Portugal – Giant waves and extreme surf: come to Nazaré in Portugal

Nazaré is a well-known seaside resort in Portugal , located in a large bay between two elevated headlands, consisting mainly of a sandy beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Originally an ancient fishing village, it has become a famous tourist destination thanks to its favorable position that places it halfway between the ocean and the hill climate.

Legend has it that during the 4th century AD, a statue of Mary, mother of Jesus of Nazareth, was donated to this village.

That’s where the name of the city is from.

The oldest district is Pederneira, on the spit of land that dominates the town from the south, where the first fishing settlement was born.

Further north is Praia, facing the beach, with an orthogonal network of avenues and streets and represents the center of city life.

On the promontory overlooking the ocean in a dominant position over the bay there is the Sitio district, which can also be reached by a funicular from Praia, where the famous church of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré is located.

Nazaré is widely knownin the field of surfing as it holds the world record for the highest wave ever ridden in human history. This is the Portuguese surfer Hugo Vau.

In January 2018 managed to ride a gigantic wave of 35 meters ,a challenge that surpassed that of other surfers who had achieved successes in the past; to name just one in November 2011, Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara rode a wave of about 23.80 meters.

We must highlight the presence in this area of the underwater canyon of Nazaré, which with a length of about 230 kilometers and a maximum depth of 5,000 meters, would create a sort of interference; in fact the winds and waves of the Atlantic storms go up it as if it were a funnel,  hitting an unusual speed in the final point, in front of the beach of Praia do Norte, that creates these gigantic waves.

This natural feature has therefore made Nazaré famous, which certainly has nothing to envy compared to other surfing-related locations such as those in Hawaii and California.

An extreme and courageous experience!

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