2 Best Sights in Estremadura and the Ribatejo, Portugal

Alpiarça is a pleasant little town 7 km (4 miles) northeast of Almeirim on the N118. Here you'll have the chance to see how a wealthy country gentleman lived at the beginning of the 20th century. The Casa dos Patudos, now a museum, was the estate of José Relvas, a diplomat and prosperous local farmer. This unusual three-story manor house with its zebra-stripe spire is surrounded by gardens and vineyards and is filled with an impressive assemblage of ceramics, paintings, and furnishings—including Portugal's foremost collection of Arraiolos carpets.

These are the two cottages in the nearby hamlet of Aljustrel, where the three shepherd children who reported seeing the Virgin Mary were born. To reach them, from Fátima's Rotunda Sul (south roundabout) take the N360 to Aljustrel for just over 1 km (½ mile) and turn right onto Rua dos Pastorinhos, then follow the parking signs ("parque ligeiros"). The two houses—Lúcia's and that of her two cousins—are a 5-minute walk apart; their simple interiors aim to give visitors some idea of what life was like in those times, while displaying some of the children's personal items.