Today, with it's mass of high rise
buildings facing onto the sea front, it is hard to
believe
Nazaré was once a humble fishing village. The
wide, sandy beaches, filled once with only a collection
brightly coloured fishing boats used to haul in the
trawl of Sardines are now filled with bodies basking in
the sun. Fishing though still continues in
Nazaré and it
is still possible to catch sight of traditionally
dressed fisherwomen in their unusual multi-layered
skirts sorting out the day's catch.
While during the summer months the
beaches of
Nazaré are covered with semi-naked bodies
soaking up the sun, the Sitio, which is situated on a
rocky cliff top overlooking the beach, is a mass of
cars, cafes and souvenir stalls.
The Sitio can be reached via a
twisting narrow road from the Praia or via a century old
Funicular, which slides up and down the rock face on a
regular basis. The Sitio offers superb views from it's
110 metre vantage point over the lower part of town and
is definitely worth a look.
