If you are visiting Portugal between October and March, this is something worth keeping on your list.
This is the main season for the giant waves of Nazaré, especially at Praia do Norte.
But there is one important thing to know before planning your visit: the giant waves are not there every day.
They depend on storms in the Atlantic bringing the right swell towards the Portuguese coast. Sometimes you only know a few days before that a really big day is coming.
The reason Nazaré can produce waves of this size is hidden under the ocean.
Just off the coast is the Nazaré Canyon, an enormous underwater canyon that reaches around 5,000 metres deep. It changes the way the swell approaches Praia do Norte and can help create exceptionally large waves.
🏄 How did Nazaré become famous?
In 2011, Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara surfed a 23.77 metre wave here and set a Guinness World Record.
That moment helped make Nazaré famous around the world.
Since then, many of the best big-wave surfers have come here. Sebastian Steudtner later surfed a 26.21 metre wave at Praia do Norte, which remains the official Guinness record for the largest wave surfed by a man. Brazilian Maya Gabeira also set the women’s record here with a 22.4 metre wave.
📍 Where should you watch?
Go to Sítio da Nazaré, above Praia do Norte.
The area around the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo and the lighthouse is one of the best places to watch the waves from above.
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