Halfway between Lisbon and Porto lies one of our favourite places in all of Portugal. He
re the cold Atlantic meets Portugal’s Silver Coast, or Costa da Prata, in the most spectacular way.
Visiting Nazare and looking for things to do?
You’re in the right place!
The thick blankets of fog and gigantic waves crashing into the land are met by a wide-open beach where young and old sun themselves, men mend their fishing nets and women dry the catch. One of the most beautiful places in Portugal, Nazare ticks every box for a perfect Atlantic beach holiday with many things to do. Nazare should definitely be on your Portugal wish list.
While many flock south to the Algarve for their Portugal beach holiday, Nazare remains fairly undiscovered. Praise be! Unless you’re a surfer, though. Every surfer knows Nazare in Portugal is home to the world’s biggest wave.
Nazare is the place where the Atlantic shows off all her strength. Even if you’re not a surfer, magical Nazare still has many things to do. It’s always a good time to visit Nazare.
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Quick Guide to Nazare
Where we stayed in Nazare: Zulla Nazare Surf Village
When did we go? July
Suggested time: Three days minimum
How to get there: Nazare does not have a train station. It’s best to arrive by bus or car. From Lisbon, buses take 1.5-2 hours, and about 2 hours from Porto. You can book your bus tickets here.
Top tips: Get a multi-ticket pass for the funicular between Sitio and Praia
Unique experience We loved the Surf Museum inside the Farol da Nazare
Reasons to Visit Nazare, Portugal
Nazare is our favourite beach town in Portugal, and we love Nazare for many reasons. The power of nature never fails to impress, and here in Nazare, Mother Nature puts up a spectacular show. Incredible monster waves, sometimes up to 30 meters in height, charge and slam into the cliffs.
Thick blankets of fog, which can last for days, come as a welcome respite after roasting on the beach the days before. Pine and eucalyptus forests give way to coastal dunes. The dunes, in turn, fade into long stretches of empty beach where you can feel the wind on your face and taste the salt in the air.
Spectacular nature aside, Nazare is a mouthwatering place to feast upon local gastronomy and, like elsewhere in Portugal, the seafood is outstanding.
We stayed in Nazare for 4 nights on our Spain and Portugal trip. Here in Nazare, we took a break from sightseeing and simply enjoyed being on holiday for a few days.
Updown/Downtown: Sitio & Praia
The town consists of two parts, Sitio and Praia (beach), which have very different feels. In the north, you get the neighbourhood of Sitio, which sits high on a cliff overlooking the main town of Praia below. A funicular connects Sitio and Praia, and it’s a spectacular ride.
Clifftop Sitio is small and intimate and has an old-town feel to it. It offers a spectacular view over the beach and Nazare below. A nice walk down the dunes will take you to Praia do Norte (North Beach) which is vast, wild and home to the big waves.
Praia, at the bottom of the cliff, is a seaside resort with tons of restaurants and shops along the promenade and in its narrow streets. Praia de Nazare has a golden stretch of sand where holidaymakers swarm for swimming, sunbathing and surf lessons.
The Legend of Nazare
According to the legend of Nazare, a knight was hunting on the cliff of Sitio overlooking the ocean. The knight was chasing after a deer when heavy fog suddenly rolled in. The deer, blinded by the fog, ran over the cliff’s edge and fell to its death. Unable to stop his horse from following the deer, the knight called out to Our Lady to save him from certain death. His horse, though blinded by the fog, miraculously stopped at the edge of the cliff, saving the knight. Various scenes depicting this legend can be seen all around Nazare.
What to Do in Sitio, Nazare
Quiet and laid-back Sitio is where we stay for 4 nights. With several excellent restaurants in the neighbourhood and the best views, Sitio makes the perfect base for your Nazare holiday.
Church of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré
A large square is the main focal point in Sitio, and the baroque Igreja Nossa Senhora da Nazaré church is its centrepiece. According to the Legend of Nazare, this church was built near the spot where the deer jumped over the cliff.
The church houses a statue of the Virgin Mary, which they say was carved by the Virgin Mary’s husband, Joseph, in Nazareth. As a result, this town in Portugal is called Nazare.
The Statue of Veado
Walking down towards the lighthouse, you’ll first pass a gateway welcoming you to Praia do Norte – Home to the biggest wave in the world. A little farther down the road, you’ll pass Veado.
With the head of a deer and the body of a surfer, the statue honours the Legend of Nazare as well as the surfers who come here to brave the monster waves. Continue walking down the road and enjoy the splendid views until you reach the lighthouse.
The Nazare Lighthouse & Surf Museum
The small Farol da Nazare (lighthouse) sits atop the much older Sāo Miguel Arcanjo fort. This is the absolute best place to come and see Nazare’s famous waves. You’ll be in for a spectacular show if you are here when the swell is in.
Big-wave season usually runs during the winter months. We were in luck, though, and Nazare treated us to what she does best. On our last day in Nazare, the swell came in, and we were left speechless by the power of the waves we saw from the lighthouse.
The reason for these monster waves is the result of a massive underwater canyon just in front of the fort. The waves are drastically amplified as they reach the shore because of the drastic difference in depth of the ocean floor.
The fort is home to a small surfing museum, which is pretty cool, even for non-surfers like us. On display are many surfboards from gutsy surfers who had braved these monster waves. We loved the quotes on display describing what it feels like to surf these beasts.
Nazare’s greatness does not lie only on the size of its waves, but in the magic that surrounds the whole town. I will always be greatful for having the opportunity to ride Nazare’s waves and to be part of all its magic.
Abraham Hochstrasser – surfer
Things to Do in Praia, Nazare
Ride the Funicular Between Praia and Sitio
Getting between Sitio and Praia is easy with the funicular. Not only is it very convenient, but the views are stunning too. If you’re going to be in town for a few days we recommend getting a multi-ride pass. We got a 6 ride pass for €5. A single ride costs €1.50.
Enjoy the Beach in Nazare
Young and old in all shapes and sizes come down to the Praia (beach) in Nazare to …well…do what people do on a beach. Praia do Nazare, right under the cliff, is where all the action takes place. It does get pretty busy, but the vibe is fantastic, and everyone is having a good time.
You can rent a little beach cabana for €7 per day and make yourself at home. Vendors selling snacks come around every so often, or there are many restaurants on the promenade.
As for swimming, the water here is COLD, but that’s to be expected from the Atlantic. Even in summer, the water temperature only goes up to 22°C. But that’s all part of the fun for me. Nothing refreshes like an icy dip after roasting in the sun. Bobbing up and down with the swell, my skin stinging with cold, is exhilarating. The water is clean, deep blue and the surf frothy white. What more could you ask for? I rest my case.
See the Traditional Fishing Boats on Nazare Beach
Walk further down the promenade, away from the cliff, and you’ll see brightly coloured, traditional fishing boats on the beach. Follow your nose, and a little farther down the beach, you will find women drying sardines, octopus and other fish on racks in the sun.
Our Favourite Restaurants in Nazare
The seafood in Nazare is amazing, as to be expected of a town on the Atlantic. There are tons of places to eat, especially in Praia. Since we stayed in Sitio, we mostly ate there.
As elsewhere in Portugal, your table in Nazare will come with starters such as bread, olives, and cheese. This is not free, so if you don’t want it, don’t eat it. If you prefer to eat, say, only the olives, you will only pay for the olives.
Sitiado
This sexy little place does great tapa-sized dishes. Here, we also learned about P&T, which quickly became our go-to drink while in Portugal. Port and Tonic, served with a cinnamon stick and orange peel, is the perfect aperitif drink to set the mood for the meal to follow.
Casa Pires
We referred to Casa Pires as the Place With No Name since there is no sign outside. With food this good though, who needs a sign?
Located right next to the church on Sitio’s main square, it is very easy to find, even without a name. The food, service and atmosphere were fantastic.
The bread basket here is damn good, so definitely don’t push that away. We had a whole grilled seabream, which was excellent.
location
Ole
Aptly named Restaurant Ole sits next to the bullring in Sitio.
This is a family-run restaurant where ladies grill seafood right outside on the patio. The mixed seafood grill comes with 3 kinds of fresh fish of the day, squid and vegetables. For dessert, your waiter will bring a tray of sweets for you to choose from. Your waiter will also treat you to a complimentary shot of Ginja at the end of your meal.
We liked it so much that we came back here twice.
Seafood in Praia
Down in Praia, there are tons of cafes and restaurants to choose from. Barnacles are pretty popular little seafood snacks to wash down with beer.
Jin says they are called Turtle Claws in Korean, which is a pretty accurate description. Crispy and light bacalhau (salted, dread cod) are easy snacks, too, when you get hungry on the beach.
Where to Stay in Nazare
You’re probably on Google already typing Best place to stay in Nazare 🙂 Stop wasting your time; we’ll tell you a little secret.
We stayed at the phenomenal Zulla Nazare’s Surf Village in Sitio for 4 nights. We loved the pool and surf vibes, and it really felt like we were on an Atlantic surf holiday – even for non-surfers. If you’re looking to up your surf game, they also have surf lessons on offer.
You can be on the wild Praia do Norte in no time by walking through the forests and dunes. It’s also just a short walk to the funicular that will take you down to Nazare beach.
How to Get to Nazare
Nazare is about halfway between Lisbon and Porto. Since there is no train station in Nazare, it’s best to get there by bus if you don’t have your own wheels. Buy your tickets online here. Buses leave from Sete Rios in Lisbon every hour between 09:00 and 19:00. The journey takes less than 2 hours and costs 11.40€.
A few buses are heading from Nazare to Porto throughout the day. It should take about 3.5 hours to reach Porto and cost 16.10€.
Should You Visit Nazare?
YES!
Nazare is a must-see for anyone travelling in Portugal. We really enjoyed Nazare and will definitely go back there again. If you are looking for a laid back beach holiday, surfing, and good food, you can’t go wrong with good old Nazare.
