NAZARÉ, PORTUGAL

Posted: April 26, 2026 in Uncategorized
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You’ve probably seen on You Tube those videos of the crazy 100-foot waves that surfers try to conquer every year. Well, that happens during the winter months at Nazaré, Portugal. The primary factor in making those massive waves is an enormous underwater canyon, the Nazaré Canyon, that stretches for about 220 kilometers, running perpendicular to the shoreline. The deep-sea trench ends just a few meters off the shore of Praia do Norte, where the water depth is till about 20 meters. The drastic transition from deep to shallower water causes the enormous waves.

In the summer, Nazaré and Praia de Norte are quite a bit calmer! Almost hard to believe those waves actually can happen here.

That red lighthouse is where fans watch those crazy surfers do their thing!

I found Nazaré to be one of my favorite stops on my trip through Portugal…a sleepy surfer town with lots of restaurants and shops, and a great beach to walk.

Later in the day, the local soccer players come out and play until the sun goes down.
The view from my room balcony at Hotel Praia, where I stayed. A great little hotel with underground parking (a rarity) and excellent location for walking.
You can even do your laundry right on the street!

Of course, there’s the most casual meal to fantastic seafood available in Nazaré. The tiger prawns are the size of a lobster!

And they grow some really big oysters here, too!

And, being on the west coast of Portugal, you get great sunsets!

Plaia do Norte when the waves aren’t crazy! You can actually drive onto the beach. (The view is from the north side of the red lighthouse, whereas the town of Nazaré is south of it.)

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