Nazaré, the fishing town on Portugal’s Silver Coast famous for its giant winter waves, has no airport of its own. The two international airports that serve it are Lisbon and Porto, and for most visitors Lisbon is the better choice.
Lisbon Airport (LIS): the nearest
Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport is about 120 km south of Nazaré. By car it is a direct run north on the A8 motorway, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes in normal traffic. Lisbon also has far more international routes, including direct flights from North America and most European capitals.
Porto Airport (OPO): the alternative
Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport is about 220 km north of Nazaré, so the drive is closer to 2 hours 15 minutes or more. It makes sense if you are touring northern Portugal first or find a much better fare, but for a trip focused on Nazaré, Óbidos or Fátima, Lisbon is closer.
Getting from Lisbon Airport to Nazaré
Bus
Rede Expressos coaches run from Lisbon’s Sete Rios bus station to Nazaré several times a day. From the airport you first take the metro across the city to Sete Rios, so allow around two and a half to three hours door to door, with luggage on the metro. Book on the Rede Expressos website.
Train
The nearest station is Valado dos Frades on the Oeste line, a few kilometres inland from Nazaré, and the journey from Lisbon usually involves a change. It is the slowest option and you still need a taxi at the end.
Hire car
Driving gives you freedom, but remember the A8 tolls, and that parking in Nazaré’s beach town and on the Sítio clifftop fills up on big-wave days and in summer.
Private transfer
A private transfer from Lisbon Airport to Nazaré costs from €200 for the whole car with all tolls included. Your driver meets you in arrivals, tracks your flight and takes you straight to your hotel in the lower town or on the Sítio. For three or more people it compares well with bus tickets plus taxis, and it takes about half the time.
Worth stopping on the way
The A8 passes close to Óbidos, the medieval walled town, about an hour from the airport. On request we can add a stop on the way for €15, so you arrive in Nazaré having already seen one of Portugal’s prettiest towns. The UNESCO-listed monastery at Alcobaça is about 15 minutes from Nazaré and makes another good stop.
Only visiting for the day?
If you are staying in Lisbon, you don’t need to move hotels. The Óbidos & Nazaré private tour covers both towns in one day, and the ViaFátima Grand Circuit adds the Sanctuary of Fátima. Both return you to Lisbon the same evening.
When to go for the big waves
The giant waves at Praia do Norte come with the winter swells, roughly October to March. They depend on the forecast, so if seeing them matters, keep your plans flexible and check the surf forecast a few days ahead.