Self-Guided Walks Nazare
Editor notes: create a download of the souvenir map, ask for a donation before or after download, or after taking the walk
I don’t consider myself a walker. That is, I didn’t until I moved to Europe, and my nervousness of driving – here, on these cobblestone roads barely wide enough for one car, let alone two, took hold of me.
I soon realized that I would much rather risk my life on the non-existent sidewalks than drive my manual transmission car up or downhill, on these same roads.
So now I walk, anywhere and everywhere. Even 42 miles in 24 hours once for charity.
I walk to the farmer’s markets and mule pounds of fresh produce, bread, meats, and cheeses back to my apartment.
I walk to the beach, umbrella, towels, diaper bag, baby and stroller in tow.
I even, on occasion, walk without my phone and Google maps, on purpose!
And Nazare, just like the rest of Portugal, is full of unsuspecting streets with inclines that appear out of nowhere and sometimes, lead to nowhere.
Finding those rewarding paths can be challenging and exhausting.
Unless, of course, you know someone who loves to walk.
RUA SUB VILA
Difficulty level = Easy
Time = 8 mins
Distance = 0.5 miles (650 meters)
Terrain = Mostly flat
Rua Sub Vila is an excellent alternative to the often overcrowded promenade (marginal in Portuguese). There are no oceanfront cafes, but daily life happens here.
Start your journey near the farmer’s market (Mercado Municipal da Nazare) at the corner of Av. Vieira Guimaraes and R. Sub Vila and head north.
Continue on towards the funicular (Ascensor) by turning left at Hotel Magic on Rua Mouzinho de Albuquerque and making a right on to Travessa do Elevator from the main square.
Easy to difficult self guided walks to help you discover something unexpected in Nazare Portugal.
NAZARE LIGHTHOUSE
Difficulty level = Moderate
Time = 19 mins
Distance = 1.2 km
Terrain = Downhill with a gravel path
No visit to Nazare is complete without spending some time at the famous Praia do Norte.
Home to the world’s largest waves and Guinness World records for the largest wave surfed, the once-abandoned Nazare Lighthouse (Farol da Nazare) is now a renovated historical site.
For $1, guests can explore the fort, learn more about the Nazare Canyon, and visit the Surf Board Museum, a room dedicated to the surfers who have braved the big waves of the Praia do Norte.
Once you have your fill of surf and history, walk down the adjacent terracotta dirt path towards the shoreline to Forno de Orca cave.
Did you know … that just beyond the lighthouse, in the waters off Nazare Beach lies a sunken WWII German Submarine?
Learn the story behind how that came to be on the Discover Nazare Walking Tour.
Discover the Sitio and the North Beach of Nazare
OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH PEDERNEIRA
Escadaria da Pedralva
Difficulty level = Difficult
Time = 15 mins
Distance = 1 km
Terrain = Uphill with stairs
The most challenging of the three walks, the staircase to Pederneira (Escadaria da Pedralva), is a combination of 75 or so steps followed by a consistent uphill slope.
The least visited area of Nazare, Pederneira, is the oldest of the three neighborhoods in the region (Nazare Beach, Sitio, and Pederneira).
Our lady of Angels Chapel (Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Anjos), the former City Hall (Antiga Casa da Camara), and Portugal’s 150 million-year-old petrified tree are all highlights on your workout up to your final reward – an often deserted lookout point (miradouro) all to yourself.
It’s worth the walk up to Pederneira
AMYLEE SILVA
