NAZARE

Nazare is known for it's famous Big Waves! Yes, world record breaking waves in Portugal!

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Nazare is split into two districts which is down town by the beach and on top of the hill known as Sítio.

Sítio has the best views, you can see the mountains of Mira de Aire and Serra dos Candeeiros and  the entire coastline from Nazaré to Peniche. Here you can visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazare, the Chapel of Our Lady of Nazare or Capelinha do Sitio, the bandstand dated 1897 and the viewpoint of Suberco. The best way to get to Sítio da Nazaré is by a funicular lift, the journey  is truly enchanting.

The North beach "Praia do Norte" known for its big and perfect waves can also be accessed from Sitio. This phenomenon is due to an underwater canyon which was formed by a rare geomorphologic accident, one of the biggest in the world and the biggest in Europe, which consists of a fault in the continental plate about 200 km's long and 5km's deep. This Canyon channels the entire swell of the Atlantic Ocean Coastline from Peniche all the way to Nazare, hence the formation of waves with unusual size compared to the rest of the Portuguese coast. It was in Praia do Norte that the largest world record wave was ever surfed, the first being 23 meters by Garret McNamara, in 2011 and in 2017 Rodrigo Koxa surfed a 24 meter wave, breaking garret's record.

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Down town Nazare is thriving with loads of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and shops. The beach is one of the most popular beaches in the summer as it is spacious and popular for families and still has the traditional fishing boats on display. Walking along the front you will be sure to see the  older ladies dressed in their traditional seven skirts, drying fish and selling it to the public.