Praia do Norte

Praia do Norte is the beach that made Nazaré world-famous — not for swimming but for the most extraordinary surfing waves on the planet. Driven by the Nazaré Canyon, the waves here can reach 20 to 30 metres in the right winter swell conditions. Even in a modest swell, standing on the clifftop at the Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo and watching the sets roll in is an experience unlike anything else on the Portuguese coast.

The beach is not safe for swimming. In summer it is calmer, but the current and shore-break make it unsuitable for casual bathing. Come here to watch, not to swim. The big swell season runs from October to March; December and January are the peak months. Check surf forecast sites before visiting if you want to see genuinely large waves.

things to do sight
A story
The waves at Praia do Norte are created by the Nazaré Canyon, an underwater chasm that extends 170 kilometres offshore and plunges to 5,000 metres below sea level. When Atlantic swells travel up this canyon, they slow, compress, and stack into walls of water up to 30 metres high. In November 2011, Hawaiian big-wave surfer Garrett McNamara rode what was then certified as the largest wave ever surfed — 23.77 metres — here at Praia do Norte.