Description
Caminho de Fátima | P347 | Level:Mod | We meet at the airport 2hrs before the flight | Caminho de Fátima (Rota de Rio Tejo)
This event is open to all registered XirCammini members and also to affiliated members (i.e. registered members with Ramblers Association of Malta and the Malta Geographical Society).
Fátima is one of the greatest Marian devotions in Europe attracting millions of pilgrims each year. We will walk this Camino (Caminho in Portuguese) along the Tagus River (Rio Tejo) from the Cathedral Sé in Lisbon to the Cova de Iria, Fátima. Walking uphill or descending into the valleys of the Aire and Candeeiros Mountains, Rio Tejo will accompany us all the way.
Rio Teju originates in Fuente Garcia (< 1,600m above sea level) and crosses several territories in Spain and Portugal, most notably cutting across these cities until reaching the sea: Aranjuez, Toledo, and Talavera de la Reina in Spain and Abrantes, Santarém, and Lisbon in Portugal. The Teju river plains are also renowned for excellent red wine, the Tejo region being the oldest wine producing region in Portugal.
On this Caminho de Fátima we will also have the opportunity to visit Lisbon on the afternoon of our arrival and also sample typical Portuguese food and wine along the Caminho.
Cova de Iria is in the region of Santarem in the central region of Portugal. Our Lady of Fátima is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary when she appeared before three shepherd children between May and October in 1917 in Cova de Iria, Fátima. She spoke to them on the 13th of each month and identified Herself to them as the Lady of the Rosary. From these apparitions, the children recounted the “three secrets of Fátima”, The three secrets of Fatima were/are: A vision of Hell; a prediction of the end of World War I and a prediction of the beginning of a worse war (understood as World War II). Of greater significance today, the Blessed Virgin Mary also called for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a way to bring peace.
Flights:
- 28th May: Malta – Lisbon FR9654 leaving Malta at 08:50 and arriving in Lisbon at 11:20
- 4th June: Lisbon – Malta FR9655 leaving Lisbon at 11:45 and arriving in Malta at 15:50
Note: XirCammini is a membership-based camino/hiking association and not a travel agency. Flights would need to be booked individually by participants.
Itinerary | Route
- 28th May: Malta – Lisbon (suggested flights above)
- 29th May: Lisbon – Póvoa de Santa Iria < 25 km
- 30th May: Póvoa de Santa Iria – Vila Franca de Xira < 28 km
- 31st May: Vila Franca de Xira – Azambuja <20 km)
- 1st June: Azambuja – Santarem + – 32 km
- 2nd June: Santarem – Amiais de Baixo < 26 km
- 3rd June: Amiais de Baixo – Fatima < 25 km. (Coach transfer back to Lisbon with an afternoon visit to Tomar, Citadel of the Knights Templar)
- 4th June: Return flight from Lisbon to Malta (suggested flights above)
Cost | Registration
The total contribution is of €695 and covers
- local (Portugal) transport from / to airport and first / final accommodation
- afternoon excursion in Lisbon on arrival
- Visit to the Templar Citadel of the Knights in Tomar.
- daily baggage transfers
- daily accommodation on twin sharing basis including breakfast
- local training