# A Sunday in Nazaré and Alcobaça: Monastery, Funicular and the Waves of Praia do Norte

The Cistercian monastery of Alcobaça when it opens, the funicular up to the Sítio de Nazaré, the fort facing the giant waves and the afternoon on the village beach.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/nazare/itineraries/monastery-funicular-and-praia-do-norte · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 07:45 · Salida: 1 h 30 by car (along the A8, about 110 km to Alcobaça)
- 09:00 · Alcobaça Monastery, 13 km away (when it opens · €15 · tombs of Pedro and Inês)
  - 15 min by car, 13 km
- 11:00 · Going up to the Sítio on the 1889 funicular or up the hillside (park below, at the Praia · 3 min climb)
  - 10 min on foot
- 11:30 · Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo and the Surfer Wall (lighthouse, Surfer Wall and Praia do Norte)
  - 15 min by cable car
- 13:30 · Taberna d'Adélia (Taberna d'Adélia · fish and seafood · €€ · Sunday from 12:30 to 15:30, closed on Thursday · book by phone) · Taberna d'Adélia, €€
  - 5 min on foot
- 15:30 · Praia da Nazaré, the town beach (the village beach, sheltered)
- 18:00 · Vuelta (you reach Lisbon around 19:30)

A day trip from Lisbon along the A8: Alcobaça and Nazaré are 13 km from each other. In the morning, one of the great Cistercian abbeys of Europe, with the tombs of Pedro and Inês; at midday, the funicular to the Sítio and the fort beneath the lighthouse, facing Praia do Norte, where in winter the biggest waves ever surfed break.

## The day, hour by hour

7:45 · Departure. Along the A8, about 110 km to Alcobaça.

9:00 · Alcobaça Monastery. It opens at 9:00; the ticket costs €15. The church, the tombs of Pedro and Inês, the cloister and the monumental kitchen. A World Heritage Site since 1989.

11:00 · Funicular to the Sítio. From Nazaré beach to the Sítio viewpoint in three minutes.

11:30 · Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo. The 1577 fort beneath the lighthouse, with the Surfer Wall and the view of Praia do Norte. Open daily.

13:30 · Lunch at Taberna d'Adélia. Go down on the funicular and walk to Rua das Traineiras, two blocks from the beach. It is a family fish and seafood restaurant: they show you the fish of the day before cooking it, and the Michelin Guide highlights its baked fish with açorda. On Sunday it is open from 12:30 to 15:30; it is closed on Thursday. Book by phone, on +351 262 552 134.

15:30 · The beach. Praia da Nazaré, crescent-shaped and sheltered by the Sítio, with lifeguards in summer.

18:00 · Heading back. You are in Lisbon around 19:30.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
A8 from Lisbon. Alcobaça to Nazaré, 13 km.

## Consejos

### Check the wave forecast
The giant waves only arrive with a storm, from October to March.

### Alcobaça at 9:00
The church is empty and the light is clean.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### When can you see the giant waves?
From October to March, on days of heavy Atlantic storms.

### How much does Alcobaça cost?
€15 to enter the monastery.

### Where can you eat in Nazaré on a Sunday?
Taberna d'Adélia, on Rua das Traineiras, is open on Sunday at midday from 12:30 to 15:30. It is closed on Thursday.