Nazaré. The name alone sends a ripple of excitement through the surf community. This once-sleepy fishing town on Portugal’s central coast has become synonymous with the biggest waves on the planet – a place where the ocean rears up in mountain-sized walls of water, and a handful of brave souls dance on the edge of human possibility. But how did Nazaré earn its formidable reputation? What makes the waves here so gigantic and awe-inspiring? And what is life like in this town that straddles the line between traditional Portugal and global fame? In this post, we’ll dive deep (pun intended) into the story behind Nazaré’s waves – from the geological marvel beneath the sea to the daredevil surfers who put it on the map, and how we at The Atlantic Wave pay tribute to this extraordinary place.

The Sleeping Village and the Monster Awakens

For most of its history, Nazaré was a humble coastal village. Picture a wide crescent beach (Praia da Nazaré) lined with white houses and candy-striped beach tents, and locals known as “Nazaré fishwives” wearing traditional outfits (seven layers of skirts to represent the seven days of the week, as legend goes). Fishing and subsistence kept Nazaré going, and while the locals knew the sea’s power – they had stories of freakishly large waves in winter – the world at large had no idea. That changed dramatically in the early 2010s. In 2010, a Hawaiian surfer named Garrett McNamara visited Nazaré, invited by a local woman who believed the giant waves off the Nazaré North Beach (Praia do Norte) could be surfed. He returned in November 2011 and was towed by jet-ski into a monstrous wave estimated at 78 feet high. McNamara’s ride shattered previous records and shocked the world. Suddenly, Nazaré was on the map as the new frontier of big-wave surfing. The sleepy village woke up to global media, curious tourists, and an influx of big-wave riders eager to chase the mythical “100-foot wave”. HBO even made a whole documentary series (“100 Foot Wave”) chronicling McNamara’s journey and Nazaré’s transformation. It’s a classic tale: a hidden wonder discovered and thrust into fame. But through it all, Nazaré has kept its soul. Wander through the old town and you’ll still see fishermen mending nets, and elderly ladies (some in those traditional skirts) selling dried fish on the beachfront. There’s a beautiful duality: Nazaré is both the quaint Portuguese seaside town of yesterday and the adrenaline-charged, surf-mecca of today.

The Secret Beneath the Sea: Nazaré Canyon

So, what makes Nazaré’s waves so exceptionally large? The answer lies underwater. Just off the coast of Nazaré runs the Nazaré Canyon, a colossal submarine canyon that is the largest in Europe Imagine a Grand Canyon under the ocean – at its deepest, it plunges about 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) down! This canyon starts near the deep Atlantic and funnels toward Nazaré, narrowing as it approaches the shoreline. Here’s how it creates monster waves: when huge Atlantic swells roll in, part of the swell energy goes into the canyon (where it can travel fast, since the water is so deep), and part travels over the shallower coastal shelf on either side. The two parts reunite right near Praia do Norte. The shallow part slows down (due to rising seabed), but the canyon part doesn’t – it’s like two waves, slightly out of sync, merging. The result is often one larger, amplified wave. Additionally, the canyon’s shape causes refraction – waves bending and sometimes even doubling up. Locals describe how waves at Praia do Norte can come from two angles at once, sometimes forming those terrifying A-frame peaks or “freak waves” that seem to jump out of nowhere. All this, combined with ideal storm conditions in the North Atlantic, means Nazaré can serve up giants reliably each winter. It’s not every day you get 20+ meter waves, but the fact that it happens at all – and quite regularly – is astonishing. To visualise: on a big day, from the clifftop at the Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo (the fortress with the lighthouse, now an informal wave museum), you’ll see the ocean surface dotted with peaks and deep troughs; when a set approaches, you might literally lose sight of the horizon as a colossal wave face blocks it out. It’s equal parts beautiful and fearsome. For scientists and surfers alike, Nazaré is a marvel, a “freak of nature” perfectly engineered for XXL surf. No wonder it has become the ultimate testing ground for those seeking to ride the biggest wave on Earth.

Surf Legends and Record-Breaking Rides

The human saga at Nazaré is as compelling as the natural one. After McNamara’s 2011 feat, a stampede of big-wave surfers from around the globe – Brazilians, Australians, Europeans, Americans – all came to test themselves at Nazaré. It quickly progressed the sport: every season, new milestones. In 2017, Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa broke McNamara’s record by surfing an 80-foot (24.4 m) wave at Nazaré, which earned him a Guinness World Record. But even that record wouldn’t last long. On October 29, 2020, during a particularly epic swell, German surfer Sebastian Steudtner rode what was later scientifically measured and confirmed to be 86 feet (26.21 m) – the current official record for the largest wave ever surfed Some believe even bigger waves (90 ft, 100 ft?) have been surfed at Nazaré without official verification, and the hunt for the mythical 100-foot wave continues. Each winter, Nazaré hosts the WSL Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge, where elite big-wave surfers compete in teams using jet ski assists to catch the giants (paddle-surfing Nazaré is extremely rare given the speeds needed to catch these waves). Names like Maya Gabeira (who herself set a women’s world record wave in Nazaré, and nearly lost her life in 2013 in the process), Kai Lenny, Justine Dupont, and Andrew Cotton have become Nazaré legends. The drama isn’t just in the size of the waves, but the stories of resilience: broken boards, broken bones, heroic rescues by safety teams, and surfers pushing through fear to do the unimaginable. On shore, the red lighthouse fort has become an amphitheater for spectators and photographers. Some of the most viewed surf clips on the internet are from Nazaré, where you can barely spot the tiny human speck racing down a moving mountain, followed by an explosion of whitewater the size of an apartment building. It’s spectacle, it’s theatre, it’s history in the making. And incredibly, this show is now a regular feature every big-wave season (roughly October through March). Nazaré has turned from an unknown to the ultimate arena of surfing’s gladiators.

Nazaré’s Culture: Where Tradition Meets Extreme

What’s heartwarming is that despite the influx of energy and adrenaline, Nazaré’s local culture remains rich and intact. On huge wave days, you’ll have international crews and press in town, but you’ll also see local families going about their routines – perhaps a bit bemused by all the fuss over waves (which to them were always part of life). The bond between Nazaré and the surf community has grown symbiotic. Surfers have brought tourism and economic uplift, and many have integrated into the community. The town now has surf-themed murals, a big-wave surfer statue, and even cafes named after surfing. Yet, on festival days, Nazaré residents still celebrate like any Portuguese town – with processions honoring Our Lady of Nazaré, folk dances, and the smell of grilled sardines in the air. If you visit, make sure to ride the funicular up to Sítio (the clifftop part of Nazaré) to see the Chapel of Our Lady – tied to a 12th-century miracle legend that predates any surf story. It overlooks the very beach where the giants break. There’s something poetic about standing there: on one side, a shrine of faith and an old fishing village; on the other, the world’s wildest waves and the ultra-modern quest to ride them. It’s as if Nazaré connects the old and the new, the calm and the extreme. And the locals – they’ve embraced this dual identity. They cheer on the surfers, even if they’d never dream of doing it themselves. There’s a famous photo of some Nazaré grandmas watching a giant wave from the fort, wrapped in shawls, eyes wide. It speaks volumes: respect for the sea is ingrained here, whether you’re praying to it, fishing from it, or surfing on it.

Wearing Nazaré’s Legend

At The Atlantic Wave, Nazaré holds a special place in our hearts. Those epic waves and the community around them inspired us to create our Nazaré Vintage Surf Collection – a line of organic clothing that pays homage to the retro surf culture and the timeless allure of Nazaré’s ocean. When we design a t-shirt with a stylized wave or a hoodie with a surf emblem and the word “Nazaré,” we do it to capture a slice of that legend that you can wear. It’s not just merch; it’s meaningful. We want whoever wears it to feel a bit of that daring spirit and deep respect for nature. Our Nazare Surf Sunset Tee, for example, features a graphic of a setting sun and wave – symbolizing those golden evenings after a day of big-wave surfing, when the sky turns orange over a calming sea (yes, Nazaré can be gentle and beautiful too). It’s 100% organic cotton, super soft, and imbued with the story we just shared. We’ve even got hoodies that’ll keep you warm on windy cliff days watching the surf, and caps with Nazaré motifs.

Whether or not you ever make it to Nazaré in person, you can celebrate its story. And if you do come to Nazaré, you’ll now see it with new eyes: the layers of history, the quirk of geology, and the human triumphs and trials, all converging at this singular point on the map.

In Nazaré, nature writes jaw-dropping stories – we’re just here to witness and honor them. By understanding the story behind Nazaré’s waves, we hope you feel as inspired as we are. After all, Nazaré is a reminder that the world still has marvels left, and humans still have the hunger to dance with them. Next time you pull on a Nazaré-themed tee or hoodie, take a second to remember the towering waves, the tiny surfer dropping in, and the roar of the crowd on the cliffs. It’s not just a surf story; it’s a human story of awe and respect for our planet’s raw power. And it’s one that continues to unfold each year, right on the coast of Portugal.

(If Nazaré has captured your imagination like it has ours, feel free to explore our [Nazaré Vintage Surf Collection] on our site – every piece is designed as a little tribute to that lighthouse, that canyon, and those incredible waves.)