For centuries Nazaré was a fishing village on the Atlantic coast between Lisbon and Coimbra, known for its traditions and its great crescent beach. For little more than a decade its name has travelled the world because of an exceptional natural phenomenon: the giant waves of Praia do Norte, among the tallest ever surfed.
The waves of Praia do Norte
Off Nazaré lies the Nazaré canyon, a submarine gorge about 200 kilometres long and up to 5,000 metres deep, the largest in Europe. The canyon concentrates the energy of Atlantic swells and, together with the shape of the coast, generates waves that exceed 20 metres in winter. In 2011 Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara rode a wave of about 24 metres here, later beaten by other records: the one by German Sebastian Steudtner, in 2020, was measured at 26.2 metres. The biggest waves usually form between October and March. The best viewpoint is the fort of São Miguel Arcanjo, with its lighthouse, which houses a small museum devoted to big-wave surfing.
The Sítio
Above the town, on the cliff, is the Sítio quarter, reached by a funicular running since 1889. Here they tell the legend of Dom Fuas Roupinho: in 1182 the knight, chasing a deer in the fog, was about to plunge off the cliff when he called on the Virgin, who stopped his horse at the edge of the abyss. The small Ermida da Memória recalls the miracle, and on the square stands the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, a pilgrimage site with a festival in September. The view from the viewpoint over the beach and rooftops is superb.
The town and its traditions
Praia da Nazaré, in front of the centre, is wide and sandy, excellent in summer. In the lanes of the lower town, some older women still wear the traditional costume with seven layered skirts, and on the beach you can see racks of fish drying in the sun, horse mackerel and mackerel, a tradition documented in the Dr. Joaquim Manso museum. Until the 1980s, before the harbour was built, boats were hauled up the beach by oxen.
Getting there
Nazaré is about an hour and a half from Lisbon by car (A8) or bus. A few kilometres away are Alcobaça, Batalha and Óbidos.