Our Lady of Fátima Festival – Zava

The Festival of Our Lady of Fátima is one of the most beloved pilgrimages in the parish of Mogadouro, celebrated annually on the last Sunday of May in the village of Zava. In 2026, the festivities take place on May 31, bringing together faithful and visitors in a celebration that combines religious devotion and Trás-os-Montes tradition.

The pilgrimage has deep roots in the community of Zava, a small village annexed to the parish of Mogadouro, where devotion to Our Lady of Fátima is deeply embedded in the daily life of its inhabitants. The event marks one of the highlights of the religious and social calendar of this rural community in northeastern Trás-os-Montes.

The celebrations include a solemn mass, a procession through the village streets with the statue of Our Lady of Fátima, and moments of prayer and contemplation. The statue is carried by the faithful along a route decorated with flowers and offerings, in an atmosphere of profound spirituality that attracts devotees from across the region.

Beyond the religious component, the festival is also an occasion for socializing and sharing. Families from Zava and neighboring villages gather for a communal lunch featuring traditional Trás-os-Montes flavors: Mirandesa beef steak, cured meats, rye bread and regional sweets. It's a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the authenticity of transmontane gastronomy.

The village of Zava, set in the rugged and beautiful landscape of the Mirandese plateau, offers visitors a scene of rural tranquility that contrasts with the festival's liveliness. The granite houses, dirt paths and cultivated fields create a genuine atmosphere that transports visitors to a deep and authentic Portugal.

For tourists visiting Mogadouro at this time, the Festival of Our Lady of Fátima in Zava represents an unmissable opportunity to experience a popular Portuguese religious tradition in its purest and most communal form, far from conventional tourist circuits.