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Writer's pictureNatalie Ionescu

Nazaré, Home of the Record 86-Foot Wave

Nazaré is a little fishing town on the coast of Portugal, about an hour out from Lisbon. Although the waves weren't in action when I was there, Praia do Norte in Nazaré is known for attracting the best and bravest surfers, as it gets the biggest waves in the world. It is home to seven of the ten biggest waves ever surfed. The town holds the world record of the tallest wave surfed by German surfer Sebastian Steudtner, at a height of 86 feet. If you've ever been to San Francisco during the Christmas season, the tree in Union Square stands at around 83 feet, so think of that when you picture how big of a wave this was.


But how exactly do these waves form? Nazaré Canyon is the largest underwater canyon in Europe, about 170 kilometers (~106.5 miles) long and 5,000 meters (~3.1 miles) deep. This canyon ends right by Praia do Norte where the inbound water is pushed upwards, which combines with the surface-level wave. This creates a "double wave" which creates its tall heights. The big wave season takes place between October and March, so I'll have to go back during this time to actually see these giant waves.



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