PORTUGAL Nazare Surfing 100 Foot Waves in Nazare, Portugal
- mcoelho813
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Quick Facts
Famous for extra-large waves
Historic fishing town with women who wear layers of skirts
On the Silver Coast of Portugal
Famous for Nazare Canyon
Has the largest underwater canyon in Europe, about 170 km, with a depth of 5000meters
Dates back to the 17th century
On May 20, 1945, a Nazi submarine was spotted 500 yards off the coast
In 1957, Queen Elizabeth visited Nazare
In November 2011, Garrett McNamar rode a 78-foot wave
BIG waves are from November to March
The streets are steep
PORTUGAL Nazare Surfing 100 Foot Waves in Nazare, Portugal
Big waves capital of the world
The waves are created by the Nazare canyon, an underwater geological formation that creates ocean swells
Record-breaking surfers include Garrett McNamara from Hawaii, who rode a 78-foot wave in 2011. Maya Gabeira holds the women's record for a 73.5-foot wave.
What makes Nazare so special?
Nazaré consistently produces the biggest waves in the world—five of the six biggest waves ever surfed were at Nazaré, including the Guinness World Record of 80 feet. Nazare was a traditional fishing village known for its fresh sardines, drying fish for sale, and women who wore layers of skirts. The women of Nazaré are famous for their traditional seven colorful, layered skirts, a distinctive and symbolic costume that reflects both their culture and connection to the sea. The skirts are printed with different patterns. Women spent long hours by the shore waiting for the fishermen, often in cold or windy conditions. The multiple layers kept them warm from the sea breeze while allowing them to maneuver, lifting the lower skirts to sit on the sand while keeping the upper ones covering their legs. They could also use a layer to hold fish. The Nazare attire is unique.
Amazon Affiliate Link
PORTUGAL Nazare Surfing 100 Foot Waves in Nazare, Portugal
When to see the Big waves?
November - March
We prefer to park and sit on the North Canyon side of the mountain.
We bring :
water blanket binoculars
snack hat sunglasses
camera umbrella
Nazare Lighthouse
You can walk the steep slope to the lighthouse, but the walk back up the hill is tiring, especially in the hot months of July and August. On the walk, you can see a statue of a deer and read the story of 'Legend of Nazare'. Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo lighthouse viewpoint.
Surfing 100-foot waves in Nazare, Portugal
The Legend of Nazare
The statue, named Veado and created by Portuguese sculptor Adália Alberto, was placed in 2016 and honors the legend of Nazare. First, the legend. In the 5th century, a monk named Ciriaco returned from Nazareth to the monastery of Cauliniana with a small wooden statue of Mary with the Infant Jesus. The icon remained at the monastery until 711, when invading Moorish armies defeated Christian forces.
Roderic, the defeated king, fled to the coast, accompanied by a monk, Romano, who carried the icon with him when the men fled. When the two men reached the Atlantic, they separated, with Frei Romano living out his days, still in possession of the statue, in a cliffside cave overlooking what is now Nazaré.
Chasing a deer and being near a cliff
Fast forward a few hundred years, to early morning when a knight, Dom Fuas Roupinho, was hunting on the cliff overlooking the ocean. The knight was hunting a deer when a heavy fog suddenly took over. The deer, blinded by the fog, ran over the edge of the cliff. Dom Roupinho, who was very close to the area where the wooden statue remained, prayed to Our Lady to save him from going over the cliff. His horse, though blinded by the fog and running fast, miraculously stopped at the edge of the cliff, saving the knight and the horse from death.
This is the legend of Nazaré, and where the deer head comes from.
So now you know the two legends that inspired Veado, the statue overlooking Praia do Norte, in Nazaré. (McNamara, the surfer, and the Lady who saved the knight from falling off the cliff)
Near Nazare and next to Figuiera do Foz is Buarcos.
In early September they host a large Pirate Festival
The beach was clean, with some seaweed
There was a lifeguard and lots of rocks. Parking was plentiful
Distance from Nazare to other major sites
The approximate distance of major sites from Nazare
Alcobaca 12 KM
Batalha 30 KM
Caldas da Rainha 30 KM
Coimbra 110 KM
Faro 375 KM Fatima 50 KM
Lisboa 120 KM Obidos 35 KM
Porto 215 KM
Tomar 75 KM
What to see and do in Nazare
SHOP- I love shopping in Nazare. There are handmade products and plenty of inexpensive items to buy. You can shop along the street that follows the beach. There is a small church to visit. You can walk on the beach, but be careful, the waves can be high.
On the beach sand, in front of the Nazaré Cultural Center, some of Nazaré's traditional boats are on display, such as "Perdido" and "Mimosa." These boats are iconic representations of the municipality's identity and history, associated with the sea, and have been exhibited on the beach for at least a decade. Available to view from May until December 2025.
Northern Canyon
Go up to the northern canyon to watch two surfers and enjoy more shopping. You can walk the cobblestone streets. There is a huge church to visit, too.
This is the surfing area. In 2020, Maya Gabeira achieved a new Guinness World Record in the category of biggest wave (female) "Largest wave surfed - unlimited (female)", surpassing her previous record (of 2018). The giant wave was surfed on February 11, 2020, during the Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge event, measuring 73.5 feet in height (22.4 meters), after rigorous scientific measurement. The biggest officially recorded wave surfed in Nazaré was 26.21 meters surfed by Sebastian Steudtner on October 29, 2020, and certified by the Guinness World Records. The largest wave surfed (male) (IS2) is 15.48 m (50.80 ft), achieved by Matt Formston (Australia) in Nazaré, Portugal, on 30 November 2022. The largest wave surfed on an electric surfboard (male) is 10.94 m (35.89 ft) and was achieved by Salvador Villas Boas (Portugal) in Nazare, Portugal, on 14 November 2021.
Eating in the Northern Canyon Nazare
The restaurants up in the northern canyon are inexpensive and tasty. You can walk down the cliff to the beach. I like shopping here. I usually purchase linens here. I always buy Portuguese socks here. I purchased ceramic birds that you soak in water, and they make a bird whistle sound. Local favorites include Must-try dishes include grilled sardines, caldeirada (fish stew), and fresh seafood rice.
Don’t miss ginginha, a sweet cherry liqueur served locally.
The Marina in Nazare
The marina is not very impressive. There are old Portuguese fishing boats docked, and several jet skis for tow surfing. The dock is old and needs repair. It is small and open to the public. Parking is free yet limited. You see the surfers at the marina in most episodes of the '100 Foot Wave' HBO documentary.
Can you swim in Nazare?
You can swim in Nazare, but not near the northern canyon or close to the cliffs. You need to look for the lifeguard flags. A red flag on a tall wooden stick represents a 'No Swim' zone. The XXL wave season is from November through March. So expect swimming to be more limited during this time of the year. The winds can be strong too, making it a bit difficult to sit on the beach. Later in the afternoon can be a better time to relax on the beach. The weather is in the 80s - 100s in June, July, and August. The lifeguards are dressed in yellow and red. They sit back from the water line.
Lots of visitors use a windbreaker set up on the beach to stop the wind and sand from blowing when they lie on a blanket. A windbreaker has 3 or four short poles about 2 feet high with material connecting them, creating a fence. FYI, the water is cold.
Have any surfers died at Nazare?
On January 5, 2023, Brazilian surfer Márcio Freire died after surfing a big wave in Nazaré.
How deep is the Nazaré underwater canyon? The Nazaré Canyon is an undersea canyon just off the coast of Nazaré (Portugal), in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. It has a maximum depth of at least 5,000 meters (16,000 ft) and is about 230 kilometers long. The cliffs, the underwater canyon, and the winds from Africa create these XXL waves.
HBO Special," 100 Foot Wave" Season 1, 2022 Season 2 2023
Surfing 100-foot waves in Nazare, Portugal
Season 1 was informational and exciting to learn about the weather, the swells, the surfers, Garrett McNamara, Nazare, the Portuguese people, and tow surfing. In 2011, American Garrett McNamara set the world record by surfing a 78-foot wave at North Beach. Two years later, he shattered his own record by surfing a giant 100-foot wave at the same beach.
Season 1 Review
shows the viewer the northern canyon in Nazare and the marina. Most visitors to Nazare sit on the beach or walk the steep streets to shop. It is an incredible sight to see and walk the beach line of the northern canyon. To get there, you have to almost drive out of town and up the side of the mountain through narrow streets to the top of the mountain near a large church. You park and walk to the shops, the steep slope down toward the lighthouse, or down the side of the mountain to the rocky beach. Lifeguards will not allow the average tourist to get too close to the water's edge during swells or high peak season for XXL waves. Because the beach line dips down, it doesn't seem like the waves are that big. If you walk on the beach, you can feel the water drops from large waves as they break. The beach is small in length and width. You can bring a blanket and sit here. You can park at the edge of the cliff and walk down to the beach. Parking is free.
Season 2 just started on April 16, 2023.
The swells have to meet and the right time and at the right spot to get the perfect wave.
Episode 1, season 2, was slow-moving. The episode consisted mostly of music and clips of surfing. Episode 2 of season 2 contained more action and more information. We saw a French surfer get engaged, we saw the beginning of COVID, and how it affected the surfers. Episode 3 was mostly about surfing JAWS. I think season 1 was much better than season 2.
Day trips from Nazare
Tomar- a historic town with the Castle built by the Knights of the Templars
Obidos- an old town surrounded by a white wall, lots of churches, lots of shopping
Fatima- a religious site with a large Basilica and shopping
Coimbra- a historic small city with the oldest University in Portugal, ride a tuk-tuk, see an old aqueduct, eat traditional Portuguese food, best tourism in Portugal (tourist office),
N2 national road- the scenic rural road from north to south, comparable to Route 66 in America, see 1000 year 1000-year-old Roman bridge,
Mira Beach- large waves, sandy beach, a tourist town
Figueira da Foz- a tourist town, a beach, and narrow streets
Luso- a small historic town with fresh water seeping through the mountain rock, a 4-star hotel with a spa and a gym, termas or therapy pools, and spa treatment
The best-kept secret in the world is Nazare.
2025 HAS BEEN AN EPIC YEAR FOR XXXL WAVES
MARCH 2025 UPDATE
March 9-10, 2025 are expecting GIANT waves.
When to visit Portugal?
Hidden gems in Portugal
Best beaches in the Algarve
Join us on our facebook page
November 2024
View panoramic views of Nazare and important buildings from your laptop.
places to go in Nazare
My Amazon Storefront
Commission made on sales
Comments