Nazaré

Nazaré is located on the western Atlantic coast, between Lisbon and Porto, about a 30-minute drive north from Òbidos. Most people have only become aware of this town of 10,000 inhabitants in the last few years, ever since its mayor recognized an opportunity to boost tourism by marketing the freakishly-large waves that crash onto its shores during the winter months. Now, it is recognized as the place to go for pro surfers all over the world in search of 80-100 foot waves, and has been featured in a number of surfing documentaries.

We spent just a couple of hours in Nazaré, mostly on the Sítio promontory that is at the center of the surfing action. It is the site of the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo (St. Michael the Archangel), built in 1577, and the iconic red lighthouse that has guided the town's fishermen for over a century. The sculptured image of the archangel Michael above the fort's entrance was added in 1644. Inside the fort is now a surfing museum that features photographs, surfboards, and other artifacts of the world's top surfers. There were reminders that this is a surfing mecca leading up to the promontory as well, including the 2022 Big Wave Championship gateway and the curious sculpture of a deer-surfer that pays homage to the legend of Nazaré and its status as the home of the biggest waves and best surfing in the world.

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To the south of the promontory is Praia de Nazaré, a flat beach with relatively calm water. To the north is the Praia do Norte, which is where the giant waves manifest. While the ocean swell was only about 20' (6m) when we were there in early March, we could easily visualize much larger waves. The super-large waves are caused by a confluence of conditions: (1) West north westerly swells, (2) long frequency waves, (3) the massive Nazaré sea canyon, over 16,000' (5000m) deep in places, that funnels and accelerates swells towards the Sítio promontory from the south, (4) the sudden change in depth as these swells approach the shore, and (5) Praia do Norte swells reflecting off the promontory and impacting the incoming swells from the canyon side.

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Fishing has long been Nazaré's main industry and today, it is still known for the fresh fish sold in open markets by the fishermen's wives ('Nazarenas'). A charming tradition is kept alive by the some of the Nazarenas who wear colorful, multi-layered skirts. The story goes that in days past the wives would wear layers of skirts or petticoats to keep them warm as they waited at the shore for their husbands' safe return. This way of dressing was referred to as the 'seven skirts of Nazaré.' The significance of the number seven is unclear, perhaps relating to the seven days of the week, colors of the rainbow, virtues or deadly sins, or just the common association of the number with good fortune. Another speculation is that they would use the layers of skirt to count off the seven-wave cadence that preceded calmer water. The skirts are often worn with embroidered aprons, headscarves, and clogs.