Portugal / The Silver Coast & Central Portugal / NazaréNazaré
A Fishing Town Below the World's Biggest Waves
A fishing town on a long sandy bay, with the clifftop quarter of Sítio above it by funicular and fish still dried on racks on the beach. From about October to March the Nazaré Canyon, an undersea gorge, builds the biggest waves ever surfed off Praia do Norte, watched from the Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo and its lighthouse; in summer the main beach is a family beach, though the water is cold and the currents strong. The UNESCO-listed Alcobaça Monastery (15 minutes) and Batalha Monastery (30 minutes) are close, and Fátima is under an hour away.
Highlights
- Big-wave days at Praia do Norte (October-March)
- Funicular up to Sítio
- The lighthouse fort of São Miguel Arcanjo
- Fish drying on the beach
- Alcobaça Monastery
- Batalha Monastery
Things to do
- Funicular to Sítio and the lighthouse fort over Praia do NorteMorning · 2h
- Nazaré beach and the fish-drying racksAfternoon · 3h
- Alcobaça MonasteryMorning · 2h
- Seafront dinner and the sunset over the bayEvening · 2h
Tours & tickets
Tourisma may earn a small commission if you book — it never changes your price.
When to go
Best time: June – September
Worth knowing
Giant Waves: Keep Off the North Beach
From October to March the Atlantic swells over the Nazaré Canyon build waves of 20 metres and more off Praia do Norte: spectacular from the lighthouse fort, deadly at the water's edge, where sudden surges have swept people away. Stay behind the barriers and off the rocks, and check the surf forecast if you want to see a big day.
- Big-wave season in Nazaré — When a big Atlantic swell meets the Nazaré Canyon, waves of 20 metres and more break off Praia do Norte, and the world's big-wave surfers ride them, towed in by jet ski. The surf contest is called at a few days' notice within a winter window; on any big day the lighthouse fort and the cliff are crowded from the morning.