Nazaré
Nazaré is a former fishing village in the Leiria district, located in the Oeste region, north of Lisbon. Nazaré has become famous in recent years due to the world's largest waves surfed at Praia do Norte, exceeding 35 meters in height. Nazaré hosts the Big Wave Nazaré Challenge, a stage of the World Surf Championship. It is a village characterized by narrow, winding streets, with Praia da Nazaré highly sought after by families in the summer, accessible via the Nazaré funicular, leading to Sítio da Nazaré. The local cuisine is rich in fresh fish, seafood, and goose barnacles.
The village of Nazaré is very popular during the summer for beach tourism, and in winter, it attracts a new community of big wave surfers who settle there to train and compete in the giant waves. It is common to see the "Nazarenas," known for their traditional seven-skirt outfits, advertising rooms for rent with signs in hand, to attract tourists to traditional accommodations in converted old fishermen's houses, now operating as local lodgings. Most accommodations are located in the lower part of the village, near Praia da Nazaré.
One of Nazaré's main highlights is its coastal avenue, where you can find traditional fish drying in nets in the sun, people strolling in the summer months, dozens of street artists, souvenir shops, restaurants, and various street vendors selling snacks and seafood.
Nazaré is an increasingly popular holiday destination due to the friendliness of its residents, its gastronomy, surfing, the village's authenticity, and safety.
Attractions to Visit in Nazaré (Top 10)
1. Praia da Nazaré: This is the village's most famous beach, situated in front of the lower town. It is the chosen spot for families during the summer, when you can see the typical blue and white striped canvas tents. With an extensive sandy area, Praia da Nazaré stretches along the coast to the Porto de Abrigo.
2. Sítio da Nazaré: Located at the highest point of Nazaré village, Sítio da Nazaré offers magnificent panoramic views of the village and Praia da Nazaré from the Miradouro do Suberco, situated at an altitude of 110 meters.
3. Praia do Norte: This beach is renowned for its giant waves and is one of the most sought-after locations for surfing and sport fishing. Near Praia do Norte, you can find the Gruta do Forno da Orca, a natural cave formed by erosion, accessible during low tide; the Duna da Aguieira, considered the largest consolidated dune in Europe; and the Norpark Water Park, offering various pools for adults and children, jacuzzis at around 30°C, a bar with a terrace, and a football field.
4. Miradouro do Monte Branco: Located in Jardim da Pedralva, Miradouro do Monte Branco offers views over the older part of Nazaré.
5. Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Nazaré: The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré began construction in the 14th century, following a visit by King Dom Fernando. The Sanctuary was improved during the reigns of Dom João I, Dom João II, Dom Manuel I, and Philip II. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré was completed in 1691, becoming one of Portugal's most important sanctuaries until the 19th century.
The main points of interest in the Sanctuary are:
- 6568 tiles by the Dutchman Williem van der Kloet, depicting parts of the story of Jonah, Joseph, and David, forming the most important collection of Dutch ceramics in Portugal;
- The painting dedicated to the legend of the apparition to Dom Fuas Roupinho, of Our Lady of Nazaré.
6. Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo: Built in 1577 by order of King D. Sebastião to protect Nazaré from attacks by Algerian, Moroccan, Dutch, and Norman pirates. It was improved in 1644 and withstood the French Invasions. Napoleon's troops were forced to take refuge here due to the revolt that ultimately expelled the invaders, which occurred in Pederneira and "Sítio da Nazaré." Near the Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo, there is a lighthouse built in 1903 and the Miradouro da Barbaçã.
7. Funicular or Elevador da Nazaré: The Nazaré Funicular was built to facilitate access to "Sítio da Nazaré" and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré. The funicular was inaugurated on July 28, 1889, designed by the Portuguese engineer of French origin Raul Mesnier du Ponsard, a disciple of Eiffel, responsible for most of the funiculars built in Lisbon. The Nazaré Funicular covers a distance of 318 meters in fifteen minutes, with a gradient of 42%. It currently transports approximately one million passengers per year.
8. Marginal da Nazaré: The Nazaré promenade runs along the entire sandy stretch of Praia da Nazaré. Along the walk, you can find numerous souvenir shops, craft stores, restaurants, ice cream parlors, a craft fair, horse mackerel and sardines drying in the sun on nets (known as "estendal" or "paneiros"), traditional fishing boats, and thousands of people walking. A must-visit spot for anyone visiting Nazaré.
9. Ermida da Memória: According to the legend of Nazaré's founding, the Ermida da Memória was commissioned by Dom Fuas Roupinho after the miracle of Our Lady of Nazaré. Over the centuries, it underwent several alterations, notably during the reigns of Dom Fernando in the 14th century and Philip II in the 16th century. Despite its small size, the Ermida da Memória is a highly sought-after site in the region. The main highlights are the Royal Shield; the 18th-century tiles by Master António Oliveira Bernardes; and the image of Our Lady of Conception.
10. Palácio Real: Built in 1718 by Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira de Mello, administrator of the Royal House of Our Lady of Nazaré, to accommodate the Royal Family during their pilgrimage to Nazaré. The main highlights are the records of visits by Dom João VI; and the large balustraded balcony.
The Beaches of Nazaré
- Praia da Nazaré (described above)
- Praia do Norte: This beach is known for its giant waves and for hosting the Big Wave Nazaré Challenge, a stage of the World Surf League. Giant waves are frequent at Praia do Norte during autumn and winter due to a very rare geomorphological anomaly known as the Nazaré Canyon. The Nazaré Canyon is the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world, with a continental shelf fault 170 kilometers long and five kilometers deep. It is due to the Nazaré Canyon that the energy of waves created in the Atlantic Ocean converges to reach the coast at Praia do Norte. It is a beach highly sought after by the world's best big wave surfers, including Garrett McNamara, Kai Lenny, Lucas "Chumbinho," Andrew Cotton, Justine Dupont, Nic Von Rupp, and Sebastian Steudtner, as well as the Portuguese Alexandre Botelho, and many others...
- Praia do Sul: Known for its tube-shaped wave that can reach up to three meters in height. It is a beach very popular with bodyboarders.
- Praia do Salgado: Located between Serra da Pescaria to the north and Serra dos Mangues to the south, it is highly sought after by those who wish to stay away from the hustle and bustle of Praia da Nazaré.
Curiosities about Nazaré
- Nazaré is the stage for world surfing records in giant waves at Praia do Norte;
- The village of 15,000 inhabitants is, according to The New York Times, the new mecca for the most extreme side of surfing;
- Surfing had an economic impact on Nazaré of €10.4 million between 2011 and 2014;
- The Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo receives over 150,000 tourists annually, with 174,000 in 2017, since its reopening in 2015;
- Nazaré is part of the World Surf League: the big wave world circuit, the Nazaré Challenge, was the third international competition with the most social interactions and views in 2017, surpassed only by the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA);
- The giant waves of Nazaré have been studied for over twenty years. The origin of waves of this magnitude is due to the well-known Nazaré Canyon, a fault in the continental shelf approximately 170 kilometers long and 5 kilometers deep;
- Garrett McNamara surfed the first giant wave in Nazaré at 23.77 meters on November 1, 2011.
Quick Facts about Nazaré
- Population: 15,158 inhabitants
- The main economic activities are fishing, tourism, and fruit and vegetable farming;
- Nazaré holds the Quality Coast award given by the European Commission, considered the largest independent international certification program for sustainable tourism destinations;
- Nazaré's handicrafts are among the richest in Portugal, with notable examples including the seven skirts of the Nazarenas, folklore, dried fish, typical dolls, and regional fishing boats;
- Nazaré is located in the Oeste region, a very rich area. Near the fishing town of Nazaré are the towns of Alcobaça, Batalha, Óbidos, Peniche, Fátima, Leiria, and Caldas da Rainha.
Map of Parishes in the Municipality of Nazaré
The municipality of Nazaré, located near Fátima, Alcobaça, Batalha, Tomar, and Óbidos, has approximately 15,000 inhabitants and is administratively organized into three parishes:
- Famalicão
- Nazaré
- Valado dos Frades
