Nazarenas

In the small town of Nazaré, Portugal, the coastline has become known in the recent decade for hosting the largest waves on the planet. During the peak winter surf season, waves would reach upwards to 100ft, attracting the most daring of surfers from around the globe with hoards of tourists (like myself) in tow just to see these moving mountains for their own eyes.

However, for this town of roughly 16,000 inhabitants, these waves have been intertwined with their culture for centuries, not as gateway towards the ultimate thrill, but rather as a formidable obstacle in the pursuit for survival. For as long as there has been a coast in Portugal, these massive waves have existed rocking the now infamous cliffside of Praia do Norte. This phenomenon occurs when northern storms in send swells that meet with underwater canyon that descends 5000m into the sea.

For years, the fisherman of Nazaré battled these waves in order to fish - and while their stories have become legends to outsiders, they’ve been but a matter of everyday life to locals. The women would dry and sell the fish caught along the coast, cloaked in layers of fabric, protecting themselves from the bitter winds, waiting for their men to come back to shore - many times they wouldn’t.

I walked through the aisles of dried fish on the beach observing the drying process, and spoke with the women who were stationed with their catch. Their eagerness to sell showed when they handed me handfuls of fish for the small amount of change I had in my pocket. Without even counting how much I had given them, they filled my bag with more than enough fish for a week.

I can see in their faces that this is more than a way to make a living, but a chance to share their culture with the people that visit - hoping that you remember the history and uniqueness of this place and that the Nazaré locals of old still live on in the minds of outsiders.