Late 2018 Anderson Cooper did a 60 Minutes segment on Nazare, Portugal. It was an incredible story. In 2010 a Nazare local and body boarder, Dino Casimiro, wrote a letter to professional surfer, Garrett McNamara, telling him about his town and it’s waves. He invited Garrett to come to Nazare to surf. Garrett went over in 2011 and rode a 78 foot wave, setting a new Guinness World Record. Praia do Norte, in Nazare has a canyon as large as The Grand Canyon under the ocean, this causes waves to be massive! So, when our dart hit Portugal…we were ALL in! Side note-we’re not even surfers! ;). I was just SO impressed by this story and the town’s rich history. Let’s GO!

We decided to rent a VW bus and ride the coast of Portugal up to Nazare. We landed in Lisbon, took a cab to the city, grabbed something to eat, and walked over to Siesta Campers. They had a brand new VW California camper. waiting for us We were beyond stoked! They suggested that we download the Park4Night app, which shows you all the free beaches that you can park at overnight. The best part was that each spot we stopped at was literally right on the beach and had a 24 hour public restroom/bath house to use….and they were all spotless! We only had the California for 2 days then we would spend the remaining 2 days in Lisbon…Let’s GO!

We loaded up on some groceries and hit the road! The drive is alittle over an hour and a half so, our goal was to get there before dark. Our first stop was Cascais. We found a lovely spot right on the beach and grabbed some lunch. We then loaded back in the van and headed to Boco do Inferno (Hell’s Mouth). We were curious and it was beautiful. There is alittle history here…In 1930 an English occultist, Aleister Crowley, faked his suicide here as a dramatic gesture for his companion, The Scarlet Woman. It became HUGE news nationally and internationally. We just enjoyed it’s beauty and didn’t see the need for any drama. 😉

We arrived in Nazare right at dusk. We opted to take our camper to higher ground to scope out the camping situation. There are plenty of spots on the lower level, where beach access is but we wanted the view. We strolled over to the urban area of Nazare. There are local shops, markets, and restaurants. SO much history and character! Our spot was perfection! Sleeping next to the ocean under the stars is just so magical. I would move to Portugal in a heartbeat!

The next morning I woke up and went for alittle walk. The night before we ventured off to the left to take in the city. I decided to take a right to venture a new path. I FOUND it! I found what we’re here for! Somehow we missed it the night before but it’s RIGHT here! I woke Russ up with sheer excitement, we got ready and headed out. We were literally parked right next to the canyon and didn’t realize it. We walked down to the Nazare lighthouse, also known as Faroll da Nazare, Below the light house is a surfing museum, which houses winning surfboards that have surfed the wild waves of Nazare. There is also a room dedicated to the scientific breakdown of the canyon. It’s mind blowing!

We walked down a path that took us right to the beach. We were IN IT! We could feel the energy and the power of this ocean. We both took it in until we got alittle spooked …it’s intense! We were there in September so the waves are not usually that big then. Their season is November through March. The most significant swells usually occur in the heart of winter, November through January. The winds from the North Atlantic storms generate these swells and when you mix that with the underground canyon…mother nature brings you the colossal waves!

We loved having the freedom of traveling at our leisure in the VW California. We called Siesta to see if we could extend our rental but unfortunately, they were booked up. We figured as much. We grabbed some lunch at Taberna d’Adelia in downtown Nazare, loaded back up and took it back down south. We cruised through beach towns; Alcabideche, CaisCais,, Praia da Areia Branca, Praia do Medao/Superbubos …stopping for a dip here and there. It was SO nice!

If I haven’t mentioned it, I would move to Portugal in a heartbeat!

We made it back to Lisbon, returned our magic carpet ride and checked into our hotel. Russ totally scored with this spot! We basically checked into a SWANKY 2 story apartment overlooking the city.

I had a few spots on my list. from the NY Times Travel section so we hit the streets. Lisbon is incredible…the architecture, the tiles, the green space, the shops, the restaurants and the 25 de Abril Bridge! It looks exactly like the Golden Gate Bridge. It sits above the Tagus River. It’s gorgeous! We stumbled upon the Museu Banksy…we LOVE Banksy! Got our fix and then headed over to the LX Factory. This area is so cool…it is a former industrial complex full of shops, restaurants, and artistic installations, including the Maraviha sculpture, also known as the Lady of Lisbon. She sits high above and overlooks the Tagus River and the 25 de Abril Bridge…it’s quite a scene. She is part of the terrace of the Rio Maraviha gastrobar. Check it out.

Of course we needed to check out the music scene. We went over to Musicbox Lisboa located in the warehouse district. Super cool spot, we had a a couple of drinks and then went over to LuxFragil, which is a club co-owned by John Malkovich, who I am a big fan of. It sits right next to the river where cruise ships dock. It was pretty early so the scene had not started yet but it was cool for us to check it out. The biggest disco ball I have ever scene. We had a good night.

The next day we jumped on our double decker bus tour to expand our horizons and get alittle more history. This city is incredible! It is built on 7 hills, which gives you beautiful scenic viewpoints from all over the city. There is so much green space that is incorporated into the architecture….which is so cool! Lisbon is so colorful, tiles decorate buildings and are used as a national art form. You’ll see tiles all over the city. They are used on exteriors and interiors of churches, palaces, and train stations. I brought back a few tiles for myself…and our pet/house sitter, D!

We read about another Portuguese tradition, Fado Music, which is recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage. We decided to go to the Parreirinha de Alfama, located in Alfama, which is one of the historic districts of Lisbon to experience it ourselves. This area is so beautiful, the windy streets, the historic homes, it takes you to another time and place. We were welcomed into a home and seated family style with large groups of visitors. Food and wine are shared, songs are sung, guitars are played, it’s glorious. It’s an unforgettable experience.

Thank you Portugal for showing us your everlasting beauty and sharing your incredible history and culture! We cannot wait to come back!