers and transport if necessary. Apologies in advance for the large number of questions.

I would appreciate advice from people who have walked from Lisbon to Fatima on the following;
1. The stages on the Fatima Camino are nearer to 30kms than 20kms. If we try to reduce the daily distance will that be difficult and leave us in the middle of nowhere, rather than a village for town?
2. What is the ground like underfoot? We prefer walking on forest paths rather than hard paving. Looking at the few guides I have found it appears to be mixed which isn't too bad, is that the case?
3. Will it be difficult to get accommodation for a group of 16 men and women, 10 singles and 3 couples on the stages after Santerem?
4. Are the hills difficult to climb and descend?
5. Is there public transport available nearby in case one of our group has a problem walking?
6. As accommodation may be an issue it has been suggested to us that we walk to Tomar and then use public transport to visit Fatima. Has anyone done that and how did they find the experience?

Any advice would be welcome and thank you.

Kind regards,

Siobhan

 

[Turga]

I cannot offer any specific advice, as I haven’t walked that route myself. I will suggest though, that you take a look at Gronze (if you haven’t already done so) as it can give you some indications of distances, stage profiles, accommodation options etc.

Buen Camino!

 

[SiobhanDub]

I cannot offer any specific advice, as I haven’t walked that route myself. I will suggest though, that you take a look at Gronze (if you haven’t already done so) as it can give you some indications of distances, stage profiles, accommodation options etc.

Buen Camino!

Thank you Turga, I will do that. Kind regards,

 

[RolfMagener]

I have walked from Lisbon to Santiago. The first few days till Santarem it is the same route. I'd very flat and not very special. I did walk from Tomar to Fatima and it was quite nice, specially walking over the Aqueduct.

 

[SiobhanDub]

I have walked from Lisbon to Santiago. The first few days till Santarem it is the same route. I'd very flat and not very special. I did walk from Tomar to Fatima and it was quite nice, specially walking over the Aqueduct.

Thank you, walking from Tomar to Fatima , rather than public transport, is an option. It would mean a longer walk overall though. We usually walk every step of a Camino but it’s tempting to forget the 1st stage out of Lisbon & swop for Tomar to Fatima

 

[Corned Beef]

Here is a useful site for the Lisbon - Fatima route. Has links to accommodation.

Tagus Way | Caminhos da Fé

The Tagus Way starts in Lisbon. From here to Fátima the route stretches 143 kilometres and is divided into five stages, each step corresponding to a day of walking.

www.pathsoffaith.com

The incline gets bigger the closer you get to Fatima but it's not impossible. You'll know you are coming to a hill when you see a wind turbine. As a group, you may need to follow the locals' tradition of high-vis jackets and walking single file on the roads. You'll see a few groups like this.

 

[Steven Dwyer]

Last year I stopped into the Pilgrim Welcome Center in Lisbon and they issue a credential specific to the Camino del Tejo, or The Tagus Route. If my memory is correct, they also had a full guide available for the Route. This route is 143 km and splits for the Santiago route in Santarém rather than going through Tomar. The Camino de Tejo starts at Portugese Pavillion in the Parque de Naçoes rather than at the Cathedral.

A good source to look at is https://caminhosdefatima.org/en/ if you have not already found it.

 

[Grahammac]

I walked from Lisbon to Fatima last July. I was 76 and carried my pack. Comments.
1. Stages are quite long, especially into Santarem. Tomar to Fatima was 31 kms with a few climbs. Take extra water as I ended up knocking on someone's door for a top up. However, I really enjoyed the route.
2. Most of the walking is on hard roads, except Tomar to Fatima.
3. The early part of the day into Tomar is into a forest for a while. Take care. 2 very steep shortish climbs.
4. No idea regarding accommodation for 16.
5. Uber is always available.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

Hi, we are a walking group and approximately 16 of us wish to walk from Lisbon to Fatima in early May 2025. We are all over 70 years of age and are experienced Camino walkers. Our last Camino was in spring of 2024, we walked from Santiago to Muxia which we found quite challenging due to the steep hills. After that experience, we prefer to walk shorter daily distances, around 20kms, if possible, particularly if there are steep hills. We hope to use a Camino travel company to arrange accommodation and luggage transfers and transport if necessary. Apologies in advance for the large number of questions.

I would appreciate advice from people who have walked from Lisbon to Fatima on the following;
1. The stages on the Fatima Camino are nearer to 30kms than 20kms. If we try to reduce the daily distance will that be difficult and leave us in the middle of nowhere, rather than a village for town?
2. What is the ground like underfoot? We prefer walking on forest paths rather than hard paving. Looking at the few guides I have found it appears to be mixed which isn't too bad, is that the case?
3. Will it be difficult to get accommodation for a group of 16 men and women, 10 singles and 3 couples on the stages after Santerem?
4. Are the hills difficult to climb and descend?
5. Is there public transport available nearby in case one of our group has a problem walking?
6. As accommodation may be an issue it has been suggested to us that we walk to Tomar and then use public transport to visit Fatima. Has anyone done that and how did they find the experience?

Any advice would be welcome and thank you.

Kind regards,

Siobhan

Well, Stephen Dwyer has helped a lot with his link to https://caminhosdefatima.org/en/

I am a caminho supporter, though not walker myself (as yet, anyway) and live in Vila Nova da Barquinha, on the Tejo south of Tomar.

If you group is not bound and determined to walk the whole way, one suggestion would be to take the train from Lisbon to Abrantes, on the Tejo (Tagus), and then walk the Abrantes Route, (https://caminhosdefatima.org/en/routes/abrantes-route/ ), breaking it into 4 days instead of the last 3--there is a large youth hostel in Abrantes, where you could stay before you started the walk.

Just past Constancia (end of their proposed Day 1) and into Vila Nova da Barquinha, there is a municipal-run hostel at Tancos, halfway across the municipality, or for a slightly longer day, you could walk through to Vila Nova da Barquinha itself, where there are 2 small hotels run by the same admin, next to each other down near the park.

Then for the next day, you could walk from Tancos or Barquinha through to Torres Novas, where there are a couple of largish, not too expensive hotels, and then the last day you could walk from TN up to Fatima. That day would be really pretty rural walking through rolling hills as far as the "lands of Serra de Aire," which is hillier and a natural park. This would be a total of about 65 km for 4 days; not too long walks except for that last one.

I'm a bit stumped as to how you could break that, and find a place to stay. You could try Alcanena--going a bit further west from Torres Novas, and then due north. That could make it a bit shorter for each day, I guess, but a longer total up to Fatima.

Or you could make a hybrid route--go as far as Entroncamento, and then take the train again, a 2-euro ride up to Tomar, and then walk west from Tomar.

Anyway, the countryside in that area is lovely. May would be really nice. And you miss the quite brutal first few days north to Golega or Santarém on the standard route by taking the train.

Taking the train up to Abrantes from Lisbon is easy; there are many trains a day. Tip: pick an IC (Intercity) or IC/R (Intercity to Entroncamento, then Regional to Abrantes) rather than an R (Regional the whole way) for a quicker trip at slightly higher cost; the Rs are the "milk run" trains that stop at every whistle stop along the way.

Train times result

Timetables and prices search

www.cp.pt

Keep in mind that if you're all over 70, you'll pay half-price on the trains. You just need to present your passports when you buy your tickets, and you'll get the "reformado" price (everyone over 65).

Good planning! Booking.com is your friend, for planning at least. Its maps are really useful to locate where there might be otherwise unknown accommodation. Just be sure to zoom in; the smaller hotels and hostels often aren't visible until you get right in close. And Google Maps can also be really helpful, if you search for "Hotels" in the area you want to cover. It will likely include a lot of rural accommodation including some that doesn't bother to use Booking.com.

[edited to add note on Google Maps]

 

[SiobhanDub]

I walked from Lisbon to Fatima last July. I was 76 and carried my pack. Comments.
1. Stages are quite long, especially into Santarem. Tomar to Fatima was 31 kms with a few climbs. Take extra water as I ended up knocking on someone's door for a top up. However, I really enjoyed the route.
2. Most of the walking is on hard roads, except Tomar to Fatima.
3. The early part of the day into Tomar is into a forest for a while. Take care. 2 very steep shortish climbs.
4. No idea regarding accommodation for 16.
5. Uber is always available.

Thank you so much, great information there and much appreciated.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

Thank you so much, great information there and much appreciated.

You may find it difficult to find luggage transfer for any of these routes. Typically, the Fatima pilgrims are local and don't travel with much gear, and the southern half of the Lisboa/Santiago route doesn't have so many walkers that luggage transfer has been highly developed. Some of the local caminho groups might be able to give you more info!

(Please feel free to private-message (PM) me if you want more local info.)

 

[SiobhanDub]

Well, Stephen Dwyer has helped a lot with his link to https://caminhosdefatima.org/en/

I am a caminho supporter, though not walker myself (as yet, anyway) and live in Vila Nova da Barquinha, on the Tejo south of Tomar.

If you group is not bound and determined to walk the whole way, one suggestion would be to take the train from Lisbon to Abrantes, on the Tejo (Tagus), and then walk the Abrantes Route, (https://caminhosdefatima.org/en/routes/abrantes-route/ ), breaking it into 4 days instead of the last 3--there is a large youth hostel in Abrantes, where you could stay before you started the walk.

Just past Constancia (end of their proposed Day 1) and into Vila Nova da Barquinha, there is a municipal-run hostel at Tancos, halfway across the municipality, or for a slightly longer day, you could walk through to Vila Nova da Barquinha itself, where there are 2 small hotels run by the same admin, next to each other down near the park.

Then for the next day, you could walk from Tancos or Barquinha through to Torres Novas, where there are a couple of largish, not too expensive hotels, and then the last day you could walk from TN up to Fatima. That day would be really pretty rural walking through rolling hills as far as the "lands of Serra de Aire," which is hillier and a natural park. This would be a total of about 65 km for 4 days; not too long walks except for that last one.

I'm a bit stumped as to how you could break that, and find a place to stay. You could try Alcanena--going a bit further west from Torres Novas, and then due north. That could make it a bit shorter for each day, I guess, but a longer total up to Fatima.

Or you could make a hybrid route--go as far as Entroncamento, and then take the train again, a 2-euro ride up to Tomar, and then walk west from Tomar.

Anyway, the countryside in that area is lovely. May would be really nice. And you miss the quite brutal first few days north to Golega or Santarém on the standard route by taking the train.

Taking the train up to Abrantes from Lisbon is easy; there are many trains a day. Tip: pick an IC (Intercity) or IC/R (Intercity to Entroncamento, then Regional to Abrantes) rather than an R (Regional the whole way) for a quicker trip at slightly higher cost; the Rs are the "milk run" trains that stop at every whistle stop along the way.

Train times result

Timetables and prices search

www.cp.pt

Keep in mind that if you're all over 70, you'll pay half-price on the trains. You just need to present your passports when you buy your tickets, and you'll get the "reformado" price (everyone over 65).

Good planning! Booking.com is your friend, for planning at least. Its maps are really useful to locate where there might be otherwise unknown accommodation. Just be sure to zoom in; the smaller hotels and hostels often aren't visible until you get right in close.

Thank you so much. You know the area so well and have given us plenty to think about. Thank you for taking the trouble to give us such amazing information.

 

[trecile]

Stages are quite long, especially into Santarem.

This stage can be broken by staying in Porto de Muge.

Porto de Muge, Santarém | Albergues y Hoteles | Gronze.com

Albergues, Hoteles y Servicios para Peregrinos en Porto de Muge, Santarém, en el Camino de Santiago.

www.gronze.com

 

[SiobhanDub]

You may find it difficult to find luggage transfer for any of these routes. Typically, the Fatima pilgrims are local and don't travel with much gear, and the southern half of the Lisboa/Santiago route doesn't have so many walkers that luggage transfer has been highly developed. Some of the local caminho groups might be able to give you more info!

(Please feel free to private-message (PM) me if you want more local info.)

Thank you, it's great getting information on the route(s) as they are slightly different from other Camino routes we have walked.

 

[SiobhanDub]

This stage can be broken by staying in Porto de Muge.

Porto de Muge, Santarém | Albergues y Hoteles | Gronze.com

Albergues, Hoteles y Servicios para Peregrinos en Porto de Muge, Santarém, en el Camino de Santiago.

www.gronze.com

Thank you

 

[SiobhanDub]

Last year I stopped into the Pilgrim Welcome Center in Lisbon and they issue a credential specific to the Camino del Tejo, or The Tagus Route. If my memory is correct, they also had a full guide available for the Route. This route is 143 km and splits for the Santiago route in Santarém rather than going through Tomar. The Camino de Tejo starts at Portugese Pavillion in the Parque de Naçoes rather than at the Cathedral.

A good source to look at is https://caminhosdefatima.org/en/ if you have not already found it.

View attachment 183604

Thank you.

 

[SiobhanDub]

Here is a useful site for the Lisbon - Fatima route. Has links to accommodation.

Tagus Way | Caminhos da Fé

The Tagus Way starts in Lisbon. From here to Fátima the route stretches 143 kilometres and is divided into five stages, each step corresponding to a day of walking.

www.pathsoffaith.com

The incline gets bigger the closer you get to Fatima but it's not impossible. You'll know you are coming to a hill when you see a wind turbine. As a group, you may need to follow the locals' tradition of high-vis jackets and walking single file on the roads. You'll see a few groups like this.

View attachment 183603

That's a great tip about the high-vis jackets, thank you.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

That's a great tip about the high-vis jackets, thank you.

Definitely. The Portuguese pilgrims en route to Fatima always wear them. The Portuguese drivers go very fast, and the smaller roads are quite narrow; usually no gravel shoulder so you're often walking on a verge or even in a slight ditch.

 

[dougfitz]

This stage can be broken by staying in Porto de Muge.

Porto de Muge, Santarém | Albergues y Hoteles | Gronze.com

Albergues, Hoteles y Servicios para Peregrinos en Porto de Muge, Santarém, en el Camino de Santiago.

www.gronze.com

The accommodation at Porto de Muge was just a bit to expensive for me. I decided to book an extra night in Santarem, and walk across to Muge and catch the bus into Santarem and back the next day. When I got to Porto de Muge, there was a bus that took me past the train line near a station, and I used that instead.

I would appreciate advice from people who have walked from Lisbon to Fatima on the following;
1. The stages on the Fatima Camino are nearer to 30kms than 20kms. If we try to reduce the daily distance will that be difficult and leave us in the middle of nowhere, rather than a village for town?
2. What is the ground like underfoot? We prefer walking on forest paths rather than hard paving. Looking at the few guides I have found it appears to be mixed which isn't too bad, is that the case?
3. Will it be difficult to get accommodation for a group of 16 men and women, 10 singles and 3 couples on the stages after Santerem?
4. Are the hills difficult to climb and descend?
5. Is there public transport available nearby in case one of our group has a problem walking?
6. As accommodation may be an issue it has been suggested to us that we walk to Tomar and then use public transport to visit Fatima. Has anyone done that and how did they find the experience?

I walked the Caminho do Tejo (aka Tagus Way) in 2023. Some things have changed, particularly along the river leaving Lisbon.

• Q1 - see my comment above - it is relatively easy to use public transport to break up the stages. In addition to taking the bus/train from Porto do Muge, on the first walking day, I took the train back into Lisbon from Povoa, and returned there the next day.
• Q2 - Path surface varies. There is a lot of pavement leaving Lisbon, but shortly after Oriente, the amount of pavement walking reduces dramatically. That said, there are still some longer road stretches, even leaving Santarem. Note also that there is a least one steep climb to negotiate just before Minde.
• Q3 - I suspect so. I think you would need to have sorted this out beforehand.
• Q4 - Generally no, but the ridge before Minde will be both.
• Q5 - see other comments. Not sure about the section from Santarem to Fatima, but I would expect there to be local bus services. From Tomar, there are several daily bus services.
• Q6 - I took the bus from Fatima to Tomar. I think this is a good option if you are more interested in visiting the various parts of the shrine. I wouldn't allow more than a day for that if you could get an early bus from Tomar and a late bus back. If you are more interested in attending the services, you might want to contemplate staying a day or so in Fatima.

 

[trecile]

The accommodation at Porto de Muge was just a bit to expensive for me.

It was for me too in 2022, but Quinta da Burra has reopened there.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/camino-guides/en/accommodations/camino-portugues/porto-muge/quinta-da-burra

Here's a recent post about it

Post in thread 'Quinta da Burra - Porto de Muge - a magical place to stay'

O

Post in thread 'Quinta da Burra - Porto de Muge - a magical place to stay'

Jan 1, 2025

Hoping to stay there in January. Quinta da burra seems to have an active instagram page (@quintadaburra_177) and contact email quintadaburra177@gmail.com so it looks to be re-opened!

Wanted to confirm in case useful for others that Quinta da Burra is open and lovely. However, the new owner doesn’t serve dinner (only breakfast), but you can use the kitchen - so you need to bring food with you!

• olivedog123

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