• Basilica de Nossa Senhora do Rosario de Fatima - Sanctuary of Fatima, optional 15-minute stop

This is one of the largest Marian centers globally.

This Marian pilgrimage center commemorates the apparitions of Our Lady to the three young shepherds Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta in 1917, officially recognized in 1930. The location, a rural property known as Cova da Iria, was owned by Lucia’s parents, who donated it to the Shrine. Five of the six apparitions occurred here.

The Shrine includes the Chapel of the Apparitions, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, the Prayer Area, and the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity. Complementing the Shrine are the Retreat Houses of Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and the Pastoral Centre of Paul VI.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima was designed by Dutchman Gerardus van Krieken and continued by architect João Antunes. The first stone was blessed on May 13, 1928, and the church was dedicated on October 7, 1953. In the following year, Pope Pius XII granted it the title of Basilica.

The architectural and decorative style is quite simple. Inside, there are 14 side altars dedicated to the mysteries of the Rosary. The stained glass windows and paintings, created by João de Sousa Araújo in 1967, depict scenes related to the life of Our Lady, the Apparitions, and the Message of Fatima. The main chapel’s windows, representing the Evangelists, the Apparition of the Angel, and Pilgrimage scenes, were crafted by the Madrid company Maumejean and Sons. On the right side of the transept, the Gospel, lies the tomb of Francisco, who passed away in 1919. On the left side, the Epistle, is the tomb of Jacinta, who died in 1920; next to her is the tomb of Sister Lucy, who died in 2005. Francisco and Jacinta Marto were canonized at the Shrine of Fatima on May 13, 2017, during the International Anniversary Pilgrimage of the centennial of the Apparitions, presided over by Pope Francis.

The Italian-made organ, dated 1952, is also noteworthy, featuring 152 stops and approximately 12,000 pipes.

It is one of the most significant Marian shrines of the Catholic Church worldwide and a leading international religious tourism destination, attracting around six million visitors annually. It has been visited by Popes Paul VI (1967), John Paul II (1982, 1991, and 2000), Benedict XVI (2010), and Francis (2017). Annual pilgrimages are celebrated on the 13th of each month from May to October.

• Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha - The Mosteiro de Santa Clara was constructed in 1314 by order of Queen Saint Isabel of Aragon, replacing a small convent of nuns of the Order of St. Clare, founded in 1286. The building was completed in 1330, designed by architect Domingos Domingues, who had previously worked on the Mosteiro de Alcobaça.

This convent is an excellent example of the architecture of that era, notable for the size of the church and cloister and the stone vault covering the three naves of the church, all of equal size. Due to its location on the banks of the River Mondego, the convent frequently flooded, leading to the construction of an upper floor and the abandonment of the almost permanently submerged ground floor. In the 17th century, King Dom João IV commissioned a new convent at a higher point in the city. This new convent was named Santa Clara-a-Nova, and the nuns relocated there in 1677. The original convent, known as Santa Clara-a-Velha, was abandoned and fell into ruins.

At the end of the 20th century, the building underwent extensive restoration, uncovering the original structures and revealing a vast and diverse range of treasures. Now open to the public, the convent offers visitors a spacious outdoor leisure area, including the church and restored archaeological structures. At the Visitor Centre, besides the exhibition of discovered objects, audiovisual media present the site’s history and restoration.

• Portugal dos Pequenitos - Portugal dos Pequenitos (Portugal for the Little Ones), considered the country’s first theme park, is a pedagogical playground where families can enjoy a delightful day learning about the nation’s history. For children, it’s a fantastic opportunity to explore houses and monuments built to their scale.

Here, visitors find miniature reproductions of Portuguese architectural heritage, displayed as traditional houses and replicas of National Monuments from the North to the South of the country, such as the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Lisbon, the Convento de Cristo in Tomar, the Torre de Belém in Lisbon, and Coimbra University. There is also a collection of buildings illustrating the ethnography and monuments of Portuguese-speaking African Countries, Macau, India, and Timor, reminding us of the Portuguese ex-colonies and providing historical context for the project. The park also features a children’s playground and Costume, Naval, and Furniture Museums, also in miniature.

The project was conceived in 1940 by Dr. Bissaya Barreto (1886-1974) and built by modernist architect Cassiano Branco (1879-1970). Bissaya Barreto, a teacher at the Faculty of Medicine of Coimbra University, was renowned for his extensive social work in central Portugal, aiding those in need. He established the Bissaya Barreto Foundation, responsible for various cultural activities and social work. The construction of Portugal dos Pequenitos was an integral part of this project.

• Biblioteca Joanina - Count Raczinski described this library in “Les Arts au Portugal” as “the most beautiful, most richly decorated library that I have ever seen.” Indeed, the stunning and noble interior of this magnificent space, built between 1717 and 1728, reflects the generous spirit of its founding patron. Visitors are greeted by the king’s coat of arms above the grand portico at the entrance.

Here, students and researchers can access over 300,000 volumes dating from the 16th to the late 18th century, housed in archives spanning three floors of the building.

Inside the library, the walls are adorned with solid bookshelves made of exotic woods, composed of two sections, separated by a small balcony supported on columns. The painting and gilding of this wood were done by Manuel da Silva. The main floor is divided into three rooms separated by arches identical to the one in the outer doorway, displaying the insignia of the old University faculties. The ceilings were painted with a trompe l’oeil effect by António Simões Ribeiro and Vicente Nunes, creating a false perspective and giving the illusion of greater height.

On one of the walls at the back of the room, there is a large portrait of the founder, Dom João V, dated 1730.

• Old Cathedral of Coimbra (Se Velha de Coimbra) - Where the second king of Portugal was crowned.

Coimbra (Aeminium, in Roman times) has been an Episcopal seat since the 5th century, succeeding neighboring Conímbriga. Despite its long history, there is no mention of a cathedral until the construction of the Santa Maria de Coimbra Cathedral, which began in 1164 by Bishop Miguel Salomão’s initiative. It was consecrated in 1184, although the rest of the building was not yet finished, and in 1185 the second Portuguese king, D. Sancho I, was crowned there. It is the only Portuguese Romanesque cathedral from the Reconquest era that remains relatively intact today.

The building’s design is attributed to Master Roberto, of French origin, who directed the construction of the Lisbon Cathedral simultaneously and visited Coimbra sporadically. Management of the work was assigned to Master Bernardo, also French, later replaced by Master Soeiro, an architect who later worked on other churches in the Porto diocese. The building comprises three naves, a slightly protruding transept, a lantern-tower above the cross, and a tripartite sanctuary. Its construction marks a departure from the Romanesque cathedrals built until then in the country (Braga and Porto) and the beginning of a new typology called Cathedrals of the South (Coimbra, Lisbon, and Évora).

The cloister began construction in 1218, during the reign of D. Afonso II, being one of the first Gothic works built in Portugal. Larger than usual, it required the destruction of part of the hillside for its construction. It occupies a quadrangular area from the third section of the nave and beyond the sanctuary’s perimeter. It consists of a vaulted floor, and the arcades comprise double pointed arches, set in fine twinned colonnades with portholes above.

During the 16th-century renovations, some innovations were introduced to the building, including Renaissance doorways, specifically a door known as the Porta Especiosa (Beautiful Door), a masterpiece by architect João de Ruão and sculptor Nicolau de Chanterenne, inspired by the Italian Renaissance.

Inside, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, also by João de Ruão, and the Chapel of St. Peter, attributed to Nicholas de Chanterenne, are noteworthy. In the main chapel, the gilded altarpiece in flaming Gothic style is the work of Flemings Olivier de Gand and Jean d’Ypres. The chancels, decorated with floral and animalistic themes, are the richest iconographic example of Romanesque style in Portugal. The absence of human figures and biblical scenes is likely due to the work of Mozarabic artists who settled in Coimbra.

Several Gothic period tombs (13th-14th centuries) are in the side aisles, one of the most notable being that of D. Vataça (or Betaça) Lascaris, a Byzantine lady who arrived in Portugal at the beginning of the 14th century, accompanying D. Isabel de Aragon, who was to marry King Dinis.

• Aveiro Moments - Marian cult and People of the Sea.

The original Church of Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia was consecrated in 1464 and was connected to the Dominican convent of the same name. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, it underwent renovations, and the side aisles were converted into devotional chapels. In 1834, the convent was transformed into military barracks and destroyed by a fire a few years later.

In 1835, the church - with its beautiful baroque portal framed by four Solomonic columns, a frieze with floral decoration, and the coat of arms of the Infante D. Pedro, Duke of Coimbra – was converted into the parish of Our Lady of Glory, and in 1938 became the Cathedral of the Diocese of Aveiro with the Bull of Pope Pius XI.

Inside, the side-chapels preserve items of great value. In the chapel of the Visitation, an excellent altarpiece dating from 1559 can be admired, representing the Virgin and Saint Elizabeth in a very original composition. In the chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, there is a beautiful image of its Patron, dating from the end of the 16th century, as well as several 17th-century paintings, representing the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. In an arched window in the original wall, there is a Gothic image of the Virgin and Child, made of alabaster, which originally stood in a niche outside the church. The Baroque organ of 1754 is now defunct, but in 2013 a new organ, built in Hungary, was placed in the transept.

In the churchyard in front of the church, there is a beautiful Gothic cross from the end of the 15th century, set on a 17th-century pedestal. Above it is a poignant figure of Christ on the cross, whose arms end in fleur-de-lys. The chancel, of great iconographic value, is decorated with the steps of the Passion.

• • Hotel pickup and drop-off
• • Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
• • Private tour
• • Bottled water
• • Driver/escort

• Food and drinks
• Lunch
• Gratuities
• Boat trip

These dual cities are loaded with enchantments aplenty. Coimbra is famously referred to as the town of scholars. Aveiro, adorned by the splendor of its water channels, is often labeled the Venice of Portugal. Some even refer to Aveiro as ‘The Venice of Portugal’. But we like to address it as the metropolis of Art Nouveau. Aveiro is a singularly captivating city. Nestled amidst the ocean and the river, its myriad canals, and traditional moliceiros boats lend the city an unparalleled and radiant charm. The city pulsates with the culture and essence of the sea at every turn. Aveiro’s history is steeped in maritime commerce, fishing, and salt-manufacturing. Once serving as the inaugural capital of Portugal, Coimbra underscores its historical significance in the expansion and promotion of Portuguese language and culture. Today, it has the reputation of being a city for students. In fact, the University of Coimbra, a World Heritage Site, is not just the country’s oldest university, but also one of Europe’s earliest educational institutions.

• Children must be accompanied by an adult
• Dress code is smart casual
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.