Nazaré travel guide
Record-breaking winter waves, a clifftop shrine and a funicular to Sítio
A Silver Coast fishing town with a long, sheltered summer beach and, in winter, some of the biggest waves ever surfed at Praia do Norte. Come June to September to swim or October to March to watch the swells. One or two days is enough. Prices are moderate, and many nationalities get 90 days without a visa.
Nazaré is a fishing town on the Silver Coast, north of Lisbon, that became world news for its waves. In winter, Atlantic swells funnel through an undersea canyon off Praia do Norte and build to heights big-wave surfers travel across the world for. The record is a 26.2 m wave ridden by Sebastian Steudtner in 2020. In summer the sheltered town beach is a family resort.
The town comes in three parts. Praia runs along the main beach, Sítio sits on the clifftop above, and Pederneira is an older village on a hill inland. A funicular links Praia and Sítio from early morning until midnight and takes only a few minutes.
Up in Sítio, the Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Nazaré keeps the venerated image of the Virgin, while the tiny Ermida da Memória marks the cliff-edge spot of a legendary miracle. Walk on to the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo and its lighthouse, the grandstand on big-wave days, when crowds line the slope above Praia do Norte.
Down on the beach, some older women still wear the traditional short layered skirts, and fish is split and dried on racks in the sun. Ask before taking photos.
Eat in the back streets. Small places grill sardines and chicken outside for little money, while the seafront and Praça Sousa Oliveira charge more for the view. Casa Pires A Sardinha, up in Sítio, serves grilled fish on a terrace facing the sanctuary.
September is festival month, when the ten-day Nossa Senhora da Nazaré celebrations bring processions, bullfights in the Sítio ring, fireworks and a fair. Alcobaça's great monastery is a short drive inland.
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Top things to do in Nazaré
Giant waves, the clifftop sanctuary, the lighthouse fort and grilled fish in Nazaré.
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Best time to visit Nazaré
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs only around 20 to 21°C and very little rain; the town beach is busy and the big festival falls in September.
The wettest months, with 80 to 98 mm of rain, and huge swells at Praia do Norte on the right days; some hotels and restaurants close.
Giant waves depend on specific Atlantic swells; watch surf forecasts and be ready to travel at a few days' notice.
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Getting there
Coach from Lisbon, slow trains, the A8
Take a Rede Expressos coach from Lisbon's Sete Rios terminal, roughly two hours, to the bus station on Avenida do Município near the beach. From Lisbon airport, ride the metro to Jardim Zoológico, beside Sete Rios. Trains stop at Valado station, outside town and slower. Drivers take the A8, then the N8-5 or IC9.
- Lisbon airport (LIS)
- Metro to Jardim Zoológico, then a coach from Sete Rios
- Coach
- Rede Expressos from Lisbon, roughly two hours
- Train
- Valado station, outside town and slower than the bus
- Car
- A8 from Lisbon or Leiria, then the N8-5 or IC9
- On big-wave days the roads up to Sítio jam early; park in the lower town and ride the funicular instead.
- Rodoviária do Oeste buses link Nazaré with Alcobaça and Caldas da Rainha.
Where to stay
Beachfront Praia or clifftop Sítio
Praia is the practical base, with the beach, the bus station and most restaurants on the doorstep, though seafront rooms pick up summer noise. Sítio suits couples and wave-watchers who want the view and quiet evenings, at the cost of riding the funicular down for dinner. Budget travellers can still take a private room offered by local women near the bus station.
- Praia
- Seafront hotels and back-street pensions, lively in July and August
- Sítio
- Clifftop rooms near the sanctuary and fort, calm at night
- Private rooms
- Offered by local women at the bus station; check the room first
Getting around
Promenade strolls and the clifftop Ascensor
Walk the flat lower town: the promenade, the fish-drying racks and the market are minutes apart. Ride the Ascensor da Nazaré funicular on Rua de São Lázaro up the cliff to Sítio; it runs from early morning until around midnight. The lighthouse fort is about 15 minutes' walk from the top station.
- Funicular
- Praia to Sítio, early morning to around midnight
- Walking
- Sítio to the lighthouse fort, about 15 minutes
- Regional buses
- Rodoviária do Oeste to Alcobaça and nearby towns
- The fort path is exposed and slippery after rain; wear shoes with grip in winter.
- Pederneira, the third old quarter, is a stiff uphill walk inland.
- For Alcobaça, São Martinho do Porto or Óbidos, use Rodoviária do Oeste buses, a taxi or a hire car.
Know before you go
What makes Nazaré worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The fort on a big-wave day, when the whole headland watches the surfers.
- The funicular ride up to Sítio and the view back over the beach.
- Grilled sardines from a back-street grill.
- Drying racks of fish on the sand in the sun.
- Sítio at dusk, when the day visitors have gone.
Good to know
- Praia do Norte is dangerous for swimming; swim on the town beach.
- Big-wave days bring traffic jams and crowds at the fort.
- Seafront cafés charge for the view; the side streets are cheaper.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Nazaré, month by month
Nazaré stays cool for the south: July highs reach only about 21°C. December is the wettest month at roughly 98 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Nazaré (IPMA, Portuguese Environmental Agency, via Wikipedia).
A day of fish racks, funicular and fort
Morning. Have coffee on the seafront and walk past the racks where fish is split and dried on the sand; the women tending them are often in the traditional layered skirts. Ride the funicular to Sítio and look into the sanctuary and the tiny Ermida da Memória at the cliff edge, where the legend of the miracle is told in tiles.
Late morning. Walk out to the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo. From the lighthouse terrace you look straight down on Praia do Norte and the line where the canyon swells break. Even on a flat day the scale of the beach is worth seeing.
Afternoon. Ride down and eat in the side streets behind the beach, where sardines come off outdoor grills. In summer spend the rest of the afternoon on the sheltered town beach; out of season, walk to Pederneira on its hill for a view inland.
Evening. Go back up to Sítio for dinner facing the sanctuary as the day visitors leave.
Sardines, stew and dried fish
Nazaré still eats like a fishing town. The cheapest and best meals are in the narrow streets a block or two back from the promenade, where small family places set up grills on the pavement for sardinhas assadas in summer and chicken all year. The waterfront and Praça Sousa Oliveira are where you pay for the view.
Look out for caldeirada, the layered fish and potato stew of the Portuguese coast, and for peixe seco, the split and salted fish dried on racks on the beach and sold by the women who prepare it. It is chewy and strong; locals eat it grilled with bread.
Marisqueira O Casalinho on Praça Sousa Oliveira does traditional seafood by the beach. Up in Sítio, Casa Pires A Sardinha grills fish on a terrace facing the basilica, a good choice for a slow lunch after the fort.
Waves, weather and the September festival
Two seasons pull people here, and they barely overlap. Summer is gentle: July and August average highs of only 21°C, rainfall drops to around 10 mm a month, and the town beach fills with Portuguese families. The Atlantic stays cool, so swims are brisk.
Big-wave season runs from autumn to spring. October to December are the wettest months, with 80 to 98 mm of rain, and the strongest swells hit the undersea canyon off Praia do Norte. The big waves come on specific days, not all winter, so watch surf forecasts and arrive early when a swell is due; roads and parking jam fast. Garrett McNamara's 2011 ride put the town on the map, and the HBO series 100 Foot Wave tells that story.
Early September brings the ten-day Nossa Senhora da Nazaré festival, with 8 September the municipal holiday. Expect processions, fireworks, folk dancing, a fair and bullfights in the Sítio ring.
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How we research our Nazaré travel guide
Funicular hours, coach times and the big-wave season at Nazaré were checked with the council website and Visit Portugal.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of NazaréVisit PortugalIPMA, Portuguese weather service
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Nazaré.
General
Between October and March, on days with large Atlantic swells. Check surf forecasts a few days ahead.
One day covers the town, Sítio and the fort. Add a second for Alcobaça or the beach.
From the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo and the slope around the lighthouse, above Praia do Norte. Keep back from the edge.
Praia along the beach, Sítio on the clifftop and Pederneira on a hill inland. Most visitors stay in Praia or Sítio.
The Nossa Senhora da Nazaré festival runs for ten days in early September, with 8 September as the main day.
Cool enough to notice. Even in July and August air highs are only about 21°C and the Atlantic stays chilly, so swims are short.
Order caldeirada at the family places a block or two back from the promenade, and buy peixe seco straight from the women who dry it on racks on the sand.
Walk the flat lower town: the promenade, the fish-drying racks and the market are minutes apart. Ride the Ascensor da Nazaré funicular on Rua de São Lázaro up the cliff to Sítio; it runs from early morning until around midnight. The lighthouse fort is about 15 minutes' walk from the top station.
Nazaré is best known for:
- The fort on a big-wave day, when the whole headland watches the surfers
- The funicular ride up to Sítio and the view back over the beach
- Grilled sardines from a back-street grill
- Drying racks of fish on the sand in the sun
- Sítio at dusk, when the day visitors have gone
Getting there
Take a Rede Expressos coach from Sete Rios, roughly two hours. The train is slower and stops outside town at Valado dos Frades.
Take a Rede Expressos coach from Lisbon's Sete Rios terminal, roughly two hours, to the bus station on Avenida do Município near the beach. From Lisbon airport, ride the metro to Jardim Zoológico, beside Sete Rios. Trains stop at Valado station, outside town and slower.
Health & safety
Yes, on the main town beach in summer. Praia do Norte is dangerous for swimming.
Timing & weather
From early morning until around midnight, linking the beach at Praia with Sítio on the clifftop in a few minutes.
The best time to visit Nazaré is Jun to Sep. Warm, settled weather for the main beach.
- Beach season: June - September (Highs only around 20 to 21°C and very little rain; the town beach is busy and the big festival falls in September)
- Big wave season: October - March (The wettest months, with 80 to 98 mm of rain, and huge swells at Praia do Norte on the right days; some hotels and restaurants close)
Visa & documents
Portugal's entry rules are the Schengen area's. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
