Nazaré | A cozy town with the biggest waves in the world
Just over an hour drive north from Ericeira is Nazaré, a picturesque seaside town with big, sandy beaches. Already for a long time it has been very popular among tourists in the summer, but in the recent years it has also become known worldwide for the huge waves breaking in front the lighthouse of the town. The current world record of biggest wave ever surfed is in Nazaré!
SUMMER IN NAZARÉ
During the summertime Nazaré is a great destination for a leisure day trip from Ericeira. You can explore the narrow old streets of ‘Nazaré Praia’ located right next to the beach and enjoy fresh seafood for lunch in one of the many restaurants on the boulevard. After that take the historical funicular train up the hill to enjoy the majestic views from ‘Nazaré Sitio’. In the afternoon lay your towel on the half-moon shaped beach and enjoy an ice-cold beer. Praia da Nazaré is one of the only beaches in Portugal that still retains the very colourful fishing traditions so there is a big chance you will see some local fishermen.
For culture-lovers there are many places to visit, especially in the ‘Sítio’ area. At the top sits the Ermida da Memória chapel, famous for the story from 1182 of the miracle that Our Lady prevented the horse of a local nobleman leaping over the cliffs when he was chasing a deer. True or not, the Suberco Belvedere viewpoint shows the imprint left in the rock by one of the horse’s hooves that foggy morning. Nowadays there is also a modern sculpture of a deer holding a surfboard, overlooking the ‘Farol de Nazaré’ lighthouse and the waves. ‘Sítio’ also houses the Shrine to Our Lady of Nazaré and not far away, the Dr. Joaquim Manso Museum for more details about the history and traditions of the town.
Below you can see a nice video with aerial view from the town and its surroundings on a beautiful day:
NAZARÉ FROM AUTUMN TO SPRING
If you happen to be around in the season from autumn to spring, there is a good chance to see some of the biggest waves in the world breaking just in front of the ‘Farol de Nazaré’ lighthouse. A winding road goes down from ‘Sítio’ towards the lighthouse, and already from far away you can see the giant waves approaching. The Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara received worldwide publicity in 2011 when he rode what was back then the biggest wave in the world at Praia do Norte (the beach at the light house). He won the Billabong XXL Global BigWave Award and entered the Guinness Book of World Records. Since then, big-wave surfers from all around the world have ventured to Praia do Norte during the winter season to take on the mystical beast of the ocean. In October 2020 German surfer Sebastian Steudtner set a new world record with his 26.21 meter (86 feet) high wave!
WHY ARE THE WAVES IN NAZARÉ SO BIG?
This is possible because of the Nazaré Canyon, an underwater geomorphological phenomenon that allows the swell to form to perfect giant waves. It is the largest underwater canyon in Europe, about 170 kilometers along the coast, reaching a staggering depth of 5,000 meters.
The following elements contribute to the wave size in Nazaré:
1. The deep canyon makes waves come in with more speed.
2. The difference of depths between the continental shelf and the canyon changes swell speed and direction.
3. A rapid depth reduction makes the wave stand up.
4. The wave from the canyon meets the wave from the continental shelf and pushes the wave into a peak with an increased size.
5. A water channel from shore pushes water towards the incoming waves and increases its size even more.
In general, the waves at Praia do Norte are always around 4 times bigger than for example in Ericeira. Even on days when the waves are not that big, the lighthouse and the views from it are well worth a visit. In the lighthouse you can visit a big-wave museum where they showcase boards of various big-wave surfers, information and graphics about the underwater canyon and much more.
