Praia do Norte, Surfing beach in Nazaré, Portugal
Praia do Norte is a sandy beach in Nazaré on the Portuguese Atlantic coast. The shore stretches at the base of cliffs where natural dunes separate the sand from the higher ground and the ocean meets the coastline directly.
An American surfer rode a wave roughly 30 meters high here in 2011, setting a world record. That moment brought international attention to the beach and drew athletes from many countries to the coast.
The beach sits below São Miguel Arcanjo Fort, which now displays exhibitions about giant waves and the history of seafaring in the area. Fishermen from the nearby town sometimes visit the cliffs to watch the ocean and share stories of past storms.
Visitors reach the beach via marked trails from the parking area near the fort or by funicular from the town center. Conditions at the waterfront change quickly, especially during heavy swell in autumn and winter.
The Nazaré Canyon extends offshore to depths of roughly 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and channels currents in a way that produces very tall waves. This geological formation makes the beach one of the few places worldwide where such extreme conditions occur regularly.
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Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré
751 m
Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo
34 m
Nazaré Funicular
1 km
Memory Hermitage of Nazaré
820 m
Igreja de São Gião
4.6 km
Nazaré Lighthouse
20 m
Nazaré Bullring
1.1 km
Casino da Nazaré
1.3 km
Igreja Paroquial da Pederneira
2 km
Cine-Teatro da Nazaré
1.2 km
Forno de Orca Cave
277 m
Teatro Chaby Pinheiro
738 m
Museu Dr. Joaquim Manso
839 m
Casa dos Pescadores da Nazaré
1.6 km
Hospital da Confraria de Nossa Senhora da Nazaré
718 m
Pelourinho da Pederneira
2.3 km
Antiga Casa da Câmara
2 km
Escola Primária de Valado dos Frades
5.7 km
Mercado Municipal da Nazaré
1.4 km
Fonte Antiga
1.7 km
Edifício dos Correios, Telégrafos e Telefones, CTT, da Nazaré
1.4 km
Coreto do Sítio da Nazaré
820 m
Capela de Santo António
1 km
Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Anjos
1.8 km
Caminho Real
3.3 km
Conjunto monumental urbano e enquadramento paisagístico da Nazaré
1.1 km
Palácio Real do Sítio da Nazaré
763 m
Edifício da Capitania da Nazaré e Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos
1 kmReal people, real opinions — but not verified.
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Very beautiful seaside resort. The best ice creams are here.....it’s up to you to find them.
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