Nazaré
PortugalCsa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Onde o Atlântico ruge | Where the Atlantic roars
Why visit
Nazaré has gone from quaint to mythic. Climb to the Sítio neighborhood by funicular for views of the giant Atlantic swells crashing on Praia do Norte, from October to March, the world's best big-wave surfers risk their lives here on monstrous waves. The 16th-century São Miguel Arcanjo lighthouse and fortress is now a small surf museum. The lower town's Praia da Vila beach is broad and friendly. Eat caldeirada (fish stew) and grilled sardines, watch widow-women still drying fish in the sun, and join the September pilgrimage of Our Lady of Nazaré.
When to avoid
Praia do Norte is dangerous, the same waves that draw pros kill amateurs. Don't enter the water there. Rip currents are lethal. Watch from the headland. Summer (July to August) brings serious crowds. The town can feel overrun. Restaurant prices spike accordingly. Big-wave season in winter brings storms that can make the headland viewpoint windy and freezing. The funicular line gets long. Consider the early morning ride. Don't haggle aggressively with the older fish-drying widows, it's seen as disrespectful.
