In this blog, I will share my winter travel guide for Nazaré. Whether you’re coming to see the world’s biggest waves or simply want to escape the city, this is a fantastic place to do so.

Why Winter?

If you want to see the biggest waves or experience Nazaré without large crowds, winter is the only time you should visit. The big wave season lasts from December to around the end of February, and while you do get big waves either side of this range, the best chances are around January. Aside from the waves, January is a quiet month, so you will get to see Nazaré without mass tourism. It’s nice to see mostly locals when you’re walking the streets.

Getting Here

The best way to get to Nazaré is to fly to Lisbon and get a bus. I’ve used a few different companies, and by far the best was FlexiBus that runs from Oriente station. Tickets are available online, and I highly suggest booking in advance as seats sell out fast, even in the winter. It’s affordable and the fastest connection between Lisbon and Nazaré. If you have the budget and manage to find a willing driver, Uber can take you from Lisbon to Nazaré.

Where to Stay

During our stay, we stayed at the Hotel Mare, which is a stone’s throw from the beach. The location and staff were 10/10.

How Long to Stay

Assuming you checked ahead of time and you know there will be a swell, then 2-4 days is plenty. The only reason I’d stay longer is if I had office work to do or there was a huge swell coming in. Nazaré really is tiny and can be covered in a day.

Weather

During our stay, we had sun and 14°C. We had torrential rain and crazy winds. We also had 7°C mornings that felt much colder than what the weather app said. We also had days where we experienced everything in the same morning. Pack for a variety of conditions and bring layers. A good wind / waterproof jacket is a must. Lastly, we found weather apps to be unreliable regarding cloud cover and rainfall.

Planning Ahead

I tried a few different websites and found the Nazaré Surf Forecast to be the most accurate. This is the tool I used to judge when it’s best to book the hotel and head over.

Photography

In the town, a 24-70mm is all you need; however, if you want to shoot the waves, then a 70-200mm or some sort of telephoto lens is a must. Not only will this allow you to reach the waves, but it will also make them appear larger than life. I highly suggest running two bodies if you plan on using two focal lengths. Swapping lenses when you’re blasted by ocean spray and sand is a camera disaster waiting to happen.

General Info

In the winter, Nazaré is very quiet, so expect many places to open only some days and with restricted hours. For example, the supermarket near our hotel closed at 7 p.m. some days while the café we really liked was only open half the week. Many places only accept cash, including some of the most popular restaurants. Luckily, there are ample cashpoints all around town.

Town

The town is split into two main sections. One at the bottom of the cliff and one at the top. As well as a bustling high street, you have a wonderful market that’s full of life. With that said, my favourite aspect of the town is all the long, narrow streets that create a grid-style layout. When the sun hits them, they are great for photography, and I spent a whole morning getting lost and shooting. If you head to the top part of town, you will find a nice church as well as wonderful viewpoints of the beach below. You can either walk or take the tram / cable car / lift / whatever it is called.

Nazaré Beach

This will be the first beach you will see when you arrive in Nazaré. This is the main beach, and while it’s on the ‘quieter side’ in terms of waves, you will be absolutely shocked when you see them. I still remember feeling the waves crash before seeing them; it was a surreal feeling.

When the swell is in, there are red flags posted all round the beach, and they are patrolled. I guess there have been one too many instances of a sneaker wave catching people off-guard. With that said, at one point we had to run away from a wave even though we were well behind the flag. These waves are no joke.

Nazaré beach is incredible for watching the waves from another angle, and since you’re eye level with them, they appear even more dramatic. We spent an entire afternoon walking up and down this beach collecting shells, dodging waves and taking photos.

Farol de Nazaré Lighthouse

If you Google “Nazaré Waves”, one of the first photos will be of the Farol de Nazaré Lighthouse. Rest assured that while these waves are enormous, they are not quite as huge as in those photos. Those images are taken using extremely long telephoto lenses from a vantage point a little further back.

With that said, the walk to the lighthouse is incredible and will result in many amazing photos. When you get to the lighthouse, you can explore the area to get different vantage points or go inside to see the museum and get access to the roof.

Praia do Norte Beach

The second and more ‘wild’ beach is Praia do Norte that’s located on the other side of the cliff. It takes a little longer to get to but is worth it.

Places to Eat & Drink

This is by no means a food & drink blog. Matter of fact this is the last thing I think about as photos come first. Below is a list of places my girlfriend and I found and enjoyed.