Today we're talking about Nazaré in Portugal, located north of Lisbon on the west coast of Portugal. We can also tell you about Camping Paraiso where we are currently staying with our motorhome. This fishing village is known as the village of the seven skirts. It's also home to Europe's biggest waves for surfers and the most beautiful beach on the Silver Coast.
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Nazaré - a fishing village or picturesque seaside resort?
On the Atlantic coast, on the west coast of Portugal, is the fishing village of Nazaré, which is also a tourist resort. What characterises the village most are the colourful fishing boats, the huge waves and the special traditions. In 1912, three villages were merged to form Nazaré. The town has many things to show off and we will take you on a small guided tour.
Nazaré - a city with a view
As soon as we arrived in Nazaré, we parked just outside the town so we could take a walk and admire the view. Parts of this town are situated on a hill and the small charming streets seem to go up the hills. The main attraction was the view of the sea which is absolutely stunning.
Record waves for surfers
We have heard and read about the high waves of Nazaré, which are known to attract brave surfers. According to Wikipedia, Garrett McNamara, from Hawaii, surfed here in 2011 on a record wave of 23.8 (!) metres. In January, he returned and surfed a wave that is thought to have been even bigger. Then in 2013, Carlos Burle surfed another wave, which could possibly be the biggest wave anyone has ever surfed.
Surfing championship
The best waves come up in winter at the world-famous Praia do Norte beach, and are triggered by a deep-sea trench (Canyon do Nazare). Surfers from all over the world come here for big-wave surfing, and it also hosts surfing championships.
You realise that the houses must be well away from the Atlantic Ocean and you also wonder how well insulated the houses are here, because it must be a real blowhole from time to time.
Three neighbourhoods in Nazaré
Praira is the neighbourhood along the beach, with large wide sandy beaches and a promenade (Avenida Marginal) above. Here you can see the colourful fishing boats with an eye to see if any danger is coming. The tradition comes from the early Phoenicians, and you can find the same colourful boats with eyes in Malta, where the Phoenicians also lived long ago.
Costa da Prata beach is the most famous and popular beach on the Silver Coast. Children play and people walk and jog, and you'll also find fishermen drying fish along the promenade, selling them to residents and tourists.
There are also restaurants, bars, shops and hotels. If you wish, you can try the local fish stew (Caldeirada a nazarena) with fresh fish from the day's catch, while enjoying the view.
Sitio is located above Praira and is the cliff or old village that is over 100 metres high and overlooks Nazaré. It can be reached on foot or by cable car (ascencor), which is an attraction in itself. There is the Ermina da memorial chapel and the Santuario de Nossa Senhora da Nazare church. There are also the local beef vendors in their traditional seven-skirted clothes.
In this part of the city there is a baroque church and a statue called Our Lady of Nazaré. Here you will also find the famous Farol do Nazaré lighthouse, located at the top of the cliff, from this point you can look straight into the Atlantic Ocean and experience the huge waves, don't miss it! For over a hundred years, the pinnacle has helped many fishermen find their way home from the big blue Atlantic.
Pederneira is the last of the three neighbourhoods and is located on top of a hill. It can be reached by an old railway line from Sitio. In Paderneira you will find small alleys, a cemetery and a fantastic view.
Tradition and the number 7
In September each year, the annual festival is held in the village and is celebrated with processions, folk dancing and mass. The men wear traditional costumes and the women wear the most traditional and recognisable clothes. This means clogs, a usually black scarf over the head and the seven skirts made of flannel and embroidered in seven different colours.
Women used to wear these clothes when they were waiting for their husbands to come home from fishing, and to avoid freezing while standing on the beach. The number seven appears in most things and there are seven colours in the rainbow, seven waves in a wave set and much more. To learn more about local traditions, visit the Casa Museo do Pecador, which shows a home and what it looked like in the early 20th century, with all the trappings of a fishing family.
Camping Paraiso in Nazaré
We have checked into a large and nice campsite here in Nazaré called camping Paraiso, or camping Vale Paraiso and we are currently relaxing in the campervan. This is a large and well-maintained campsite with forest all around, and the only thing that is really boring is the high fences that surround camping Paraiso. There's a decent service centre, laundry room and in some places in the area (in some buildings) you can use WiFi.
See more in the neighbourhood
Sao Martinho do Porto is 8 kilometres to the south, where a twisted tongue of land protects the bay from high waves. It is usually warmer on this beach and, according to what we have read, it is very popular.
Approximately 2 hours north of Nazaré you will reach the city of Porto. If you continue even further north, you can stop at the cosy Caminha. If you're travelling south instead, it's about 1.5 hours to Lisbon and Cascais. Nearby, you can also see the Cabo da Roca headland, Europe's westernmost point.
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Ditte says:
Wow! Already so far! Beautiful pictures that feel a bit warm for us here at home in the cold.
Enjoy and relax with a good campsite.
29 December 2014 - 20:16
Åsa says:
There is a yellow warning for cold weather in the next few days, but by the end of the week it should change. Today the sun warmed up the whole house so it was nice until it went down. Hope the sun continues to shine. (:
29 December 2014 - 21:34
Matts Torebring says:
How strange, we also stayed there for a couple of days. The area is very beautiful but the campsite felt military, with all the fencing. Good continuation of the journey.
29 December 2014 - 21:47
Ulla widing says:
What about the gas pipeline?
Hugs!
29 December 2014 - 22:34
JoY says:
Nice pictures of the sea.
Wishing you a happy ending and a happy new year.
Hugs JoY
29 December 2014 - 23:39
FANTASYDINING-En blogg om temarestauranger och resor says:
Wonderful 🙂
30 December 2014 - 8:31
Rolle o Carina says:
Great for you, now you are waiting for calm for a while, right?
And then you can enjoy some heat too!
Take care
30 December 2014 - 9:48
admin says:
Ditte, of course warmer than in Sweden but still cool in the air. But very nice here!
Åsa, yes it is a bit chilly... nice to have warmer weather coming! Did you get my email?
Matts, funny that you've been in the same place here too! I know what you mean, with the barbed wire around...
Ulla Widing, we haven't really solved it yet... We think it's possible to buy a LPG tube here, but then we'll have to get new connections again and there will be a fourth tube... In southern Portugal you can apparently refill existing tubes, so we haven't decided yet. Run the heating on electricity... let's see how long the gas lasts...
JoY, thank you very much. Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Rolle and Carina, we intend to go down to the Algarve coast first. There we can take it easy!
Deciree, same to you! Happy New Year!
30 December 2014 - 10:21
Deciree says:
It is important to sit and enjoy a little too. Happy new year to you from us:)
30 December 2014 - 9:57
Anna & Per-Åke says:
Just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year!
I'm not surprised that you are flying around, but you have a whole YEAR to go so take it easy and enjoy:-) //Anna & Per-Åke
30 December 2014 - 15:27
Anna & Per-Åke says:
Just wanted to wish you a happy new year.
I am not surprised that you are flying around but take care and enjoy you have a WHOLE YEAR on you:-) //Anna & Per-Åke
30 December 2014 - 15:32
admin says:
Anna & Per-Åke, thank you very much! Happy New Year!!! We will of course take it more slowly at some point, but we probably want to get to the Mediterranean first, where the climate is better!
30 December 2014 - 18:16
Ulla & Torgny says:
Yes, in the south of Portugal there are several places to fill up with gas. Fingers crossed you make it to the coast.
Happy New Year to you!
30 December 2014 - 19:36