Nazaré, Óbidos & Batalha:
Big Waves and Medieval Portugal, Private

Nazaré sits about 120 km north of Lisbon, roughly an hour and a half of driving each way on the A8. A private full day comfortably links Nazaré with Óbidos and Batalha and still leaves real time at every stop. Adding Fátima makes it a longer day of about 320 km in total.

The giant waves break mainly between October and March, when North Atlantic storms drive swell into the underwater Nazaré Canyon. The Guinness record for the largest wave ever surfed, 26.21 metres, was set by Sebastian Steudtner at Praia do Norte on 29 October 2020. Your guide reads the forecast.

Yes, but expect a different place. From April to September the Atlantic is usually calm and Nazaré is a working fishing town with a wide beach, the Sítio clifftop above it and seafood on the seafront. You see the canyon coastline and the lighthouse without the winter swell.

Yes, on both options. Your Batalha Monastery ticket is included in the rate and already paid, so nothing is bought at the door. The monastery is UNESCO-listed and was raised after the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota. Allow about 45 minutes for the cloisters, the Founder's Chapel and the Unfinished Chapels.

On the Long Full Day, yes. Because only your group travels, your driver-guide can time the day around a daily Mass at the Sanctuary of Fátima instead of watching it from the road. Tell us when you book. The sanctuary is free to enter and about ninety minutes are set aside for it.

Óbidos is a walled medieval town on the Silver Coast, known for its castle ramparts, whitewashed lanes and ginjinha, a sour-cherry liqueur served in an edible chocolate cup. King Dinis gave the town to Queen Isabel in 1282 and it stayed a queens' town for centuries. There is no admission ticket.

The Full Day covers Óbidos, Nazaré and the Batalha Monastery in about nine hours. The Long Full Day keeps all three and adds the Sanctuary of Fátima, running about ten hours door to door. Both include the Batalha ticket, both are private, and both start with pickup at your Lisbon address.

Only your party travels, always. A car carries up to four passengers and a van up to eight; from nine to fifteen you travel in a second vehicle with a second driver-guide. Above fifteen we quote separately. There is no shared van and no commentary split across languages.

Pickup is usually early morning at your Lisbon hotel, the airport or the cruise port, and you are back at the same address at the end of the day. The Full Day runs about nine hours and the Long Full Day about ten. Exact times are agreed with you when you book.

A small-group tour shares a van with strangers, a fixed timetable and commentary split across several languages. Private means your party only, your language, and a pace you set, so you can wait for the light at Praia do Norte or stay longer at Fátima instead of rushing back.