NAZARÉ

Nazaré – english

Nazaré is a portuguese town, that has grown from a fairly small fishing village to a tourist hotspot, one of the first in Portugal.

One interesting tradition held by the local women is the use of seven layered tops and skirts, which helped protect them from both the cold and water as they waited for their husbands and sons, who were fishing for the day, to return to shore.

These skirts, along with the flannel shirts and black berets typically worn by men, made for a unique look to these people, a look that, during the 1950’s and 60’s, attracted many photographers and other artists, including names such as Lino António , Jorge Barradas, Stanley Kubrick and Cartier-Bresson , who would document the daily lives of the people of Nazaré.

In fact, these outfits can still be seen today, with women sewing fishing nets or drying out fish by the sand, near small, colorful boats.

That being said, it’s impossible to bring up Nazaré without talking about its waves. As of now, the largest wave ever surfed took place in Nazaré’s Praia do Norte (Northern Beach), this record was set by Garrett McNamara in November of 2011. It’s this world-renowned seaside that has become a challenge for big wave surfers from all corners of the world, which in turn drives major traffic to the town as whole.

For those more interested in what food these waters have to offer, you won’t be disappointed. Nazaré is a gastronomical paradise, with fresh fish, prepared in a multitude of ways, from a caldeirada nazarena (a stew with various types of fish) to sardines, grilled grouper and sea bass, as well as delicious loafer, lobster and spider crab.