We woke up refreshed and ready to move on to Nazaré. Nazaré is just a a short distance from Tomar and is located right on the western coastline of Portugal. In the summertime, it’s a beach town. It’s also a surfer’s paradise, with daredevil surfers coming to ride waves that can be more than thirty meters (ninety feet) tall. The big waves arrive in November and December.

We checked out of the hotel and then waited for our Daytrip driver. Our driver, Pedro, arrived a few minutes early and off we went. It was so nice to be able to sit back and relax without having to haul our suitcases around.

Pedro was very pleasant and another ambassador for Portugal hospitality. He gave us some good tips on places to eat. Since we’ll be less than one hundred meters from the ocean, fresh seafood topped the list of things to eat.

In just about an hour’s time, we arrived in Nazaré. Narrow streets led us in the direction of the ocean and then there it was: a stop sign – and then the ocean.

We are staying at the Mar Bravo Hotel directly across from the ocean. When I booked the reservation for an ocean view room, this is exactly what I was hoping for.

Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived, so we stored our bags and grabbed some lunch. Our hotel’s restaurant was recommended, so we stepped outside and were seated at a table.

We kept it simple. We had the Shrimp and rice, with a nice bottle of white wine. Everything was delicious!

When we finished, our room was ready and we were ready to see it. We’re on the third floor and they said we overlook the ocean. We do!

Our room is not large, but it’s comfortable enough for the two nights that we will be here. But the view…

With such a beautiful view, we decided to just relax out on the balcony for a while and take it all in.

We eventually had to go inside and get ready for dinner. Luckily, once we were ready, we were able to watch the sunset over the ocean.

Lunch was just act one, as we had dinner reservations at the hotel restaurant. Would the second act be equally good?

A big goopy hamburger or plate of pasta was not on the menu. Tonight, it would be fresh fish. We started with a mixed green salad and then we shared a freshly grilled sea bass. The fish came with roasted potatoes and roasted vegetables.

Our waiter did a nice job of deboning and plating the fish. It was flaky and juicy and flavorful. We both enjoyed dinner. Bravo to the kitchen, act two was a success!

All that was left was the romantic elevator ride back up to the room.

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Woke up early to the sound of the surf. There is gentleness and ferocity at the same time. You look out at the rolling sea, see the clouds and the horizon, but then hear the crashing of the waves on the shore.

We took a walk down towards the ocean to start the day. It was still a little breezy and chilly, but the air was so fresh and clean. The day will warm up and there will be people, but for now, the tranquility was wonderful.

There is a small beach library for people to grab a book to read while enjoying the sunshine.

We walked around and then went over to the funicular. It is an alternative to walking to visit O Sitio, the town up on the rocky outcrop. For a mere €8 for two adult round-trip tickets, you are quickly whisked to the upper town and the views along the way are really nice.

From the top, it is just a short walk to the main square and the church. Oh, and the views aren’t bad either!

In the square, there are lots of kiosks and shops to peruse, along with restaurants and cafes. We checked them out, but we were a tad disappointed that they all seemed to have the same items. We were looking for something nice and locally made.

Our next stop was at the Church of Nossa Senhora Da Nazaré. It is a baroque style church and also known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazareth. We made a small donation to be able to enter the sacristy. There were some very old paintings, artifacts and beautiful tile art.

Next came decision time. Walking around with lots of stairs and uneven ground caused some knee pain. The surf museum and north beach was a bit of a walk. The decision was an easy one, with two weeks left, we would not push it.

On the walk over we passed a woman selling sugared nuts, cashews and fresh figs. She gave us a fig to taste and we told her we would return on our way back. Keeping our promise, we stopped to see her on our return to the funicular. We ended up buying some sugared peanuts and almonds, plus some cashews. I don’t know the right word, so I’ll just go with “Yum”! We then headed to the funicular for the return ride down.

We had waited a bit as dinner tonight wasn’t until 8:00pm, but now it was time for a little lunch. Located in the main square was a nice spot called Restaurante Barril.

Sue had a grilled Dorado fish and I went rogue and had a grilled chicken breast with smashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. Both dishes were excellent and went well with our wine.

Afterwards, it was back to the room to put our legs up and try some of our sugared nuts for dessert – they were delicious and addictive!

I ended up dozing off for a bit. It must be all the fresh air.

Dinner was once again at the hotel restaurant. For our last meal in Nazaré, we had the salt-roasted sea bass. It was a whole fish that is prepped and then encased in salt before being roasted.

The salt keeps the fish moist while it’s roasting, but doesn’t impact the flavor of the fish. When served, they light the salt on fire and then crack the casing. Our waiter skillfully deboned and plated the fish. It was served with roasted potatoes and vegetables.

Honestly, it was one of the best fish we have ever eaten.

It was a quiet night in town, which surprised me, especially on a Friday night. I would guess it is because fall has arrived and many of the tourists have opted not visit the beach.

We rested before getting a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we move on to Sintra.