Nazaré: Travel and tourism

A stunning beach, typical fishermen houses and steep cliffs over a bright blue sea have made this fishing town become a popular holiday resort, mainly due to its traditional character.

Fishermen can still be seen wearing checkered shirts and black trousers, and their wives seven layers of petticoats: you can watch them mending nets or drying fish on the beach.

Sítio (the Site), high on a cliff above the town which can be reached by a funicular that climbs 110 metres, leads to the tiny sanctuary of Ermida da Memória: according to legend, this was where the Virgin Mary saved a local nobleman, who was chasing a deer, and his horse from falling off the cliff, envolved in a sea mist, in 1182.

Nearby, visitors can buy from coloured postcards to all kinds of craftmanship that recriate the traditions of a life dedicated to the sea: miniature boats, nets and buoys, dolls of all sizes in typical clothes with quaint hats and layers of petticoats, embroidered aprons and slippers, picturesque woollen coats, etc.

Near Nazaré lies the beautiful beach of São Martinho do Porto: its enclosed and safe bay makes it a favourite holiday destination, specially for families with children.

For those who like fish and seafood, Nazaré is quite a gastronomical paradise: fresh fish cooked in many different ways, from caldeirada à nazarena (a rich stew with several types of fish) to grilled sardines, rock-bass and turbot and delicious lobsters, prawns and spider-crabs.