(Last Updated On: October 29, 2018)

The popular fishing and surfing town of Nazare on Portugalโ€™s Silver Coast is divided into three main districts. Thereโ€™s the Praia (beach), Pederneira and Sรญtio. During the summer months, the wide sandy beach and narrow streets of Praia are jam-packed with tourists. To be honest, this is not our favourite part of Nazarรฉ, but when we want a break from seafood and Portuguese cuisine, it does have a lovely Indian restaurant that we go to. The Little India restaurant is located just a block back from the beach on Rua Aldriao Batalha.

Our Favourite Neighbourhood, Sitio

Church of Nossa Senhora da Nazarรฉ

Church of Nossa Senhora da Nazarรฉ

For us, we love the old neighbourhood of Sรญtio, located on top of the cliffs overlooking Praia. With its own church, museum, and main square, Sรญtio feels very much like a separate village on a scenic bluff. Itโ€™s a great place to visit especially out of season when the crowds have left.

Feeling energetic, you could walk the winding path up the cliff or if youโ€™re lazy, drive up to Sรญtio from Praia, but itโ€™s a lot more fun to take the funicular up the steep slope to the top.

Funicular From Praia to Sitio In Nazare, Portugal

Funicular From Praia to Sitio In Nazare, Portugal

Once at the top, there are fantastic views over Nazare town, the beach and the bay area. But itโ€™s not just about the views in Sรญtio. Close to where you disembark from the funicular is the tiny chapel, Ermida da Memรณria. Legend has it that in 1182, a local nobleman Dom Fuas Roupinho and his horse nearly plunged off the cliff while hunting a deer and it was after his cry for help to Our Lady of Nazarรฉ, that his horse stopped just in time. The Ermida da Memรณria chapel was then built in her honour. I donโ€™t know what happened to the deer though!

Sitioโ€™s Main Square

Nazare Sitio Main Square

Nazare Sitio Main Square

The main square is lined with shops, selling local trinkets, nuts and dried fruits and woolly ponchos – just what you need on a summerโ€™s day. Here you will also find a few restaurants and a large church that was built to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims coming to visit the Ermida da Memoria.

The Traditionally Clad Women Of Nazarรฉ

Traditionally Clad Nazare Woman

Traditionally Clad Nazare Woman

Nazarรฉ is also well known for its traditionally dressed women. Many of whom you will see selling nuts and dried fruits on stalls in the main square of Sรญtio.The skirts are made with seven petticoats. Why? Seven days in a week; seven colours in a rainbow; everyone has a different answer. As well as the seven-layered skirt, they also wear rather fetching knee high socks, slippers, head scarf and chunky jewellery. Iโ€™m not entirely sure if they just dress for the tourists or itโ€™s their usual attire.

Praia Do Norte

Sunset At Praia do Norte At Nazare, Portugal

Sunset At Praia do Norte At Nazare, Portugal

Sรญtio separates Nazarรฉโ€™s calm south beach (Praia) and Praia do Norte, home to some of the worldโ€™s most massive record-breaking waves. During the summer months, the waters are relatively calm, but from October to March, Praia do Norte is famous for its big wave surfing. We are talking about waves up to 100 feet (30 metres) high!

Waves at Nazare Portugal

Waves at Nazare Portugal

An excellent place for viewing the waves is from the top of the old Forte de Sรฃo Miguel which is now a lighthouse. The fort was built in 1577 to protect the town of Nazarรฉ from pirate raids. Today it houses a small surf museum, featuring surfboards and videos of some of the giant waves. It also explains the science behind why Nazare attracts these giant waves. On top of the fort, next to the lighthouse is a viewing platform. At only โ‚ฌ1 per person to enter, itโ€™s not just an exciting place to explore, itโ€™s also a great value.

Nazare Surf Museum

Nazare Surf Museum

Lighthouse at Nazare, Portugal

Lighthouse at Nazare, Portugal

The lighthouse is only a short 500-metre walk from Sitioโ€™s main square, although the climb back uphill makes it feel a lot longer. It is also possible to walk down the sandy cliff path by the lighthouse to the beach itself, but donโ€™t go too close to the water’s edge, those waves are powerful, and sadly, we do hear tales here in Portugal about people being swept away.

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On your way down to the fort, youโ€™ll pass a very odd statue – a surfer dude with a deerโ€™s head. Apparently, the figure is a fusion of Nazarรฉโ€™s past and present. The legend of the deer hunter from the past with the surfing legends of today.

Top Tips For Visiting Nazare

As with visiting anywhere in Portugal, you really need comfy walking shoes. There are uneven cobblestoned streets everywhere. We noticed that the stairs down from the main church in Sรญtio were tricky for some visitors and the sandy path down to Praia do Norte can be somewhat slippery on the shingle.

When our friends at Clarks Shoes asked us if we wanted to try out their new Unstructured range, we thought wow, great timing as it was definitely time to say farewell to our old walking shoes. But we warned them that we wouldnโ€™t give them a mention if we didnโ€™t like them but we are happy to say we did. We certainly put them through the paces this week, they are really comfortable, no blisters and I didnโ€™t fall over on the cobbled streets (makes a change!). Apparently, it’s the interior linings of the shoes that provide the soft comfort, so now you know!! Oh, and they didnโ€™t make my feet look massive like some walking shoes – bonus!

Relaxing at Nazare After A Long Day On Our Feet

Relaxing at Nazare After A Long Day On Our Feet In Our New Shoes

How To Get To Nazare

Rede expressos offer a direct bus service from Lisbon. The journey time takes less than two hours and costs โ‚ฌ12 per person.
If travelling by car, Nazarรฉ is close to Alcobaรงa, Batalha, Fรกtima, Peniche and ร“bidos and it’s only a two-hour drive from here up to Porto.
Coming from Porto on public transport, you can either take a bus or train to Coimbra and then a bus from Coimbra to Nazare. This takes just under four hours.

Where To Stay In Nazare

There are hotels and accommodation to suit all budgets. If you are planning to visit during the busy summer months or when a significant surfing event is happening, book ahead. We usually use Booking.com whenever we need accommodation.

This post was sponsored by Clarks USA.

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