A pilgrimage to the Marian Shrines and Apparitions of Portugal, Spain and France is a spiritually powerful and profound experience for the countless Catholics who visit yearly!

Portugal, with its charming and captivating landscapes, holds a particularly special place in the hearts of pilgrims for its revered sanctuary of Fatima, where Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in 1917.  

Spain provides the magnificent backdrop for Santiago de Compostela, the final resting place of St. James Major, as well as the Eucharistic Miracle of Oviedo, the historic Holy Cave of Covadonga, Loyola, birthplace of St. Ignatius Loyola, and Gaudi’s breathtaking Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.  

The Pyrenees foothills of France is home of St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes. Renowned for its miraculous spring, Lourdes is known as one of the world's most beautiful and significant pilgrimage sites. A Marian journey through these countries will surely deepen devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and strengthen the faith of all who travel this awe-inspiring and holy part of the world.   

DEPOSIT IS NON-REFUNDABLE

Depart the USA from your local airport. Enjoy a full meal and inflight entertainment (movies, music, etc.) on your overnight flight to Lisbon, Portugal.

Welcome to Portugal! Upon arrival at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport, you will proceed through Immigration and Customs. You will then be greeted by our local Trinity Tour Travels guide and driver, We travel north to Santarem to visit the Church of the Holy Miracle, where in the 13th century, a woman concealed a consecrated host at the recommendation of a sorceress to deal with her unfaithful husband. The host began to bleed profusely, and the couple confessed the sacrilege to the priest, who immediately safeguarded the host in a wax container. The second eucharistic miracle occurred when upon subsequently opening the tabernacle, the host was no longer in the wax container but in a crystal pyx. It was placed in a silver monstrance where pilgrims can still view it today. We travel to Fátima, a hamlet of Aljustrel, the birthplace of the three shepherd children to whom the Virgin Mary appeared. The Rosary Procession begins each evening at 9:30 pm for those who choose to attend. Check-in, dinner, overnight in Fátima, Portugal.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we head to Cova da Iria to visit the Little Chapel of the Apparitions. An International Mass is celebrated here this morning. The chapel stands on the exact location of the first Marian Apparition on May 13, 1917, to three shepherd children: Lucia (10), Francisco (9), and Jacinta (7). We visit the Basilica of the Holy Rosary, where the sacred tombs of St. Francisco, St. Jacinta, and Sr. Lucia are contained. The basilica honors the Blessed Mother’s consistent requests to pray the rosary through its 15 beautiful altars dedicated to the fifteen mysteries of the rosary. We visit the Monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus before heading to Valinhos to see the homes of the little shepherds and the site of the first and third visits of the “Angel of Peace.” The angel first appeared to the three children in 1916 to prepare the way for Our Lady of Fátima in 1917. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, I am the Angel of Peace,” and gave the children the prayer still recited by many today: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, and do not hope, and do not love You.” Option to participate in a most memorable Stations of the Cross through picturesque, winding little hills traversed by the little shepherds. Candlelight Rosary Procession from the Little Chapel to the Basilica at 9:30 pm. Dinner & overnight at the hotel in Fátima.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we depart Fátima to Santiago de Compostela (7-hour drive). En route, we stop in Porto, one of the oldest European centers with vast and rich history! We visit the prominent Gothic Church of São Francisco. Noted for its magnificent Baroque interior, this church is in the center of the city, where we enjoy leisure time and lunch. We end our time in Porto with a visit to a local winery for authentic Porto wine before continuing to Santiago de Compostela. Location of Mass on this day to be decided. Check-in, dinner, overnight in Santiago, Spain.

Breakfast at the hotel, where we meet our local guide and begin the day with a visit to the tomb of St. James. An 11th-century cathedral, the Santiago de Compostela Archcathedral Basilica is the burial place of St. James the Great and is among the remaining churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle (others include St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican; St. Thomas Cathedral, India; and St. John Cathedral, Turkey). It marks the end of the pilgrimage route of El Camino and is named after the great saint who brought Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain). We visit the Old Town, known for its incredibly winding streets and charming plazas. Mass, lunch and free afternoon for sightseeing and exploring on your own. Dinner and overnight in Santiago.

Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. We drive to Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias, northern Spain (4-hour drive). We visit the Cathedral of San Salvador of Oviedo, known for its array of architectural styles, from Pre-Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance. This spectacular church houses the tombs of Asturian kings as well as the Camara Santa, a 9th-century chapel that contains venerable relics of the Holy City of Jerusalem. We also see here breathtaking statues of Jesus and the Apostles. 

Location of Mass on this day to be decided. Check-in, dinner, overnight in Oviedo, Spain.

Following breakfast and check-out, we travel to Covadonga (a 2-hour drive) to visit the Holy Cave of Our Lady of Covadonga. Located in the Picos de Europa mountains, this shrine is dedicated to the Virgin of Covadonga (“La Santina”), who, according to sacred tradition, interceded on behalf of Christian forces who defeated their attackers in the Battle of Covadonga in 718, marking the beginning of the Spanish Reconquista (a series of campaigns by Christians to recapture territories from the Moors who occupied the Iberian Peninsula in the early 8th century). Mass location to be determined this day. Traveling to Bilbao, we check into our hotel and overnight. Dinner on your own 

Following breakfast and check-out, we travel toward Lourdes, France. En route, we stop in Loyola, in the Basque region of Spain, birthplace of St. Ignatius of Loyola. We visit the Sanctuary of Loyola, where a series of spectacular edifices are built around St. Ignatius’ birthplace. Also known as the Shrine or Basilica of Loyola, this sanctuary rests along the Urola River and honors the saint who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit order) and is known as the patron saint of all spiritual retreats. Mass is celebrated here this day. Lunch nearby before we travel toward the Pyrenees Mountains to Lourdes. Beautifully nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees stands the splendor of Lourdes, the birthplace of St. Bernadette Soubirous, to whom Our Lady appeared in 1858 near the remote Grotto of Massabiélle. Identifying herself as the “Immaculate Conception,” Our Lady appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette 18 times and has become one of the world’s leading Marian Shrines. Candlelight Rosary Processions are at 5:30 and 9:30 pm for those who choose to attend. Check-in, dinner, overnight in Lourdes, France.

Breakfast at the hotel followed by an entire day visiting the historical and profoundly spiritual birthplace of the visionary child, Bernadette. We begin at the Grotto of the Apparitions, where this beloved saint first encountered the Virgin Mary. With only rudimentary knowledge of the Catholic faith, she reported the visits to her parish priest, who became convinced because of the young girl’s lack of doctrinal knowledge. During one of Our Lady’s visits, she asked Bernadette to dig a hole in a particular spot on the ground. A small spring of water began to bubble up, and she was asked to drink from it. Almost immediately followed numerous accounts of supernatural healing from the water. Today, gallons of water continue to gush from the same spring source and pilgrims are able to bathe in it. To date, countless miraculous cures have been documented from the waters of Lourdes. We continue our walking tour, where we visit the Basilica of St. Pius X, the Boly Mill (the water mill where Bernadette was born), the Soubirous family home and the majestic Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. We conclude this unforgettable day at the miraculous spring and the healing baths. Mass is celebrated here this day. Following dinner, we join the nightly rosary and candlelight procession. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we travel to Montserrat, Spain (6.5 hours). We continue a short way to Manresa, Spain, the place of profound conversion for St. Ignatius Loyola. In 1522, the saint lived for 11 months in a natural cave on the banks of the Cardoner River to pray and do penance during his sojourn in the city. Here, he received a vision that provided him with deep spiritual insight, from where he wrote “The Spiritual Exercises.” We visit the Museum at Manresa and celebrate Mass this day in the nearby cave. Named for its serrated, jagged saw-like cliffs, Montserrat is a tranquil and serene treasure, nestled in the Montserrat Mountains of Catalonia, Spain. We arrive to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat where we see the statue of the Black Madonna to whom many miracles have been attributed. According to tradition, the statue was originally carved by St. Luke around 50 AD and was brought to Spain. It was hidden from the Moors and was later rediscovered by shepherds in 880 AD. One legend states that Benedictine monks could not move the statue to construct their monastery, so they chose to build around it. Another states that upon discovery, the Bishop of Manresa suggested that it be moved to Manresa. Still, it couldn’t be lifted, and as a result, the statue of the Virgin remained in Montserrat, where she continues to be venerated today. Evening Vespers are encouraged. Check-in, dinner, overnight in the monastery in Montserrat, Spain. 

Early Morning Lauds are encouraged in the Shrine prior to breakfast. A full morning for individual or group prayer and reflection, including cliff-side Stations of the Cross. Lunch near the monastery followed by a cable car ride down a steep cliff providing a holy, unforgettable adventure for all! This afternoon is dedicated to Mass, rest, prayer, and exploration prior to dinner and overnight at the monastery in Montserrat.

After breakfast, we continue to Barcelona, Spain. We begin with a city bus tour and eventually head towards the magnificent Sagrada Familia. A guided tour of Sagrada and possible mass(pending confirmation). Check-in at the hotel, followed by a special Farewell Dinner and overnight in Barcelona.

After our final breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the U.S. from El Prat International Airport in Barcelona, Spain. A lifetime of memories will not be forgotten from Shrines and Marian Apparitions of Portugal, Spain and France!

A note from Trinity Tour Travels

We are honored to have you travel with us and appreciate your trust in Trinity Tour Travels for your pilgrimage! Though every effort will sincerely be made to follow the above itinerary, it should be considered as a template of the journey rather than a “contract” of sites to be visited. There are times when local religious or national holidays, weather, traffic challenges, etc., may cause us to make changes in our schedule. This MAY result in a change in the sequence of sites visited or, on rare occasions, the missing of some certain site visits entirely.

As with all in life, we encourage the acceptance of possible change with a cheerful heart; after all, it is sometimes the unexpected that often makes the most beautiful memories! Enjoy your trip to the fullest and relish every moment!