Yesterday was so. much. fun. I had been looking forward to this day trip the whole time I’ve been in Lisbon ever since watching the 100 Foot Wave on MAX a few years ago. I knew after booking my trip to Portugal that this was a must see town for me on my list 🤗. I went on this Lisbon Riders tour and had an amazing time with our intimate group, led by Carolina (definitely request her 💛).

Here’s a lil’ recap of the day’s official agenda if you are eager to know approximate timestamps and how it all happens. If you want to go with the flow and be surprised, skip down to the next section ✨

8:30 AM – meetup & pickup in central Lisbon

….1h30min car ride to Fátima….

10:30 – 11:30 AM – free time in Fátima

….30 min car ride to Nazaré….

12:30 – 2 PM – free time & lunch in old Nazaré

2:15 – 3:15 PM – exploring the Nazaré Lighthouse and the Sitio viewpoint

….30 min car ride to Óbidos….

4:30 – 5:30 PM – exploring Óbidos

….1h car ride back to Lisbon….

Because I know all of you are wondering — our car ride was equipped with air conditioning in the van 💁‍♀️

Sanctuary of Fátima

First up! The Sanctuary of Fátima… This is a place of pilgrimage and especially significant in the Catholic Church as a place where there were 6 apparitions from the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children. It was such a nice day and it just so happened that we were going the day after the anniversary of the final apparition from 13 October 1917 which is a very popular moment to visit. Whilst I’m not a practising Catholic, I am always intrigued by the energy of place and was excited to experience this location. Within the Sanctuary, you can see the burial site of the three children (the girls Lucia and Jacinta on the left and the boy Fransisco on the right when you are facing the altar). Even if you’re not religious, it was nice to sit down in the pews and have a moment of gratitude and quiet to connect with yourself.

Outside, there is an area where you can buy candles to make an offering, set intentions, pray, etc. There was a credit card reader and you can also drop cash into the little offering boxes. Plan to have a few euros on hand, depending on how many candles you want to light 😉 So you’re not left wondering if you see this ➡️ wax body parts ⬅️ I had not seen this before either…you can purchase as an offering or in gratitude for healing in that specific area of the body. NGL, it was in the low 70s F that morning, but the candle area got a bit sketch because they were all melting on top of each other inside the candle holder and tipping over creating big flames.. so be careful out there and light it fast 😅! If anyone watches I am Georgina on Netflix, she has gone to Fatima and also recently posted a pic at the candle area so you can get a feel for what I’m talking about!

Closing thoughts: There are so many places online where you can read the full history of this site in more detail and I’ll leave that for you to get lost in the details that interest you. I’m ultimately really glad I went.. the most moving part for me was honestly the beautiful humans doing a kneeling walk as an act of devotion / penance / praying the rosary, etc. I definitely teared up for a hot minute witnessing them in their experience.

P.S. It is free to go in (Oct 2024). I didn’t buy any souvenirs, but there are gift shops and little coffee stops close by & within walking distance.

Nazaré

OMG. I was so amped for this. When we arrived to this seaside town + fishing village, Nazaré, we had a few minutes to take in this scenic view of Praia da Nazaré before having free time for lunch. It felt a bit quieter as we walked around and many restaurants were closed since it was Monday — some of us opted to eat at PortoBello Restaurante right in the square. It doesn’t look like it has a website, just a Facebook page, but it was definitely fresh, tasty, and a nice place to recharge before continuing on for the day. We had plenty of time to eat and still be able to walk around for a few minutes before continuing on our tour.

When left to wander, I bought a little mini surfboard because you know I absolutely needed it in that moment — where will I even put it!? Lol. I’ve learned the hard way that when you see something at the gift shop and you say you’ll come back for it later.. it rarely, if ever, happens. Cheers to hoping I have enough space in my luggage at the end of this month 🤷‍♀️

Then, there’s this legend you’ll hear about a man named Dom Fuas who was an alcalde (google it). He was out hunting one day when…. I don’t want to spoil it, so… you’ll find out why the town is called Nazaré after this story and get all of the historical details before heading over to North Beach. You’ll also have the opportunity to go into the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré before departing from the square.

We made it to North Beach! When you arrive, you park at the Forte de Sao Miguel Arcanjo, which is what you see in a ton of the big wave surfing videos. When you go inside, there are surfer walls you can check out with boards from all of these amazing athletes. BTW – it costs a few euros to go in. To me, it was so inspiring to feel & see after watching the show (100 Foot Wave) and knowing how much time, skill, dedication, effort (& the list goes on) goes into their craft. Afterward, we went up to the top where the lighthouse (Farol da Nazaré) is and took some pictures while I imagined what it would be like to see a gigantic wave from this vantage point… spoiler alert, the waves were calm when we visited. Side note – it’s so interesting to learn how the big waves actually come to be via Europe’s largest underwater canyon and there is an exhibit explaining this inside the fort.

Disclaimer: it’s important to note that the big wave season is generally from October to March so if you want to prioritize seeing them, consider booking your Portugal trip during this time period. I booked this tour knowing that it was possible to have a day with good wave activity, but not a guarantee…You’ll have to check the weather forecast and plan accordingly / potentially stay multiple days if you want a good shot at catching them.. it started to remind me of how I desire to see the Northern Lights, but know I could possibly be chasing them for a good bit before having my moment ✨ …so close yet still longing to see them and the big waves soon enough!

Óbidos

The last stop on the tour – Óbidos! A medieval walled city that was hosting it’s annual Folio Literature Festival. The town is known as one of UNESCO’s Cities of Literature. It was seriously so pretty with flowers in bloom, so many cute shops, and yummy snacks + food options as well. And almost all of the shops had my name on the souvenirs 🥲 IYKYK. It can be so hard to find it in the U.S., let alone with the correct spelling, so this was a cool moment for little adri to see —

We took the opportunity here to have a shot of ginjinha as a group (this was included in the tour price). Ginjinha (or ginja) is a sour cherry liqueur that is said to have originated here, but we had also been having it all over Lisbon as well. Don’t worry about FOMO — even if you don’t go to Óbidos, you’ll still get to try it 🙂. The special thing is to have it in a little chocolate cup and with a cherry – be aware that the small cherry has a pit in it before eating! The sequence of events — eat the cherry 🍒, take the 🥃, and then eat the 🍫..I bought some as a gift or dinner party option — it felt fun and like something I’d like to do with a group again!

After our free time here, it was time to get in the car and head back to Lisbon again…what a great day – I highly recommend taking the extra time if you have it to spend the day checking out these cities whether you DIY or go through an organized tour. All in all — I love a slow travel vibe where I can check out other cities, etc.. but I do think it’s good to have an interest or connection to the place you’re going.. and/or follow a nudge if you feel inspired to go but don’t know why – that definitely can create some serendipitous moments 🤗.

All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post is not sponsored.