Nazare: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Nazaré is two towns, the fishermen's town on the beach and the Sítio on the cliff a hundred metres above it, and a funicular joins them. Up top is the legend that gave the place its name and, around the point, the beach where the largest waves ever surfed come in. About two hours on foot; from October to March, check the swell forecast and go when the big days are on.
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A short history of Nazare
According to tradition, in 1182 the knight Fuas Roupinho was chasing a deer in the fog, and his horse stopped right at the edge of the cliff after he prayed to a statue of Mary that had been hidden there. A small chapel was built on the spot, and the village on the cliff, O Sítio, became a place of pilgrimage. Below, on the beach, a fishing village grew up, and for generations oxen hauled the colourful wooden boats onto the sand. Off the northern beach runs a deep underwater canyon about 200 kilometres long, which focuses the winter waves to exceptional heights. In 2011 the surfer Garrett McNamara rode a wave of about 24 metres here, and in 2017 the Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa broke the record with a wave of about 24.4 metres. Since then Nazaré has been known worldwide as the place with the biggest waves.
The ten best sights in Nazare
1Sanctuary of Our Lady of NazaréThe baroque church on the Sítio square, with a tiled sacristy and the old image behind the altar
2Chapel of the MemoryA tiny tiled chapel on the cliff edge, where the legend of Nazaré began
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3Joaquim Manso Museum
The ethnographic museum of the fishing town, in a house on the Sítio
4Fort of São Miguel ArcanjoThe fort and lighthouse on the point above Praia do Norte, with an exhibition on the big-wave surfers
5Alcobaça MonasteryThe great Cistercian abbey 15 km inland, with the tombs of Pedro and Inês
6Batalha MonasteryThe monastery of the battle, 30 minutes inland; the Unfinished Chapels open to the sky
7Praia do NorteThe big-wave beach north of the point; watch from the fort, never swim here
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8Nazaré Beach
The long town beach in front of the old fishermen's quarter, sheltered by the cliff
9Nazaré FunicularThe cable railway from the beach town up the cliff to the Sítio; runs every few minutes
10Suberco ViewpointThe balcony at the edge of the Sítio, with the whole beach and town below
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Nazare →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Nazare:
Free walking tours in Nazare
The Sítio and the big waves
Nazaré is two towns, the fishermen's town on the beach and the Sítio on the cliff a hundred metres above it, and a funicular joins them. Up top is the legend that gave the place its name and, around the point, the beach where the largest waves ever surfed come in. About two hours on foot; from October to March, check the swell forecast and go when the big days are on.
- Nazaré Funicular · The funicular opened in 1889 to carry pilgrims from the beach up to the sanctuary, and it climbs the cliff in about three minutes. It was electrified in the 1960s, and it is still the way most people go up.
- Chapel of the Memory · By the legend, in 1182 the knight Dom Fuas Roupinho was chasing a deer in the fog when his horse reached the edge of this cliff; he called on the Virgin and the horse stopped, its hoof on the rock. He built the chapel over the spot, and a mark in the stone is shown as the hoofprint.
- Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré · The small dark image of the Virgin was said to have been carved in Nazareth and carried to Portugal by a monk fleeing the Moors in 711, and the town took its name from it. The present church is of the seventeenth century, with tiles from the Netherlands in the sacristy.
- Joaquim Manso Museum · The museum is in the summer house of Joaquim Manso, the journalist who founded the newspaper Diário de Lisboa in 1921. It keeps the boats, nets and seven-skirt costumes of the fishing families of Nazaré.
- Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo · The fort was built in the sixteenth century to guard the bay against pirates, and its lighthouse is the platform from which the world watches Praia do Norte. Inside, boards of the big-wave surfers hang on the walls.
- Praia do Norte · In 2011 the Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara rode a wave here of about 24 metres, and since then the records have kept coming from this beach; in 2020 the German Sebastian Steudtner rode one of 26.2 metres. The canyon offshore, up to five kilometres deep, focuses the swell on this one stretch of sand.
The fishermen's town
Below the cliff is the town that lives from the sea, and until the harbour was built it launched its boats straight through the surf. This walk goes from the harbour along the beach past the drying racks to the market, then climbs to Pederneira, the village that was here first. About two hours, flat except for the last climb; mornings are best, when the market and the racks are busy.
- Nazaré Harbour · The fishing fleet now works from this harbour south of the beach, and the catch is auctioned at the fish market on the quay. Before it was built, the boats had to be pushed out through the breakers and hauled back up the sand.
- Dried Fish on the Sand · Horse mackerel, sardines and other small fish are split, salted and laid on nets stretched over wooden frames on the sand, and dried for a day or two in the sun and wind. The women who dry them sell them from the racks, and they are eaten grilled or as a snack with bread.
- Nazaré Beach · Older women of Nazaré still sometimes wear the traditional seven petticoats one over another, with a shawl and a black apron. Nobody agrees why seven: the seven days, the seven waves, or simply to keep warm on the beach waiting for the boats.
- Nazaré Municipal Market · The market sells what the night boats landed: sardines in summer, scabbardfish, octopus and the dried fish from the beach. Upstairs and around it are fruit and vegetables from the Oeste, the farming country behind the coast.
- Pederneira · Pederneira is older than the beach town, and the pillory in its square marks it as the seat of the old municipality. The shore below was settled for good only when the threat of pirates had passed.
- Pederneira Misericórdia Church · The church of the Misericórdia stands at the edge of the hill, and from its square the view takes in the whole bay, the beach town and the Sítio cliff opposite. It is the quiet place to end the walk.
Monasteries, a battle and a shell bay
Inland from Nazaré lies the heart of medieval Portugal: the Cistercian abbey that cleared and farmed this country, the field where Portugal kept its independence in 1385, and the monastery built to give thanks for it. The drive back runs to the coast at the round bay of São Martinho. About 110 km; both monasteries need an hour or more each.
- Alcobaça Monastery · In the church, facing each other across the transept, are the carved tombs of King Pedro I and Inês de Castro, placed so that at the resurrection the first thing each sees will be the other. The abbey was founded in 1153 and is a World Heritage site.
- Aljubarrota · The village tells of Brites de Almeida, the baker, who after the battle of 1385 found seven Castilian soldiers hiding in her oven and killed them with her bread paddle. The Padeira de Aljubarrota became a national heroine, and the paddle a symbol.
- Aljubarrota Battlefield · On 14 August 1385 King João I and his commander Nuno Álvares Pereira beat a much larger Castilian army on this plateau, with the help of English archers. The interpretation centre stands on the field and tells the battle with a film and the finds.
- Batalha Monastery · João I vowed the monastery before the battle and began it in 1386; he lies in the Founder's Chapel beside his English queen, Philippa of Lancaster, the two effigies holding hands. The Unfinished Chapels behind the church were never roofed and still stand open to the sky.
- Salir do Porto · On the far side of São Martinho bay rises one of the highest sand dunes in Portugal, and you can climb it from the village. Salir was a shipbuilding port when the bay was deeper, before the silt closed it in.
- São Martinho do Porto · The bay is a near-perfect circle of sand, closed by two headlands with a gap of a few hundred metres to the ocean. Inside it the Atlantic is calm and shallow, which is why families come here when Nazaré is too rough.
Getting to Nazare and getting around
- Nazaré Bus Station · Express coaches to Lisbon in under two hours, and to Leiria, Alcobaça and Coimbra
- Valado Station · The nearest station, 6 km inland on the slow West Line; a bus or taxi covers the last stretch
- Lisbon Airport · About an hour and a quarter by the A8; the usual way in for this coast
Cheap eats in Nazare
Nazaré eats what its boats bring in: grilled sardines in summer, caldeirada, the fishermen's stew of several fish with potato and tomato, and carapau seco, the horse mackerel dried on the beach. Most restaurants are in the grid of lanes behind the seafront, and a plate of grilled fish with salad and potatoes costs about €12-16. For something sweet, the wet sponge cake of Alfeizerão is made ten minutes south.
- Taberna d'Adélia · Seafood and grilled fish a street back from the beach, about €14-22
- A Tasquinha · Small family tasca in the old quarter; grilled sardines and dish of the day about €10-14
- Rosa dos Ventos · Fish and seafood in the old quarter, about €12-18
- Maria do Mar · Caldeirada, the fish stew, and grilled fish; about €12-18
- Café do Largo · Coffee and a pastry on the Sítio square, by the sanctuary, about €2-3
- Dried fish stall · A bag of dried horse mackerel from the racks, about €3-6
Museums in Nazare
- Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo · The surf exhibition inside the fort; small, and the view is half the visit
- Joaquim Manso Museum · Boats, nets and costumes of the fishing town; about 45 minutes
- Alcobaça Monastery · Church, cloister and the vast kitchen with a stream running through it
- Batalha Monastery · Gothic church, royal tombs and the Unfinished Chapels; about 90 minutes
- Aljubarrota Battlefield · Film and finds of the battle of 1385, on the field itself
Nature and day trips near Nazare
- Praia do Norte · Watch the big swell from the fort; dangerous currents even on quiet days
- Suberco Viewpoint · The edge of the Sítio cliff, best at sunset
- São Martinho do Porto · Calm, shallow water in a round bay
- Salir do Porto Dune · Climb the big dune at the end of the bay
- Pinhal de Leiria · The great pine forest north of Nazaré, with paths and empty beaches
Things to do in Nazare with kids
- Nazaré Funicular · Up and down the cliff in three minutes; children want to do it twice
- São Martinho do Porto · The safest swimming nearby, in the shallow bay
- Dried Fish on the Sand · See how fish are dried in the sun, and taste one
- Salir do Porto Dune · Run down a giant sand dune
- Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo · Giant surfboards and the lighthouse
Where to eat in Nazare
- Taberna d'Adélia · Book for dinner in summer; seafood rice for two
- Pangeia · Restaurant in Pederneira, away from the seafront crowds
- Maria do Mar · Fish stew and grilled fish in the old quarter
- Ribamar · Seafront restaurant with a view of the beach at dusk
- Bar da Adega · A small bar in the lanes for a glass after dinner
- Sítio at sunset · Take the funicular up after dinner and watch the light go from the cliff
Frequently asked questions about Nazare
What is there to see in Nazare?
The top sights in Nazare are Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré, Chapel of the Memory and Joaquim Manso Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Nazare?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Nazare without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Nazare?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Nazare, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Sítio and the big waves.
How do you get to Nazare and get around?
The main ways are Nazaré Bus Station, Valado Station and Lisbon Airport. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Nazare, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Nazare that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Nazare for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.