NAZARé CANYON
ANNUALLY, THE BIG WAVES OF NAZARÉ CHALLENGE THE BEST BIG RIDERS IN THE WORLD AND AWAKEN THE INTEREST OF THE MANY TOURISTS WHO VISIT THE VILLAGE LOCATED IN THE WEST REGION OF PORTUGAL.
The Nazaré Canyon is what provides the famous giant waves of Praia do Norte, in Nazaré
This phenomenon consists of a fault in the continental plate, which begins to define itself approximately 500 meters from the coast, and allows the waves to be channeled towards Praia do Norte, with almost no obstacles along the way, which explains the creation of considerably larger waves than on rest of the Portuguese coast.
For a giant wave to be “born”, it is important that all the conditions are met, which guarantee an ideal wave period, the size of the waves in the Nazaré area, the wind direction and the direction of the wave. With ideal conditions, the Nazaré Canyon amplifies the size of the predicted wave and transforms it into the known giant waves.
