Coastal regions in Portugal always bring to mind Algarve or Cascais. The lesser known counterpart of these regions is the picturesque seaside town of Nazaré that has become an international tourist attraction
The legend of Nazaré believes that the town derives its namefrom a small statue of the Virgin Mary from Nazareth in the Holy Land. Thissame statue was brought to its current place in 711 by a monk, Romano, who wasaccompanied by Roderic, the last Visigoth king. Upon their arrival, the twodecided to spend the rest of their days as hermits. The monk died in a littlegrotto, at the top of a cliff above the sea. As per the monk's last wishes, theking had him buried within the grotto, where he left, on an altar, the statue.
Nazaré is divided into three areas: Praia (the beach), Sítio(an old village, atop a cliff) and Pederneira (another village, on a hilltop).The original settlements were in Pederneira and Sítio that are situated abovethe beach. Historically, they were the last line of defence, and provided thetown’s inhabitants safety from raids by Algerian, French, English and Dutchpirates until the beginning of the 19th century.
In 1182, it was claimed that the Virgin Mary saved the lifeof the 12th century Portuguese knight (a possible Templar) Dom Fuas Roupinho,while he was hunting deer one foggy early morning. To commemorate thismiraculous intervention, the first church in Sítio was subsequently built overthe grotto. This story is referred to as the legend of Nazaré. Near the chapel,on a rock more than a 100 metres above the ocean, the marks made in the rock byone of the hooves of Dom Fuas' horse are still visible. This episode is usuallycalled the Legend of Nazaré.
Today, the town regrettably pays less heed to its history,and has a greater focus on marketing its touristic value. The majority ofplaces at this little town are snug little family operations that put morselsfrom the sea on your plate. The excellent quality and reasonable prices makethem immensely popular. Most of these rustic venues are places where, comeevening, one will find a wrinkled old man literally waiting to share thetravails of his life over a mug of beer and a big plate of garlicky ameijoas(steamed clams) or octopus salad, as he and his chosen companion sit on alittle outdoor terrace overlooking the sea.
The town used to be known for its traditional costumes wornby the fishermen and their wives who wore the traditional headscarf andembroidered aprons over seven flannel skirts in different colours. Thesedresses can still occasionally be seen by a fortunate few who are in the rightplace at the right time. The tradition of working with garment is still keptalive, as apart from being a historic and gastronomic delight, this touristyplace also specialises in an assortment of hand knitted items. Ladies literallybent over with age, sit along the cobblestone pathways on cane chairs, andweave you the pattern of your choice, for the garment of your choice, and intrue Portuguese fashion, chat about their husband’s seafaring days when timeswere less ‘complex’. This conversation will doubtlessly be interspersed withlittle bites of cataplana (seafood simmered with herbs, tomatoes, onions andwine).
All in all, Nazaré is a simple place, with outdoor seatingthroughout the year, where on a backstreet square between houses, the nativeswill greet you with the choicest seafood, including a delicious ‘açorda demarisco’ (thick bread soup with seafood). Its atmosphere is so homely, that onany given night, this postcard tourist destination will always have more localvisitors than tourists.
