As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, we arrived just after a terrible rain storm had swept through the town involving much flooding of the streets. The cleanup has been quick and you would be hard pressed to even know it had happened by Sunday.
According to legend, the town of Nazare in Portugal, was named after a small statue of the Virgin Mary, which a monk brought to the town from Nazareth in the 4th century. Nazare is resplendent in breathtaking architecture, and ancient traditions long forgotten by the rest of the world. In addition to its majestic structures and cultural attractions, the village is also haven for divine natural attractions, ideal for those looking for some peace and tranquility.
We have been staying in a hotel in the lower part of town about 1 block from the beach. With Wes resting and working on recovery from his chest cold we are taking a very relaxed pace. This is an ideal place for such a relaxed, slow and therapeutic pace. As we woke up and sat on the balcony overlooking the street below we see local residences sitting on chairs on the sidewalk visiting and relaxing. There is no sense of rush or hurry and this is the atmosphere we feel.
It is not a large village so it does not take long to explore but town is such that you will want to walk down the streets many times. As is common in European towns is the tall buildings that crowd to the edge of the narrow lanes making them feel even more closed in that they are. The cars can not travel on all the streets they are so narrow, but this makes walking even more enjoyable. The lanes are very clean and the cobbled sidewalks look freshly swept. This is a town that people live and it is does not have the feeling of being a tourist town.
One of the town’s major attractions is its rich and colourful traditions. Despite it being small and undeveloped, tourists come here to feast on the town’s mouth-watering delicacies, and to explore what the town has to offer. Here, people still cling to their tradition as if time never changed. Tourists can see women in the town still wearing their traditional headscarves, embroidered aprons, and wooden clogs. Their aprons are worn over seven flannel skirts of different colours resulting in the appearance of flared skirts.
Meanwhile, fishermen still use wooden fishing boats that are of Phoenician design—with prows and painted eyes that are said to protect fishermen from storms in the sea. This tradition of designing boats came from, of course, the Phonecians who settled in Nazare before the time of Christians.
In addition to the town’s cultural attractions, another interesting attraction that tourists shouldn’t miss is the church in O Sitio. This church, which is the first to be built in the village, is a reminder of the Virgin Mary’s divine intervention which saved a Portuguese knight’s life. To show his gratification, he built the Ermida da Memoria, a chapel that now sits atop the Virgin Mary’s statue. To get to this church I had to ride the funicular from the lower part of town by the beach to the upper area of town. In the square at the top is where I discovered and explored the church.
Down towards the sea at the end of the cliffs is the Lighthouse of Nazareth (farol da Nazare) which is a beacon light of Portuguese located in Fort San Miguel Archangel. The Fort of San Miguel Archangel , also referred to as Fort Hill of Nazareth or simply Forte of Nazareth, stands in a dominant position on the beach of Nazareth , the famous and traditional point of fishing , sanctuary and resort in the Portuguese coast.
The original defense of the site dates back to the reign of D. Sebastian (1557-1578), who determined to erect a fort to defend the fishing village of Flint Hill. Needing repairs in the early seventeenth century, the era of the War of Independence and restoration established its modernization and expansion (1644 ) to establish its current conformation.
Of course, a trip to Nazare is never complete without visiting the town’s divine beaches, which are pristine. Later on Sunday afternoon there were several people on the beach but not as many as I would have expected. This is a very large beach and the few people on the beach (and fewer in the water) ensured everyone had lots of sandy real estate to claim for the sunbathing or swimming. I suspect this is a bit early in the season for locals to do much swimming but when I put my feet into the water it was cool, but not cold by our standards – but then we are Canadian so our standards might be a bit different.
It is said that Nazare is indeed a wonder to behold. This quaint fishing village serves as a window to the old world of Portugal, displaying the beautiful traditions of the people and the breathtaking scenery that can truly capture anyone’s heart. I will not dispute this claim at all and hope to be able to come back here on a vacation one day.
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