Road conditions vary. Routes may be winding and bumpy.
In some places within the region road conditions may vary. Routes may be winding, bumpy, or windswept. The roads on the coast are often bumpy with many curves. In the towns and villages, there are one-way streets and very narrow ones, where you need to be extra careful.
Do not drive tired and take regular breaks.
This is a universal recommendation worth remembering: Do not drive tired. While visiting Fatima, you may be tired from long walks, or from waking up too early, or from having gone to bed late, or from jet-lag.
Driving in Fatima may be different to driving in any other Portuguese city, especially if your visit takes place during pilgrimage, where thousands of people arrive on foot. Take breaks, rest for long enough, and drive safely!
Driving in the summer is different to driving in the winter.
Winter in this region is usually rainy and frosty. Rain can get tricky in bumpy roads. In January and February, in Fatima, you usually find icy roads due to frost, which only starts to disappear after 9 a.m.
While in the summer, Santarem is usually the hottest city in the country with temperatures around 35ºC (95ºF). While travelling in Ribatejo, pay particular attention to your tires and check whether the car is in conditions for long-distance driving. While on the coast, or near the fluvial beaches, pay special attention to pedestrians and bicycles.
In May, August, and October, during the periods of greater pilgrimage in Fatima, be particularly careful with people walking.
PUB