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Tours

Walking Tour from Coimbra to Fátima - Carmelita Route

Duration 8 Days
Type Self Guided
altimetry 2130 m
distance 111 km
Lodging Comfort
|Walking Tour from Coimbra to Fátima - Carmelita Route

The Carmelita Route joins two enchanting cities, Coimbra and Fátima. Discover the history and legends behind them, and add a dash of nature and heritage along the way. With magnificent natural sceneries, this route allows an unforgettable exploration of your inner self.

Timeless, vibrant, liberal, and fascinating are just a few words to describe the city of Coimbra. Come and explore it and Fátima, getting to know two historical cities of Portugal. Coimbra is an enduring city, where new students walk the path layout centuries ago in one of the oldest universities of the world, where ancient dessert recipes from the monasteries still delight, and where the Mondego River flows with histories of a rich filled past. Fátima is the spiritual capital of Portugal, known worldwide for the beauty of its Sanctuary and the deepness of the faith of its pilgrims. The Carmelita Route joins these two enchanting cities, discovering the history and legends behind them and adding a dash of nature and heritage along the way with magnificent natural sceneries for an unforgettable exploration of your inner self.
Originating in Saint Teresa’s Carmelo, this route inspired by the life and work of Sister Lucia, a witness of the Fátima miracle, receiver of divine grace, and a supporter of all pilgrims to Fátima with her prayers, texts, and books, invites you to wander spiritually in her company. The most important thing is the walk, not the arrival.

Come and discover the countryside and small villages, full of history and a lot of Roman influence, along the way, on this journey of inspiration and contemplation in the middle of nature. Enjoy the local traditions and delicacies such as the Rabaçal’s cheese and the wine of Ourém, both still produced with ancient techniques and traditions and fill your body and soul with positive energy. Explore the history of Coimbra and Fátima and leave with your mind, body and soul replenished.

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Carmelita Route Coimbra Fátima
Daily Itinerary
Dates & Prices
More Information

Daily Itinerary

Day 01
Arrival to Coimbra
Welcome to the City of Knowledge! A captivating city that boasts an extensive history, vibrant atmosphere, and a range of interesting tourist attractions. It contains one of the world’s oldest universities, but the city is no historic relic - it is an affluent city that is both liberal and forward-thinking, in part due to the large student population. In the city hearth, we find churches and architectural treasures such as Sé de Coimbra, from the 12th century, and the Johannine Library. Also, in the Monastery of the Holy Cross remain the tombs of the first two Kings of Portugal.
Overnight in Coimbra.
Day 02
Walking Tour 1: Coimbra | Condeixa-a-Nova (17 km)
Being a Carmelite-inspired path, this Route is an invitation to take an interior walk in communion with the elements that surround us, starting in the city of Coimbra. You´ll be able to enter several villages along the way, crossing the parishes of Antanhol and Cernache and ending this first stage in Condeixa-a-Nova, a town known for its manor houses, where you will find different attractions - from the connection of the writer Fernando Namora to the ceramic (inspired by the 17th-century ceramics of Coimbra) to the regional gastronomy, such as Roasted lamb or the sweet “Escarpiada”. 
Overnight in Condeixa-a-Nova.
Day 03
Walking Tour 2: Condeixa-a-Nova | Rabaçal | (13 km)
In this stage you will leave the urban scenery and enter the rural world, beginning your inner voyage into Nature itself. Condeixa-a-Nova is a privileged place in Portugal and was particularly so during the Roman period. Part of the important road network of the Great Roman Road, you can still what remains of a luso-urban nucleus in Conímbriga. Walk along Rio de Mouros and visit legendary places, such as Zambujal - created according to history, by two giant blacksmith brothers. Our final stop today will be Rabaçal, a small village nestled into a breathtaking valley, sculpted by nature, and filled with vineyards and olive trees (some of them, thousands of years old). It is the perfect place to herd sheep and goats, and its famous production of cheese, a must-try, dates back to Roman times. Visit the Germanelo hill, where Portugal’s first king built a fortress overlooking this beautiful landscape. 
Overnight in Rabaçal.
Day 04
Walking Tour 3: Rabaçal | Ansião (20 km)
Today’s journey leads you into the plains of Santiago da Guarda, bordered by agricultural land and century-old villages. Visit small villages along the way, like the village of Granja, with its Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Orada - the oldest Christian building in the area. Once you arrive in Ansião, don’t forget to visit the bridge “Ponte da Cal”, where Saint Queen Elizabeth of Portugal once stopped to quench her thirst and bathe her feet, blessing the water of the River Nabão.
Overnight in Ansião.
Day 05
Walking Tour 4: Ansião | Freixianda ( 23.5 km)
Before you leave Ansião, try the local speciality - pine nut pastries - and the “lesmas” – traditional cinnamon and olive oil biscuits - maybe taking some for the road. Today you will visit the Ecological Park of Gramatinha/Ariques, which has the biggest population of Portuguese Oak, and houses over 800 species. During your walk try to find "eyes of the thrush", springs of water from a deep well, a geological phenomenon proper to the area due to its limestone. These turn into a stream that is painted white in Spring by watercress flowers.
Overnight in Freixianda.
Day 06
Walking Tour 5: Freixianda | Ourém ( 23.5 km)
On today’s walk, the landscape will be populated by olive groves, lapiás fields, chícharo crops, and old water mills. You will also find Ourém's vineyards along the way, which date back to the foundation of Portugal when our first king gave the lands to the Cistercian monks for cultivation, giving birth to ancestral traditions and techniques still in use today. The medieval village of Ourém is your final stop before the grand finale. Surrounded by breathtaking views, take the opportunity to visit the Gothic Fountain, the former Collegiate Church, and taste the medieval wine and traditional Ginjinha of Ourém.
Overnight in Ourém.
Day 07
Walking Tour 6: Ourém | Fátima ( 18.5 km)
You are embarking on the last leg of the trip. Gorgeous trails take you from Ourém to Fátima. Famous worldwide as a Catholic pilgrimage site, it was the home of Sister Lucia and her cousins to whom, in 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared, in an event often referred to as the Miracle of the Sun. Home to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, it is a place of worship and faith, peaceful and deep. Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima and the Chapel of Apparitions, and may your soul find some peace at the end of this journey.
Overnight in Fátima.
Day 08
Departure
After breakfast, end of services.
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Dates & Prices

From 645,00€/person  |  Min. 2 participants

Single supplement:
From 295,00€ 

Tour not available from 05th May until 15th May

More Information

Included:

7 accommodations with breakfast
Briefing with an A2Z Guide
Luggage transfer between hotels - 6 stages - 1 bag per person – maximum 20 kg/bag
Maps and documentation of the Carmelita Route
GPS tracks (using the app "Ride with GPS" on your phone)
24H support line
Insurance
A2Z Offer

 
Extra services:

Extra night in Coimbra: on request
Guided visit to Coimbra UNESCO heritage site: on request
Airport transfers: on request
GPS device rental: on request
Powerbank rental: on request


 
Not included:

Transfers from and to the airport;
Personal equipment
Other personal expenses
All items not mentioned in “included”
Flights

"I just finished my trip evaluation and wanted to say thank you for recommending the Carmelita Route. It was one of the highlights of my 2 months in Portugal. I think I actually enjoyed it more than the Fisherman's Trail because it was so peaceful and I liked walking through all the villages and imagining all the people just living their daily lives. Thank you for all of your help in making my time in Portugal so special."

Dianne | USA

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