Beach · Nazaré · Central Portugal
Praia do Norte
The big-wave beach — where Garrett McNamara surfed the then-world record wave in 2011 and where the record has since been broken multiple times.
- Excellent water
- Live webcam
- Big waves: window opens 1 Nov
TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge 2026/27 · WSL
The big-wave contest window opens on 1 November. Two Brits are on the start list.
The fort has passed 3 million visitors since 2015 — 444,910 in 2025 alone (Observador/Lusa, Jan 2026).
- No alertWindow open. Watch the live webcam and the WSL site, where the alert is posted. Don’t book yet.
- Yellow alertIssued up to 72 hours ahead. This is when you book the room and the car: three days ahead of everyone waiting for green.
- Green alertThe contest runs within the next 24 hours if the sea holds. Rooms are gone. There’s space on the cliff if you go up early.
9 invited teams
- Nic von Rupp / Clément Roseyro POR · FRA · 2025/26 winners
- Andrew Cotton / James Carew United Kingdom · AUS
- Lucas Chianca / Pedro Scooby BRA
- Rodrigo Koxa / Vitor Faria BRA
- Will Santana / Gabriel Sampaio BRA
- Benjamin Sanchis / Jérôme Sahyoun FRA · MAR
- Justine Dupont · driver Dino Carmo FRA · POR · 2025/26 champion
- Laura Crane · driver Eric Rebière United Kingdom · FRA
- Michelle des Bouillons · driver Ian Cosenza BRA
New format: men run two semi-finals and a three-team final; women go straight to a final. Teams may change up to contest day.
Where to watch
Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo
The lighthouse fort sits high on the cliff, looking straight down at the peak. It’s where the footage you know comes from, and where the Surfer Wall boards hang. On alert days the queue to get in builds early (in our experience there are people there before 8am): if you’d rather not wait, stand on the cliff by the lighthouse, outside the fort, free and with the wave right in front of you.
Car or funicular
On contest day the Sítio car park fills by mid-morning and the road up is usually closed to traffic. Leave the car down in the town by the beach and ride the Nazaré funicular up (a 3-minute ride; expect a queue). Bring a windproof: it’s always windy up there.
On yellow alert
Sleep in Nazaré. The alert gives you a 72-hour head start.
Nazaré is a small town and on contest day it fills in a couple of hours. On yellow there are still rooms up at the Sítio. On green you take what’s left, 90 minutes away. Pick a rate with free cancellation: if the WSL stands down, you cancel at no cost.
See hotels in Nazaré and the SítioSources: WSL via Nazaré Waves, 19 Oct 2026 · Observador/Lusa, 15 Jan 2026 · updated 20 Oct 2026.
Sea now at Praia do Norte
liveLoading conditions…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (model, indicative). Always check the flag. · Tides and detailed forecast
Watch the live webcam · Praia do Norte PanorâmicaAbout the beach
The big-wave beach — where Garrett McNamara surfed the then-world record wave in 2011 and where the record has since been broken multiple times. For professional big-wave surfers only.
- Type
- Sea beach
- Town
- Nazaré
- Region
- Central Portugal
- Water quality 2025
- Excellent
- Coordinates
- 39.6123, -9.0867
Praia do Norte · Nazaré
Sleep close. Arrive early.
Hotels and rentals near Praia do Norte, priced for your dates. You pay the same as on the partner site.
- Live prices
- Free cancellation on many options
- Book on the partner site
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Beaches nearby
1.5 kmPraia da NazaréCentral Portugal- 3.8 kmPraia da FalcaPataias · Silver Coast (Oeste)
4.8 kmPraia da LéguaLégua · Silver Coast (Oeste)
7.5 kmPraia do SalgadoFamalicão · Silver Coast (Oeste)
8.5 kmPraia de Vale FuradoPataias · Silver Coast (Oeste)- 10 kmPraia da GralhaSão Martinho do Porto · Silver Coast (Oeste)
Water quality: official 2025 bathing-season classification (European Environment Agency / APA). Editorial description by Portal Turismo Portugal. Before you go, check lifeguard cover, the flag and access, especially outside the bathing season.