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Like many other countries, Morocco exists in the liminal space between vibrant LGBTQ culture and a hostile legal framework. What does that mean for travelers?

Since 2018, the account “Sleep in Africa” has been profiling Black-owned hotels and accommodations across the continent.

In a small coastal village, a group of Moroccan women have formed the first female artisanal fishing cooperative of its kind.

How does travel make you happy? In our first-ever Travel Happiness Survey, presented by the Aruba Tourism Authority, we turned that question over to you.

You may know that Yellowstone is the world’s oldest national park and that the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. But there are plenty of other superlative spots out there that rarely get their due.

The real foragers aren’t in San Francisco or Copenhagen. They’re tromping through Morocco’s mushroom-gilded forests.

The Markets of Essaouira, Morocco

The square at Fatima is vast. It can hold twice as many pilgrims as the square at the Vatican in Rome. ( Another large beautiful plaza). After walking down the steps at the entrance to the square, I walked to the middle of the square. To my left was the info center and the candle stands, then the Capelinha (built on the spot where Our Lady appeared in 1917), behind the Chapel was the Fatima Hospital, in front of me, I saw the Basilica and its esplanades on each side of the edifice. As I turned around in the immense space, I saw the new Church of the Holy Trinity which is very modern and low to the ground. (I realize that pilgrimage sites need to expand to accommodate the growing crowds but it is beyond me that these new structures are always so cold and unattractive. A thing of beauty usually inspires. Lourdes, Knock, and Fatima have new churches that just don’t seen to blend in well). The square at Fatima usually has several hundred faithful daily but that changes on the 13th of the months from May until October. These are the days of the original apparitions.. The area is packed with thousands and thousands of pilgrims. The reverence is palpable. The silence is profound. As I stood there I felt so small in this grand square. Awe is the word that came to mind. I was truly awed by the size and the beauty and the entire Fatima story.

The parish church of Fatima is in a little hamlet called Aljustrel. It is just down the road from the Cova da Iria, Fatima. The three shepherd children were baptized there and there attended Mass with their relatives and neighbors.The baptismal font in which the three shepherds were baptized is just inside the door on the left side. There are pictures and some history in the alcove. The interior has a good deal of marble and is surprisingly large. The parish cemetery is just across the street from the church and the Marto children were first buried there. In 1951 and 1952, Jacinta then Francisco were interred at the Cova da Iria in the new Basilica as it was being built. Lucia, the eldest seer, was buried there in 2005. She died at 98 years of age at a convent in Coimbra, Portugal. Family members are buried in the parish cemetery. One of the children’s brothers, Joao who died in 2000 at the age of 94, is interred there. When I walked inside the walls of the cemetery, I could feel a stillness and calm quiet. This is a stop that adds another layer of history to the story of the miracle of Fatima. One of the best restaurants in the Fatima area, Tia Alice, is just across the street on Rua do Adro. I enjoyed local dishes and local wines at Tia Alice...... Delicious.

Fatima needed a larger church so they had the Church of the Most Holy Trinity built. This huge church was constructed between 2004 and 2007. It seats about 8,500 persons. You can see the church in the background of the photo. On the right, you see the covering over the little chapel, the apparition site. The church was paid for by donations from faithful pilgrims at a cost of about 80 million Euros. The design is of Byzantine architecture. Check the schedules for Masses and events to see where you go to attend. The Mass may be at the Capelinha, the Basilica, or the Church. Fatima is steadily growing. The little town is now like a small city. Sometimes outside the Sanctuary, it’s too busy for me.

On our vacation to Portugal, my husband and I rented a car and drove the 86 miles from Lisbon to Fatima. (There are also bus trips that you can schedule at your hotel in Lisbon). We had planned a pilgrimage to this famous town during our trip. Fatima is one of the Catholic Churches’ most important sites. The huge esplanade is two times as large as St. Peter’s in Rome. The entire area is beautiful and peaceful. I was awed as I walked to church for Mass, bought and lit candles, participated in the candlelight processions, and walked the grounds while meditating. We stayed at the Hotel Fatima which is right next door to the basilica and very convenient. There are many restaurants, hotels, and stores in Fatima. The information center on the grounds is very helpful. You will learn about the miraculous story of Fatima. Check it out as you arrive. This is a rewarding trip when visiting Portugal.

Fatima is one of the most important religious pilgrimage sites in the world. Pilgrims travel to Fatima year round but the 13th of the months of May to October are the days that celebrate the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to the three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria ( a valley) in the parish of Fatima in 1917. On those days you may be in a crowd of thousands of pilgrims many of whom arrived from hours away on foot. A pilgrimage to this holy site is a very special experience.

In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, journalist Sally Kohn travels to the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, to learn what it’s like to live and work there.

Founded in 859 by the pious Tunisian entrepreneur Fatima al-Fihri, the Qarawiyin is the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Originally the course of study was entirely focused on the Koran (prospective students still need to have memorized the religious text in its entirety before applying), but over the centuries, music, medicine, and astronomy were added to the curriculum, as well as practices like Sufism. This multidisciplinary place of learning is thought to have become the blueprint for universities everywhere—and it’s still possible for young Muslims to earn a first-class honors degree here. The mosque, which also boasts an area for women’s worship, has space for 22,000 people, making it the biggest in Africa. Though non-Muslims can only glimpse the interior of the complex through various doorways, there have been recent reports that the library may open to the public at some point. (Also note there are several spellings for the university’s name: Kairaouine and Qarawiyyin seem to be the most frequently seen.)

The pilgrimage site of Fatima is located in the parish of Fatima at the Cova da Iria. The Cova belonged to the families of three shepherd children who pastured the family’s sheep there. The children were Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco Marto and his younger sister, Jacinta. The children were playing one day in the fields when a beautiful Lady appeared to them. And the miraculous story and history of Fatima began. I recently completed a three day pilgrimage to Fatima. I stayed at the Hotel Fatima which is next to the sanctuary at Rua Joao Paulo II. The hotel was clean and very neat. The staff went out of their way to be helpful. The suite had a large balcony which enabled me to listen to the beautiful hymns from the sanctuary while I meditated. I stared at the spire of the Basilica and thought about the story of Fatima. The location of the hotel was ideal. This religious journey affected me deeply. I participated in all of the events and ceremonies that occur at Fatima: Masses, confessions, holy hours, beautiful candlelight processions, lit candles for special intentions, and delivered prayer petitions from friends and relatives. I experienced a profoundly peaceful experience. After three days, I ended my Fatima pilgrimage. I took my peaceful and rested self up to Aveiro to continue my trip. There is an information center at the left of the bottom of the staircase as you enter the Sanctuary. Your hotel will also have maps and information.