# Tag 48 On the trail of the super waves

The decision was made on Good Friday - we will stay in Porto Covo at the Super - Camping site until Sunday and enjoy the sun, beach and sea in the best weather.

However, we have to restrict ourselves elsewhere, otherwise time will run out for us. This shows that the factor time does play a role after all. Actually, I was of the opinion that I had enough of it in my luggage.

Both Friday and Saturday were dedicated to a bike tour, initially heading north towards SINES. There was a recommendation for a good beach with a beach bar ('Cactus'), where you can relax wonderfully.

Before that, I had to move the racing bike for a short ride, a small round of 50 km on fairly flat roads. Well, the difficulty was caused by the wind that was blowing in my face on the way back.

Both the occupancy of the campsite and the traffic on the roads indicated that many Portuguese people and holidaymakers were using the Easter season for a few days by the sea. Therefore, we were quite happy to have extended our stay until Sunday and thus to be safe and sound.

On Saturday, we took the bike tour in the opposite direction to the south to the Ilha do Pessegueiro beach, where there was also a good beach bar. We also met our camping neighbors from Cloppenburg there, who were also here with their bikes.

The sandy beach stretched over a large area, so you could find your place without crowding - at least as long as the tide and the waves allowed it. It seemed windless and very hot. That's why we moved close to the shoreline to catch a bit of a breeze. We observed the waves with suspicion, which occasionally ran very high onto the beach and also pushed the first sun worshippers in a panicked retreat from the water.

For a long time, I was sure that our pitch was not in danger. Until a big wave washed the water up to about 1 meter in front of our pitch. Well, before we panic at the next wave, let's move calmly to the back.

We are no longer used to lying on the beach for a long time and too much sun is not so healthy either. We need a little refreshment around 4 o'clock ... 🍺

Back at the campsite, we stopped by the neighbors for a short chat and got to talking. We found out that we had the same professional career - the retired criminal investigator from Lower Saxony and the freshly retired criminal investigator from Bremen. Isn't that wonderful, you meet each other everywhere and somehow have a sense of who comes from the 'same stable'.

In the evening at the Italian restaurant in Porto Covo (or were we now in Porto Cervo???), there was pizza and wine for the last day in this area. Tomorrow we will definitely continue to ...

NAZARÉ

the hotspot for surfers with its monster waves. Will we get to see any?

The 250 km should be covered in 4 hours. The route without tolls mostly leads through the countryside on straight roads. We head towards the outskirts of Lisbon and also cross the Tejo, which shapes the waterfront in Lisbon.

The landscape is somehow unspectacular. Only the many cork oaks along the road caught our attention. Otherwise, it is an agricultural region of Alentejo (landscape below the Tejo).

We have indicated a place in the middle of Nazaré as our destination, which we have chosen on Park4night. It is located fairly centrally on a parking lot behind a housing estate. There are already some motorhomes there, which reassures me.

On foot, we set off to explore the promenade and orient ourselves. There is plenty of reading material about the monster waves, which are more common in autumn. The Monster Waves of Nazaré - Planet Wissen - Sendungen A-Z - Video - Mediathek - WDR (planet-wissen.de)

Actually, there is currently little wind and it is also blowing from the wrong direction. The fact is, there are no big waves and not even a surfer on the water. That says it all.

Instead, the town, the promenade, and the 'place of pilgrimage' lighthouse are bustling with people. Easter Sunday is obviously an attraction for many Portuguese people here. Everywhere you can see women in traditional costumes, some kind of parade is being organized, and many parts of the promenade are closed off. We are not really interested in that, as we want to see the viewpoint at Praia Norte and the lighthouse there.

But for that, you have to go to the 'upper area' - greetings from Heligoland. The upper part of Nazaré is located on the cliff and can be reached by three ways:

- by car through narrow alleys

- on foot via a serpentine path

- with the rail-bound elevator

That will be it, for 4,- € round trip, we line up with the elevator operators. Arriving at the top, we are hit with full force by the marketing of Nazaré. One souvenir shop after another - but the caravan continues to the lighthouse. For this, you have to walk about 1 km to the tip, mostly downhill (which means that the return journey is uphill).

Then finally, Praia Norte appears, that section of the beach where the giant waves roll in when they build up in front of the cliff tip at the lighthouse. Today there are only 1.80 m waves to see, gently plashing onto the beach. We experienced more yesterday.

Too bad, then there is only the feeling of having been here and looking at the pictures on the internet with new eyes.

By the way, you can make the return journey from the lighthouse to the entrance (the uphill path) by a small tuk-tuk for 2,- €, passing by all the pilgrims who are struggling to climb up. What do you think we did?

In the evening, the crowds thin out and we return to the motorhome and see - nothing.

We are the last motorhome in the parking lot, all the others are gone. That makes one think a little. But we like the place and don't have an alternative now. A short move to have a better feeling, and then it's already dark.

The first experience with a free spot somewhere in Nazaré can begin.