Nazaré Beach

🏖️Nazaré beach: Mountains of waves

Think of the biggest wave you've ever seen... now forget that image and think of a 26-metre high building. That's the height of the wave that German surfer Sebastian Steudtner managed to surf in October 2020 on Nazaré beach, it was with this wave that he achieved the Guinness World Record for the highest wave surfed in the world.

🏆The beach of all records

It is on this beach that the record has already been broken several times, the beach of nazaré attracts every year thousands of surfing fans, as well as athletes, who seek to beat the record that has changed hands so many times, but has been achieved so many times on this same beach in central Portugal, located in the district of Leiria. This is a result of the strategic location of the Nazaré canyon, in fact it has the largest underwater ravine in Europe, 200 kilometres long and up to 5,000 metres deep.

🌊Giant waves but not only...

Nazaré beach is not only known for its huge waves. Its swimming area is one of the most popular on the west coast, not only for its pleasant atmosphere but also for its rich history and tradition. If you are lucky, you can still find women wearing the traditional seven-skirted costume on the beach, guarding sun-dried fish on stilts. And in the summer, traditional tents made of colourful striped fabric can be found.

It is also a beach with a history. Some of the first buildings - small wooden huts - date back to the 18th century - the time of the pirates - when this place was still called Pederneira Beach.

🔭Sítio da Nazaré: The highest viewpoint in the city

Nazaré is beautiful, both on the beach and at the Sítio da Nazaré, where many visitors go to get a great view of the beach, the sea and all the surroundings. To get there, visitors can take the century-old Nazaré funicular railway, which runs from the centre of the fishing village to its highest point. If you go there, bring a jacket or something to cover yourself from the strong Nazaré wind. It is also worth visiting the Church of Our Lady of Nazaré, located in the square of the same name, as well as the Vasco da Gama monument, the Dr Joaquim Manso Museum, the Suberco viewpoint and the Chapel of Memory, also called the Chapel of Memory, built by D. Fuas Roupinho, the mayor to whom Our Lady of Nazaré appeared.

In Sítio there is also the Ladeira Swing, one of the newest attractions in the area.

🏡The city of Nazaré and its surroundings

A visit to Nazaré beach is only complete after visiting Nazaré town. To get there, your own car is the best option, there are road connections to different Portuguese cities.  After visiting the city, there are several other places worth visiting. The Dry Fish Museum, inaugurated in 2016, the fort of São Miguel Arcanjo and the Nazaré lighthouse, where the surfing museum is located, are key attractions not to be missed.