Hello my beautiful friends!
Today is a perfect day to make a trip together, isn't it?
This time, we are visiting Nazaré! You might have heard about this place because it is one of the most popular big wave surf breaks on the planet. But there are also other amazing aspects of this destination that I will share with you today.
At a Glance
Monster waves
Brave surfers
Well-kept traditions
Narrow streets
Great gelato
Endless beach
7 skirts women
Brave fishermen
Peixe seco
How to get to Nazaré
The easiest way for us was to just take the bus from Lisbon with Rede Expressos. We had to stop at Leiria for about 20 minutes, but it was a way to get to know a new place too and it was totally worth it!
Best things to do in Nazaré
Elevador da Nazaré
This is how you get from Nazaré Village to Praia do Norte. It's a quick ride with a panoramic view of the village and the beach.
Praia do Norte:
This is where the huge waves happen (from October to February).
You can walk to S. Miguel Arcanjo Fort, which has a gallery that explains what causes the huge waves, the great underwater Nazaré Canyon. I especially loved the Surfer Wall, where they keep the surfboards of the most famous surfers that have been in Nazaré. Especially the one of Maya Gabeira, who has the world record for the biggest wave surfed by a woman.
And of course, we continue to follow the tradition of getting an artisan bracelet from each place we visit. This time, it's a purple one with a wave on it. Loved it!
Mercado Municipal Nazaré
Here you can find all the fruits, vegetables, and fish you need to cook simply at home! Like we mostly do.
Here are some of my favorite home-made dishes during our week in Nazaré. Easy to cook, healthy and yummy! If you like them, let me know and I will be happy to share the recipes.
Mercado do Peixe Seco:
Every day while I was running along the pier, I saw the dry fish market which has an interesting history behind it. They say that during winter, the waves were so wild that it was almost a suicide for the fishermen to go and fish, therefore, they had to think about a way to survive during those difficult months. That’s how they came up with the idea of drying the fish they caught, making it last longer. The most amazing part is you can still see the Nazarenas (women from Nazaré) selling their fish, around 4 pieces for only 2 euros.
There is another interesting tradition on Nazaré which is the 7 skirts that women (mainly elder women) wear, AKA "As 7 Saias". There are lots of stories behind this, but the one that most touched me is that the women waited for their husbands and sons to come back from fishing, sitting at the beach, spending many hours waiting. With the 7 skirts, they counted the waves of the sea because they believed "the boat only arrived when the ocean is calm, and the ocean is calm after 7 waves".
My favorite number is 7, so I was deeply touched by their story.
Streets of Nazaré
Another unique aspect of Nazaré is its cobblestone narrow streets. Some of them only fit one person! It is really fun to walk or run through all of them, they are like a maze.
Get gelato or crepes at Gelatomanía
Sorry I don't have a photo for this one, but it was SO GOOD that we couldn't even think about taking a picture. If you like gelato (who doesn’t), don’t miss this place. It’s high-quality gelato and crepes. Sit down by the pier and enjoy while watching the people pass in this peaceful fisher’s town.
Where to stay
If you want to experience the authentic local life in Nazaré, then I recommend you stay at one of the houses in the center of the town. In our case, we stayed at a beautiful minimalist Airbnb and it was amazing, we literally slept without locking the door. That’s how safe it is.
Hope you enjoyed our little visit to the amazing village of Nazaré! And it you decide to include it in your bucket list, let me know! I'd be happy to help with any other tips.
Lots of love!
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