Nazaré Portugal
A Perfect Day Trip from Ericeira
Nazaré is a small coastal town famous for big wave surfing. Taking the highway to Nazaré from Ericeira takes 1 hour and 20 minutes. If you want to avoid road tolls, or just enjoy the coastal scenery, the journey is 1 hour and 35 minutes. Thus Nazaré is a perfect day trip from Ericeira.
The Biggest Wave Ever
In November 2011, surfer Garrett McNamara, surfed the biggest wave ever ridden just outside the lighthouse at Praia do Norte in Nazaré. The wave measured a whooping 23.8 m (78 ft) and put both Nazaré and McNamara on the map.
This record was surpassed a few years later when Rodrigo Koxa surfed an even bigger wave, around 80 feet (24.38 m), in November 8, 2017. (On a side note we happened to share a few waves with Rodrigo last summer and on top of being an amazing surfer, he’s a super friendly dude. So bigup to Koxa.)
Thanks to social media and a general fascination for anything extreme, Nazaré became a wave pilgrimage destination, especially during the winter months.
The big wave is indeed impressing. Standing close to the lighthouse on a big day you really feel the enormous power of the Atlantic.
The Nazaré Underwater Canyon
The huge wave outside of the lighthouse in Nazaré is created by the Nazaré canyon, a highly unusual geological phenomenon. 5.000 meters deep and about 230 km long it’s the largest underwater canyon in Europe. Standing on the cliffs you will see nothing of this unusual phenomenon, but you will see the giant waves created by the phenomenon.
The swell should be big, minimum 3 meters, but preferably 6 meters. And there should be no (or very little) wind for Nazaré to be working its magic.
Big Wave Watching
When Nazaré is pumping there are tons of people watching, everyone having fun, there is a music festival kind of ambiance. For big wave watching November is the best month. But December, January and February occasionally dish out some big swells as well. Even if your day is not the biggest surf ever seen, its definitely worth going. And if you happen to be in Portugal during any other time, we still recommend a trip to Nazaré.
The Town of Nazaré
The vibe in Nazaré is different from all other places around Portugal. The town has its own unique traditions based on fishing. The wives of the fishermen here still wear seven colorful layers of skirts and a traditional headscarf. And along the seafront you can see the fishermen drying their catch of fish in the sun and repairing their boats alongside sunbathing holidaymakers.
The town is divided in three districts, Praia (beach), Pederneira and Sitio.
Praia being the part of Nazaré who is connected to the beach. The beach is very long and immensely popular in the summer. The Portuguese people love to come here for summer holiday.
The steep cliff to the north gives the beach protection from the wind. It is a 318 meter rock with an impressive drop to the sea, and it can be reached by foot if you are brave. Or by going up the funicular. You can also get there by car. At the top sits the Ermida da Memória chapel.
Sitio
Above the cliff you also have Sítio, the old village. We recommend doing a bit of exploring in Sitio before you settle down on one of the restaurants and order a Caldeirada à Nazarena. A rich fish-based stew typical of the area.
If you chose to spend a night in Nazaré there are several good accommodations, we recommend By the Beach. Due to such an influx of different kinds of people we also heard great things about the night life in Nazaré. Start out in Farol Gin bar and see where the night takes you.
Or head back to Ericeira with memories and pictures and inspiration to catch your own “big” wave.