It is located on Rua da Praia do Norte, Lugar Sítio da Nazaré, parish and city of Nazaré, central Portugal
Praia do Norte, due to its gigantic waves, is famous for its surfing conditions.
The very high breaking waves at Praia do Norte are formed due to the presence of the underwater Nazaré Canyon, where the canyon creates constructive interference between the swell waves, which tends to make them much larger.
Praia do Norte is characterized by large waves coming from the Atlantic (channeled by the Canhão da Nazaré), one of the most famous breaks in the world (beachbreak) as it has a sandy bottom there are many peaks along the beach, the most famous being "the one with rocks", with waves reaching up to 2 meters.
The waves on this beach are characterized by their ramps, triangles and strength, the currents are very strong and dangerous, and perfect conditions can be found between October and March.
In 2011 (November), Hawaii-based surfer Garrett McNamara surfed a record-breaking giant wave: 78 feet (23.8 m) from trough to crest at Praia do Norte, in Nazaré, Portugal.
On January 28, 2013, surfer McNamara returned to the location and successfully surfed a wave that seemed even bigger, but is awaiting an official measurement.
In 2017, Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa broke the previous record by surfing an 80-foot (24.4 m) wave at Praia do Norte that was captured in a video that went viral on social media.
There are currently 2 international championships: “Nazaré Pro” (which is part of the world bodyboard circuit (Association of Professional Bodyboarders) held in October, and the “Nazaré Challenge” (which is part of the Big Wave World Tour of the World Surf League) held between October and February, and there are also other national championships such as the “Circuito Regional do Centro”, “Etapas do Nacional” and “Nacional Esperanças”.
Nowadays it is impossible to talk about Praia do Norte in Nazaré without mentioning the world record registered in the Guinness World Records book for the highest wave ever surfed of 24.38 meters set by the Brazilian “Rodrigo Koxa” on November 8, 2017, and by the surfer “Maya Gabeira” who obtained the record for the highest wave ever surfed by a woman with a height of 22.4 meters in February 2020.
Praia do Norte da Nazaré is today recognized as one of the main venues for sea sports in the world, and every year the most fearless seek to overcome limits in the biggest waves on the planet.
The very high breaking waves at Praia do Norte are formed due to the presence of the underwater Nazaré Canyon, where the canyon creates constructive interference between the swell waves, which tends to make them much larger.
Praia do Norte is characterized by large waves coming from the Atlantic (channeled by the Canhão da Nazaré), one of the most famous breaks in the world (beachbreak) as it has a sandy bottom there are many peaks along the beach, the most famous being "the one with rocks", with waves reaching up to 2 meters.
The waves on this beach are characterized by their ramps, triangles and strength, the currents are very strong and dangerous, and perfect conditions can be found between October and March.
In 2011 (November), Hawaii-based surfer Garrett McNamara surfed a record-breaking giant wave: 78 feet (23.8 m) from trough to crest at Praia do Norte, in Nazaré, Portugal.
On January 28, 2013, surfer McNamara returned to the location and successfully surfed a wave that seemed even bigger, but is awaiting an official measurement.
In 2017, Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa broke the previous record by surfing an 80-foot (24.4 m) wave at Praia do Norte that was captured in a video that went viral on social media.
There are currently 2 international championships: “Nazaré Pro” (which is part of the world bodyboard circuit (Association of Professional Bodyboarders) held in October, and the “Nazaré Challenge” (which is part of the Big Wave World Tour of the World Surf League) held between October and February, and there are also other national championships such as the “Circuito Regional do Centro”, “Etapas do Nacional” and “Nacional Esperanças”.
Nowadays it is impossible to talk about Praia do Norte in Nazaré without mentioning the world record registered in the Guinness World Records book for the highest wave ever surfed of 24.38 meters set by the Brazilian “Rodrigo Koxa” on November 8, 2017, and by the surfer “Maya Gabeira” who obtained the record for the highest wave ever surfed by a woman with a height of 22.4 meters in February 2020.
Praia do Norte da Nazaré is today recognized as one of the main venues for sea sports in the world, and every year the most fearless seek to overcome limits in the biggest waves on the planet.
