Once a small farming village, Fatima was forever changed in 1917 when, according to witnesses, the Virgin Mary appeared several times to three shepherd children. A marble pillar with a statue of Our Lady marks the exact location of her visit and four million-pilgrims make the journey to see it each year. Fatima is now a bustling complex with a vast esplanade book-ended by two large churches. It is, however, a welcoming place no matter your religious inclination. Visitors can enjoy tours of the town’s Wax Museum, the Museum of Sacred Art and the Casa-Museu de Aljustrel, along with the splendid surrounding countryside and the multitude of souvenir shops selling everything from rosary beads to glow-in-the-dark statues of the Virgin Mary!