# Nazaré

A fishing town on Portugal's central coast, split in two: the Praia beside the sand and the Sítio on the cliff, linked by a funicular from 1889. Off Praia do Norte, an underwater canyon raises, in autumn and winter, some of the biggest waves ever surfed.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/nazare · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do you get there from Spain?

By car, on the A8 from Lisbon (about 120 km) or from the north via Leiria. From Madrid it is about six and a half hours, crossing via Badajoz or Vilar Formoso. Without a car, fly to Lisbon and take a scheduled bus to Nazaré, a little over an hour and a half.

## How do you get around Nazaré?

On foot around the Praia and by funicular or up the hillside to reach the Sítio. From the Sítio to the lighthouse and the fort there is a path of about fifteen minutes. You only need a car for Alcobaça and the surroundings; on wave days, leave the car below, because the Sítio car parks fill up early.

## Where to sleep and eat?

To sleep, the Hotel Mar Bravo is on the beach square; the Miramar Hotel Spa & Apartments, high up in Pederneira, has a spa and views over the whole bay; and Ohai Nazaré is the campsite with bungalows and a water park, 4 km away, which admits dogs. To eat, the Taberna d'Adélia is the fish restaurant of the fishermen's quarter; the Restaurante Mar Bravo, the seafood restaurant opposite the sand with a kitchen open all day; and the Mar Aberto, the dining room with a view at the Miramar.

## Can you learn to surf?

Yes, and not at Praia do Norte: the surf lesson with Nazare Surf School takes place on the town beach, which is sheltered, all year round, for €35 with board and wetsuit.

## What should you book in advance?

Accommodation in August, when the beach fills up, and on big-wave days, when photographers and curious onlookers arrive from all over the country. For the waves you don't book anything: you follow the forecast and travel as soon as big seas are announced.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Óbidos (a 28.0 km), Fátima and Batalha (a 34.2 km), Peniche and the Berlengas (a 38.1 km), Tomar (a 56.0 km)

## Qué hacer
- **The giant waves of Praia do Norte from the fort** (3 h · Everyone; with children, away from the edge · Self-guided · free): There are no giant waves every day, or even every week. They arrive with storms in the North Atlantic, and when they do, the whole of Nazaré goes up to the lighthouse. Planning the trip with the forecast in hand is what separates seeing a wall of water from seeing an ordinary sea.
Why the waves are so big
Off Nazaré there is an enormous underwater canyon: about 227 km long and up to 5 km deep, reaching almost to the shore of Praia do Norte. When a north-westerly swell comes in, the canyon splits it in two; the part that travels along the channel keeps its strength and, when it meets the other near the coast, the two add together. The result can triple the wave size expected in the area. A current towards the beach and the north-easterly wind do the rest.
For truly giant waves, several things are needed at once: a period of 14 seconds or more, waves of over 4 metres in the forecast for Nazaré, a north-westerly sea and a light wind from the north or north-east. That is why big days are few.
Who it is for
Anyone: you can watch it free from above, and the sight of surfers towed by jet skis dropping down walls of water is hard to forget. With children it works if you keep them close and away from the edge. What it is not: a safe plan for just any day. If you can only go on one particular date, you will most likely see a strong but ordinary sea.
Getting there and where to park
Nazaré is on the central coast of Portugal, north of Lisbon. From the town beach you go up to the Sítio by funicular and from there it is about 13 minutes on foot, a kilometre, to the lighthouse. On wave days you cannot park near the lighthouse: leave the car outside the Sítio or in the Praia do Norte area and expect to walk more than a kilometre. Arrive early.
When to go
The big-wave season runs from October to March, peaking around December; some years there are also big days in September or April. Reliable forecasts reach a week ahead at most, so the Nazaré Big Waves website recommends stays of two or three weeks to give yourself options. The practical approach, if you live in Spain, is to watch the forecast and slip away when a big day appears.
What it costs
Watching the waves from outside is free. Going into the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo costs €2, from 10:00 to 18:00 every day, with last entry half an hour before closing; on championship days it may close. Add the funicular and, on wave days, whatever parking far away costs you.
If the sea does not cooperate
If you arrive and there are no big waves, the Sítio is still worth the trip up: the Suberco viewpoint, the sanctuary and the lighthouse. Down in the town beach, there is a permanent boat exhibition from May to December.
- **Going up to the Sítio on the 1889 funicular or up the hillside** (1 h · 318 m · Everyone): It is run by the municipal services and is the locals' transport, not an attraction. At the top, the Sítio square awaits, with the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré and a viewpoint over the whole bay.
What it is and why it is worth it
The Nazaré lift, as they call it there, is a funicular of two cars that go up and down at the same time, balancing each other, joined by a cable that runs beneath the track. It climbs a very steep slope, with a gradient of 42%, over a run of 318 metres, and before reaching the top it enters a short tunnel beneath the Sítio. From the window you see the beach and the town's rooftops opening out below you.
It has a history. It opened on 28 July 1889 and at first it was driven by a steam engine with a wood-fired boiler installed at the top, with machinery from the German firm Maschinenfabrik Esslingen; among the promoters was the engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard. The council bought it in 1931. After an accident in 1963 it was out of action until 1968, and between 2001 and 2002 it was completely renovated.
Who it is for
Everyone. It is the easy way up to the Sítio with children, with older people or with anyone who does not want a hard climb. If you have a pushchair, ask at the station how to board. If you like walking, go up on foot by the hillside and come down on the funicular, or the other way round.
Where to catch it
The lower station is in the Praia, a few streets from the seafront, uphill from the beach. The upper one, in the Sítio, is beside the Suberco viewpoint and a few steps from the square and the sanctuary. From the Sítio, the lighthouse and the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo are a kilometre away, about 13 minutes on foot.
When to go
It runs all year as public transport. The best time to go up is the last of the afternoon, to watch the sunset over the bay from the viewpoint. In summer and on winter giant-wave days it is much busier. Before you go, check that it is in service: in 2026 it went through inspections and trials.
What it costs
There is a visitor ticket, bought at the station. From 1 January 2027 residents of Nazaré travel free, and the council has announced that fares for everyone else will rise to compensate. Check the current price at the station.
If it rains
The funicular is covered and the ride lasts a few minutes, so it is a good plan in bad weather. At the top, the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré can be visited under cover; the viewpoint, in rain and wind, is better in a calm spell.
- **Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo and the Surfer Wall** (45 min · Everyone; teenagers get hooked): What it is
The Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo is the small fortress that crowns the tip of the Nazaré headland, with the lighthouse on top, between the town beach and Praia do Norte. It was built in 1577, in the time of King Sebastian, to defend the bay from pirate attacks. Today it is a Property of Public Interest and has been run by Nazaré Town Council since 2017, under a 25-year concession from the State.
What has made it famous is not its military history but what lies in front of it. From its walls you watch the giant waves of Praia do Norte break, raised by an underwater canyon that reaches almost to the coast. It opened to the public in 2014 and has been open all year since 2015; in 2025 it received almost 445,000 visits.
What you see

The Surfer Wall: a room with the boards donated by the surfers who have ridden the waves of Praia do Norte. It is what attracts teenagers most.
The Nazaré Canyon interpretation centre, in the Hydrographic Institute room, which explains why the sea grows so big here.
Exhibitions on the history of the fort and of Nazaré, and on the giant waves, which the council renews from time to time.
The terraces and walls, the great viewpoint: on one side Praia do Norte and its waves, on the other the bay and the town.

Opening hours and price
Open every day. The published hours have varied over the years and seasons, and entry is paid, at a reduced price. Check the day's hours and price on the Nazaré Town Council website or social media before you go. After the storm of January 2026 the fort was closed, and it reopened in February.
Allow about 45 minutes inside. If it is a big-wave day, stay longer: what is happening outside is the spectacle.
Getting there and parking
The fort is at the tip of the Sítio, the upper district. From the beach, take the funicular up to the Sítio and walk from the sanctuary square towards the lighthouse: the last stretch is a road and a ramp downhill, with the return uphill. By car you can reach the Sítio and park there; the final approach to the fort is narrow and on big-wave days it fills with people. On those days, go on foot.
When to go
To see giant waves, from October to March, only on days with a strong swell. Check the forecasts and Nazaré's social media before you go: the difference between a normal day and a big day is enormous. To watch the giant waves of Praia do Norte in peace, go early: on announced days thousands of people gather.
In summer the sea is calm and the fort is visited as a museum and viewpoint, with fewer people.
With children and teenagers
Teenagers get hooked on the Surfer Wall and the waves. With small children, the visit is short and what they take away is the views; hold on to them on the walls and on the access path, which is steep and windy. With a pushchair, the descent to the fort is steep and there are stairs inside.
- **Praia da Nazaré, the town beach** (4 h · Families in summer · Free): What it is
Praia da Nazaré is the town beach: a wide crescent of sand in front of the houses and the seafront, protected to the north by the headland of the Sítio, which cuts the wind and the swell from the north. It is the calm face of Nazaré. On the other side of the cape is Praia do Norte, home of the giant waves; here, in summer, the sea is usually calm and the sand fills with families. It has a Blue Flag and has won an award as an accessible beach.
Getting there and parking
The beach is right by the centre: you come down from any street in the Praia district and you are on the sand. If you arrive by car, the centre is overloaded in summer; leave the car in the car parks at the entrance to the town and walk. From the north end of the beach leaves the funicular to the Sítio, which takes you up to the cliff viewpoint in a couple of minutes.
Bathing season and lifeguards
The official 2026 bathing season ran from 20 June to 15 September. During those dates there are lifeguards, marked swimming zones and beach services. The municipality has also maintained supervision the rest of the year since 2017, under a protocol with the local lifeguard association; even so, outside summer swim only when the sea is calm and close to the supervised area.
In the summer of 2025 the beach was closed to swimming several times because of occasional water-quality problems. Before you swim, check the flag and the notices from the council or the Maritime Authority.
What to do besides swimming

Walk along the sand to the foot of the Sítio and take the funicular up to see the whole beach from above.
Look out for the town's fishing tradition: the boats drawn up on the sand, fish drying in the sun and the women in their many-layered skirts, still seen on the promenade.
Between October and March, on big-sea days, cross to the Sítio and go down to the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo to see the giant waves of Praia do Norte.

When to go
For swimming, from mid-June to mid-September. The Atlantic water here is cold for many people even in August. July and August are the busiest months; first thing in the morning and after six in the evening is better. In winter it is a long, flat walk, with the Sítio and the waves in the background.
With children
It is Nazaré's beach for small children: wide sand, a calmer sea than the rest of the coast and lifeguards in season. Even so, the Atlantic has an undertow: swim with them in the supervised area and respect the flags. Take a parasol, because there is no natural shade.
- **Alcobaça Monastery, 13 km away** (1 h 30 · Everyone · General admission €15): What it is and why it matters
The Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça is the great Cistercian abbey of Portugal and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989. In 1153 the first king, Afonso Henriques, gave these lands to Bernard of Clairvaux, and the order built here one of its largest monasteries. The present church was begun in 1178 and consecrated in 1252: it was the first great Gothic building in Portugal, about 106 metres long, with a very tall, bare nave with almost no decoration, as the Cistercian rule demanded. It is about 13 km from Nazaré.
What you see

The church, long, tall and white, with three aisles of the same height. It impresses with its light and scale rather than its ornament.
The tombs of Pedro I and Inês de Castro, in the transept, facing each other, in their original position since 1956. They are two Gothic sepulchres of carved stone with one of the best-known love stories of the Iberian Peninsula: the king had Inês crowned after her death. It is said they are placed this way so that on Judgement Day the first thing each sees on rising is the other.
The Cloister of Silence, or of King Dinis, built between 1308 and 1311, with a 16th-century upper storey. It is so called because talking was forbidden there.
The kitchen, enormous, covered in tiles, with a monumental chimney and a channel of water running under the floor, brought from the River Alcoa.
The refectory, with three aisles and about 620 m², and the dormitory, more than 66 metres long, where the monks all slept together.
The Hall of Kings, with statues of the kings of Portugal and 18th-century blue tile panels telling the story of the foundation.

Opening hours, closures and price
According to Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, from 1 November to 31 March it opens from 9:00 to 17:30, with last entry at 17:00; from 1 April to 31 October, from 9:00 to 18:30, with last entry at 18:00. It is closed on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 20 August (Alcobaça's public holiday) and 25 December.
General admission costs €15 and gives access to the monastic buildings. Tickets are bought at the ticket office or through the online sales of Museus e Monumentos de Portugal; check there for discounts.
How long to allow
An hour and a half for the church and monastery at an easy pace. If you want to linger at the tombs and the kitchen, two hours.
Getting there and parking
From Nazaré it is about 15 minutes by car inland. The monastery is in the centre of Alcobaça, on a large square; park in the town centre and walk over.
With children
The scale of the building, the kitchen with water under the floor and the story of Pedro and Inês all work for them. Allow less time with them: a good hour. The rooms are spacious and cool in summer.
To complete the day
Combine it with Nazaré: the morning in Alcobaça and the afternoon on Praia da Nazaré or in the Sítio, going up on the funicular.
- **Surf lesson on Nazaré beach with Nazare Surf School** (1 h 30 · Beginners, intermediates and families with children who swim · Desde 35 € per person): A surf lesson in the very town of the giant waves, but in the calm water of the bay, with instructors born in Nazaré.
What the lesson is like
It lasts 90 minutes. It begins on the sand with a warm-up and an explanation of how to paddle, how to catch the whitewater and how to stand up. Then the group is split among the instructors according to level, and each person goes into the water with theirs. The school provides the board, the wetsuit and the insurance; you only bring swimwear and a towel. If you already surf, the lesson helps you correct your technique; if you have never picked up a board, you start in the foam, near the shore.
The school has a base on Avenida da República, the seafront promenade, facing the beach. You change there: there are men's and women's changing rooms, hot showers and lockers, and a ramp for wheelchair access. They do not provide a padlock, but you can leave valuables at reception.
What it costs
The group lesson costs €35 per person. If you are staying a few days, the 5-lesson pass is €175 and the 10-lesson pass €330. Private lessons, for one or two people, cost €80 for one and €70 each for two. For €20 more they take photos of the lesson and for €30, a video.
For those who already surf, the school hires boards, wetsuits, bodyboards and stand-up paddle boards by the hour, the day or the week: board with wetsuit, €25 for two hours and €40 for the day.
When to go
The school is open every day of the year, from 9:00 to 18:00. In summer the water is warmer and the sea in the bay is usually calmer; from autumn to spring you need a full wetsuit and it is wise to ask beforehand about the state of the sea. On days of great storms, when Praia do Norte fills with onlookers, the school decides whether lessons can be given on the town beach.
Lessons are in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.
Who it is for
For beginners, for those who can already stand up and want to improve, and for teenagers and families. Children must be able to swim and be comfortable in the water. If you are travelling with small children who do not want to go in, the town beach is wide and sheltered for staying on the sand.

## Dónde comer
- **Taberna d'Adélia** (Restaurant, Nazaré, €€). Qué pedir: ask them to show you the fish of the day before cooking; if there is oven-baked redfish with açorda, it is the recipe the house keeps repeating.
- **Mar Bravo Restaurant** (Restaurant, Nazaré, €€€). Qué pedir: the seafood rice or the fish and seafood cataplana, for two (€50); if you are on your own, the seafood açorda in an individual portion (€22).
- **Mar Aberto Wine Bar Restaurant** (Restaurant, Nazaré). Qué pedir: ask for a table by the glass windows and ask about the fish and seafood of the day; if you only want to nibble, the wine bar serves light tapas.

## By car: Nazaré by car, from the Sítio to Alcobaça
With a car, Nazaré combines in a short while with Alcobaça monastery, 13 km away, and you reach Praia do Norte without depending on the funicular on wave days. In the town itself, though, the car is a hindrance: the Praia is covered on foot and the Sítio is reached by funicular.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Mar Bravo** (Hotel): A hotel on the beach square itself
The Hotel Mar Bravo is on Praça Sousa Oliveira, the square that opens onto the seafront promenade in the centre of the Praia, Nazaré's lower district. You step out of the door and in a minute you are on the sand. It is a small hotel, of 16 rooms, with its own fish and seafood restaurant on the ground floor, which is almost as well known in the town as the hotel. It is run by the company Araújo & Santos and is entered in the national tourism register under number 397.
The rooms
All are doubles, with a double or twin bed depending on availability, and their own bathroom with a shower or bath. What changes between them is the view. The best have two balconies, one facing the beach and another with a side view of the Atlantic. Others have a private balcony facing the sea and the headland of the Sítio, others a balcony with a side view, and the simplest, a window with a side sea view and plenty of light. Buffet breakfast is included in all rates. An extra bed or cot can be requested, although they do not fit in every room: say so when you book.
The restaurant
The Mar Bravo restaurant is open every day from 12:00 to 22:30, for non-guests too. It has a glassed-in dining room facing the beach and a tank with live shellfish. The menu is fish by weight (sea bass, sole, gilthead bream, grouper), shellfish, rice dishes and cataplanas for one or two people, seafood açorda and sardines in season. You have its listing in the where-to-eat section for Nazaré.
Getting there and parking
From Lisbon, along the A8, in a little over an hour and a half. The hotel lists parking among its services, but the website does not say where or how much it costs: ask when you book, because in summer parking in the Praia is difficult. Without a car, the bus from Lisbon drops you in the town and the hotel is a few minutes' walk away.
What is nearby
The town beach is in front. The funicular to the Sítio leaves a few streets away, and from the top you continue on foot to the São Miguel Arcanjo fort, above Praia do Norte. The town's surf school is on the same promenade.
- **Miramar Hotel Spa & Apartments** (Spa hotel): A hotel with views from the top of Pederneira
The Miramar is in the upper part of Nazaré, towards the Pederneira district, the old core of the town, on a slope that looks out over the whole bay: the beach, the town and the headland of the Sítio opposite. It is a four-star hotel of the Miramar group, which has another hotel in the town, the Miramar Sul. The beach is about 700 metres away, ten minutes' walk downhill; the return is uphill.
Rooms and apartments
It has 44 rooms, nine of them suites with an ocean view, and seven apartments in an adjoining building with a view of Nazaré, useful if you travel as a family or stay several days. Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out until 12:00. According to the website, cancellation is free up to 48 hours before arrival. Children up to 3 do not pay for accommodation or meals, and up to 11 years do not pay for accommodation.
The spa and the pools
The guests' spa is used at no cost, by booking a time: a panoramic heated pool with jets, a large hot tub, a steam room and a rest area, with large windows to the sea. Next door is the Thalasso Nazaré centre, where treatments are paid separately. In the garden there is an outdoor pool with sun loungers and the beach in the background.
Eating at the hotel
The restaurant is the Mar Aberto Wine Bar, with a panoramic view of the ocean: Portuguese cooking with plenty of fish and seafood, international dishes and options for special diets and vegans. It is open from 12:30 to 15:00 and from 19:30 to 22:00.
Getting there
By the A8, exit 22 towards Alcobaça, Nazaré and Valado dos Frades, then the IC9 towards Nazaré and, once in the town, the direction of Pederneira until the hotel signs. The website does not detail parking: ask when you book. Alcobaça is 15 km away, Óbidos 40 and Lisbon about 110.
- **Ohai Nazaré Outdoor Resort** (Campsite): A campsite with pools among the pines
Ohai Nazaré is an outdoor resort in a pine wood next to National Road 242, on the outskirts of Nazaré: about 4 km from the town beach and 3 km from Praia do Norte, the one with the giant waves. It combines a pitch campsite with bungalows, apartments and glamping tents, and has the facilities of a holiday park: a water park with slides, heated outdoor pools, a heated indoor pool with a hot tub, a gym, a playground, a games room and a restaurant. Everything is included in the price for guests; day visitors are not admitted.
Where to sleep inside
There are five types of bungalow, with one or two bedrooms, some with views; the largest are for five or six people. They have a bathroom, air conditioning, fridge, microwave, hob, coffee maker, TV, wifi, bed linen and towels, and a porch with a table. There are also one and two-bedroom apartments and glamping; the tents have no TV. The pitches, standard and comfort, have an electric hook-up and drinking water nearby, and there is an area for caravans and a service area for emptying motorhomes. Check-in is from 16:00 (you can arrive from 14:00 to use the facilities) and check-out until 11:00. There is a laundry for guests.
With children and with a dog
In high season, from late June to mid-September, and at Easter there is entertainment for children and adults on weekdays; the rest of the year, at weekends. Cots are €5, but there are no extra beds. Dogs are welcome: up to two per accommodation, €10 per night each, with a vaccination record and microchip, always on a lead and kept out of pools, the playground and enclosed spaces. They can be on the restaurant terrace, and there are dog showers.
Eating
The BistrOhai restaurant serves a buffet or à la carte depending on the season, with vegetarian, vegan and allergy options. When booking you can add half board or full board.
Getting there
You need a car: from Lisbon, the A8 to Nazaré, and the EN242 to kilometre 31.5. Parking for the first car is included; the second costs €3.50 a day.

## By plane: Flying to Lisbon, then car or bus to Nazaré
Nazaré is about 120 km north of Lisbon, which is the nearest airport, with direct flights from many Spanish cities. By hire car it is a little over an hour and a half along the A8; without a car, the scheduled bus from Lisbon takes a little over an hour and a half to the town, and there everything is done on foot and by funicular.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel Mar Bravo** (Hotel): A hotel on the beach square itself
The Hotel Mar Bravo is on Praça Sousa Oliveira, the square that opens onto the seafront promenade in the centre of the Praia, Nazaré's lower district. You step out of the door and in a minute you are on the sand. It is a small hotel, of 16 rooms, with its own fish and seafood restaurant on the ground floor, which is almost as well known in the town as the hotel. It is run by the company Araújo & Santos and is entered in the national tourism register under number 397.
The rooms
All are doubles, with a double or twin bed depending on availability, and their own bathroom with a shower or bath. What changes between them is the view. The best have two balconies, one facing the beach and another with a side view of the Atlantic. Others have a private balcony facing the sea and the headland of the Sítio, others a balcony with a side view, and the simplest, a window with a side sea view and plenty of light. Buffet breakfast is included in all rates. An extra bed or cot can be requested, although they do not fit in every room: say so when you book.
The restaurant
The Mar Bravo restaurant is open every day from 12:00 to 22:30, for non-guests too. It has a glassed-in dining room facing the beach and a tank with live shellfish. The menu is fish by weight (sea bass, sole, gilthead bream, grouper), shellfish, rice dishes and cataplanas for one or two people, seafood açorda and sardines in season. You have its listing in the where-to-eat section for Nazaré.
Getting there and parking
From Lisbon, along the A8, in a little over an hour and a half. The hotel lists parking among its services, but the website does not say where or how much it costs: ask when you book, because in summer parking in the Praia is difficult. Without a car, the bus from Lisbon drops you in the town and the hotel is a few minutes' walk away.
What is nearby
The town beach is in front. The funicular to the Sítio leaves a few streets away, and from the top you continue on foot to the São Miguel Arcanjo fort, above Praia do Norte. The town's surf school is on the same promenade.
- **Miramar Hotel Spa & Apartments** (Spa hotel): A hotel with views from the top of Pederneira
The Miramar is in the upper part of Nazaré, towards the Pederneira district, the old core of the town, on a slope that looks out over the whole bay: the beach, the town and the headland of the Sítio opposite. It is a four-star hotel of the Miramar group, which has another hotel in the town, the Miramar Sul. The beach is about 700 metres away, ten minutes' walk downhill; the return is uphill.
Rooms and apartments
It has 44 rooms, nine of them suites with an ocean view, and seven apartments in an adjoining building with a view of Nazaré, useful if you travel as a family or stay several days. Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out until 12:00. According to the website, cancellation is free up to 48 hours before arrival. Children up to 3 do not pay for accommodation or meals, and up to 11 years do not pay for accommodation.
The spa and the pools
The guests' spa is used at no cost, by booking a time: a panoramic heated pool with jets, a large hot tub, a steam room and a rest area, with large windows to the sea. Next door is the Thalasso Nazaré centre, where treatments are paid separately. In the garden there is an outdoor pool with sun loungers and the beach in the background.
Eating at the hotel
The restaurant is the Mar Aberto Wine Bar, with a panoramic view of the ocean: Portuguese cooking with plenty of fish and seafood, international dishes and options for special diets and vegans. It is open from 12:30 to 15:00 and from 19:30 to 22:00.
Getting there
By the A8, exit 22 towards Alcobaça, Nazaré and Valado dos Frades, then the IC9 towards Nazaré and, once in the town, the direction of Pederneira until the hotel signs. The website does not detail parking: ask when you book. Alcobaça is 15 km away, Óbidos 40 and Lisbon about 110.

## As a family: Nazaré with the family: funicular and beach

Nazaré is easy with children: a wide beach, sheltered in summer, a funicular up to the cliff and, in winter, the spectacle of the waves from a fort with a lighthouse.

### What works best
The funicular to the Sítio, and walking down the hillside

The town beach, sheltered by the headland

The giant waves seen from the fort on a stormy day

The fort's Surfer Wall, with the surfers' boards

### Where to stay
In the Praia, beside the promenade and the funicular

### Where to eat
Grilled fish in the Praia

Dried fruit and nuts from the Sítio stalls for the walk to the lighthouse

### Worth knowing
At the viewpoints in a big sea, hold hands and stay behind the barriers

In summer the beach fills up: arrive early

Bring a jacket for the lighthouse, even in July

### Qué hacer as a family
- The giant waves of Praia do Norte from the fort
- Going up to the Sítio on the 1889 funicular or up the hillside
- Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo and the Surfer Wall
- Praia da Nazaré, the town beach
- Surf lesson on Nazaré beach with Nazare Surf School

## Consejos

### Check the forecast before going in winter
The Nazaré Big Waves website announces the big days. Without a storm, Praia do Norte is just an ordinary sea.

### Always bring a coat
On the lighthouse headland the wind blows hard even in summer.

### Combine with Alcobaça
The monastery is 13 km away: a morning of monument and an afternoon by the sea.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### When can you see the giant waves?
From October to March, only a few days per season, with the Atlantic storms. The tow-surfing championship is called between 1 November and 31 March if the sea allows it.

### Where are they best seen from?
From the headland of the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo, next to the lighthouse, and the cliffs above Praia do Norte.

### How do you get up to the Sítio?
On the funicular of 1889, which leaves from the Praia, or on foot up the hillside stairs in about twenty minutes.

### Is it a good destination with children?
Yes. In summer the town beach is wide and sheltered, and they love the funicular. In winter, with waves, keep an eye on them at the viewpoints.

### Is it worth going in summer?
Yes, as a beach town. But the giant waves are a winter thing.