Located on the Silver Coast, Nazare attracts thousands of tourists throughout the year and is a fantastic option if you’re looking for an area to base yourself while you explore more of the area.
If you find yourself in the area for more than a few days, and want ideas for where to go next, here are 17 amazing day trips from Nazare to add to your itinerary!
Day Trips Under An Hour
If you’re only in Nazare for a short time but want to see more of the surrounding towns, the first collection of day trips from Nazare can be reached in under an hour and are a good option for a last minute trip.
These are most easily accessible if you have a car, but a taxi to each location is fairly affordable. Alternatively, there are some guided tours available to some of the most iconic spots, but most of those start in Lisbon.
Alcobaça – 15 minutes
The historical town of Alcobaça is the easiest day trip to do from Nazare, with the biggest draw being Alcobaça monastery in the heart of the town. Built over 900 years ago, this UNESCO world heritage site is the largest primitive Gothic church built in Portugal in the middle ages.
In front of the monastery you’ll find Pastelaria Alcôa, an award winning patisserie selling Cornucópias: a local sweet-egg delicacy, not too dissimilar to Ovos Moles de Aveiro.
Leiria – 30 minutes
During our time living in Nazare, Leiria was our day trip destination for shopping, but alongside the shopping centres, huge market space and retail parks there’s also a really beautiful castle that’s worth visiting too!
You can see Leiria with a local guide, or wander the city at your own pace. Just be sure not to miss out on Leiria Castle at the top of the hill. This is easy to walk to (gradual path from the historic part of the city) or via a cable car on the opposite side. You can also drive part way up and park at the museum of moving imagery.
São Martinho do Porto – 20 minutes
For a slightly less touristy beach area, especially in the winter months when Nazare is busy with the big wave season, head to São Martinho do Porto.
This resort town sits in a sheltered bay and boasts wide beaches, easy lighthouse walks and dunes to surf.
In the summer, it can get pretty busy but unlike Nazare and other famous coastal areas like the Algarve, São Martinho do Porto is very much a locals destination.
Obidos – 30 minutes
If you’re going to Nazare, Obidos is likely already on your radar. This mediaeval walled town is one of, if not the, most popular day trips from Nazare.
Once again, you can join a local guide and discover the secrets of Obidos, or park up and take your time walking and exploring the winding narrow streets.
Don’t forget to head up onto the town walls to walk part, if not all, of them and get a truly unique view of the area and try the local delicacy ‘ginja de Óbidos’ which is a cherry liqueur served in a chocolate cup.
If you’re there between March and May, you might be lucky enough to experience the famous chocolate festival that’s held in Obidos every year!
Batalha – 30 minutes
Sticking with the historic theme of these quick and easy day trips from Nazare, the town of Batalha is essential for your Portugal itinerary if you enjoy old buildings and European Architecture.
Built to commemorate the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, and named a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1990, the iconic Batalha Monastery is the main reason many people visit, but there’s also a really good steak restaurant here called T-Bone which is usually our main reason for visiting.
You can view the main hall of the Monastery for free, or pay €10 to see the full interior which we highly recommend. Tickets can be bought on the door and we recommend getting there early to avoid the coach tours.
If you want to see Obidos, Batalha, Alcobacia and a few others from this list on the same day, but don’t have a car, you can join a group tour that bundles these together!
Fatima – 45 minutes
Often referred to as the most sacred place in Portugal, Fatima is a huge pilgrimage site for catholics from all around the world due to a vision of the Virgin Mary allegedly appearing to some children in 1917.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady Fatima is a huge, ornate building that was constructed in memory of this religious event and attracts thousands of pilgrims each year.
Even if you’re not religious, it’s worth visiting if you can appreciate good architecture and a spiritual atmosphere that is inevitable in such a place.
Mira de Aire Cave – 45 minutes
Here’s one for the nature lovers: Mira de Aire Cave, or the Coin Caves.
Just a short 45 minutes drive from Nazare you can explore this ancient cave network. Tickets start at €5 for a guided tour which takes you through over 600 metres of cave tunnel, down 683 steps and lasts around an hour. Don’t worry though! The exit is via a lift, so you don’t have to walk back up all of those steps.
Due to being over 150 million years old, you can actually find dinosaur footprints scattered around this region. Some of the other highlights include the “Jellyfish”, the “Martian” and the magnificent “Organ”
Day Trips Around An Hour
Want to go a little further? The next day trip ideas are accessible within an hour, hour and a half max!
If you’re not hiring a car in Portugal, the towns we’ll talk about in this section can be reached via the coaches that pass through Nazare frequently, or by train if you head to Lisbon first.
Coimbra – 1 hour
One of our favourite places in Portugal, a day trip to Coimbra is always a good idea!
Once the capital of Portugal, Coimbra is a stunning riverside city that often gets overlooked by tourists heading between Lisbon and Porto.
With so many great things to do here, a FREE walking tour of the city is a good way to squeeze it all in. Some of the highlights include the oldest university in Europe (also a UNESCO world heritage sight), Aqueduto de São Sebastião and Fonte da Manga.
We have a full Coimbra walking tour itinerary here if you want to explore at your own pace, which also includes parking recommendations!
Conimbriga Roman Ruins – 1 hour
A hop away from Coimbra is a day trip idea that really should be more popular than it is!
These are some of the most impressive Roman ruins in the whole of Portugal and while they’re a little tricky to get to without transport, compared to others on this list, if you’re happy to hire a car or get to Coimbra then pay for a taxi it’s certainly worth it!
Conimbriga was once a huge and thriving city and that can be easily visualised when you stand in the middle of the ruins. However, it’s thought that they continue to stretch out into the surrounding hills and countryside, waiting to one day be discovered.
Here you’ll be amazed at how many intact, extremely detailed, floor mosaics there are inside the old roman palaces and mansions, as well as wall murals and distinct communal areas around the town. Including, of course, old Roman baths, a wall and a famous Roman road that once led from Lisbon all the way to Coimbra
Tickets start at €4.50 and give you un-guided access to the park or you can join a guided tour.
Sintra – 1 hour 20 minutes
If Lisbon isn’t already on your itinerary for your time in Portugal, you might want to consider a day trip to Sintra.
This isn’t really an option for public transport day trips, because while buses do go that way from Nazare, it takes around 4 hours and would leave you very little time to explore.
Anyway, if you do decide to visit Sintra from Nazare by car, my advice would be to pick one or two of the key locations rather than trying to cram them all into one day.
My choices would be either Pena Palace or Quinta da Regaleira, with Tivoli Palácio de Seteais and the Moorish Castle being extras if you have more time. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things to do in Sintra though.
Figueira Da Foz – 1 hour
With Art Noveau and Art Deco buildings scattered throughout, Figueira Da Foz brings more of a relaxed French atmosphere than other popular beach destinations in the country.
While travelling around Portugal, you’ll see quite a few salt fields and salt mines. Well, in Figueira Da Foz you can visit The Núcleo Museologico do Sal (Salt Museum Centre) to learn more about what goes on there!
There’s also a really nice, and long, coastal walk to various beaches and sea walls which we highly recommend – especially if you’re travelling with a dog!
Aveiro – 1 hour 20 minutes
Referred to as the Venice of Portugal due to its intricate network of canals and rivers that were once used to transport salt and seaweed around the region, Aveiro is one of our favourite day trips from Nazare.
One of the most popular things to do in Aveiro is taking a canal tour on one of the traditional Moliceiro boats. These tours are dog friendly, much more affordable than their Italian counterpart, and offer a unique way of seeing the town while also learning about its history.
We’ve done several boat tours with various family members that have visited us, and each guide has been full of knowledge that added their own flair to the presentation.
After a boat tour, take a free walking tour (self guided, or join a group!) to see the town’s most beautiful old architecture and sample some of the regional delicacies: Ovos Moles. These sweet egg-based treats are still made in the traditional way and can be picked up from most cafes in Aveiro!
You can also see flamingos in Aveiro if you head slightly out of town to the Cais Da Ribeira De Esgueira Boardwalk.
Tomar – 1 hour
Tomar, founded by the Knights Templar, is a beautiful city to visit with heaps to do and see. In all honesty, it probably deserves at least a couple of days but if you don’t have time a day trip can still do it justice.
This self guided tour can help you maximise your time there!
Built along the Nabão River, in Tomar you’ll find a really popular green space that follows the river and a network of winding cobbled streets that take you around the many historical sites.
The main attractions in Tomar are the Covenant of Christ, Tomar Castle and the old walls that housed the village when this area was in its peak.
Day Trips 2+ Hours
If, like us, you’re willing to drive a little further, the next collection of day trips from Nazare are worth considering. All of these will require your own car, rather than relying on public transport.
Porto – 2 hours
Porto is our favourite city in Portugal and while we don’t really consider it a worthy day trip from Lisbon, we have visited from Nazare a few times and found you can still fit plenty in.
A day trip to Porto from Lisbon by public transport isn’t worth it. You can read why here.
We find Porto to be a really easy city to navigate and walk around, so long as you’re comfortable with a few hills and/or steps. If that’s a challenge for you, you can hop in a TukTuk and easily get from A to B.
When it comes to how to spend the day in Porto, some of the highlight to have on your itinerary include Sao Bento Station, the church of souls, Miradouro da Vitória, Ribeira district, Dom Luís I Bridge and the Vila Nova de Gaia area which is where you will find all of the Port Cellars.
If you were wanting to do a Port Cellar tour while you’re in Porto we highly recommend a Calem Port Tour with Fado show!
Provided you’re heading to Porto in a car, and not a van or campervan, you can park here and have easy access to the best spots in the city.
Evora – 2 hours 15 minutes
If you want somewhere super quirky for a day trip from Nazare, add Evora to your itinerary!
This UNESCO World Heritage city, yes the whole city is listed, is home to some amazing Roman Ruins, a Chapel of Bones which is exactly what it sounds like and an ancient stone circle, as well as many other beautiful historic attractions and cute shopping laneways.
Given that it’s quite a drive from Nazare, we recommend having a plan in mind for spending the day in Evora and making sure you save time to visit the Chapel of Bones.
Monsanto – 2 ½ hours
If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones or The House of Dragon, you’re going to want to visit the small town of Monsanto. Not only is it rated the most Portuguese village in Portugal, but it also plays the part of Dragon Stone in the popular HBO TV series’.
Whenever we have family visiting us in Portugal, Monsanto is one of the first places we take them to due to how unique it is.
Built on the side of a hill, in the shadow of a Castle Ruin, the houses in Monsanto are built into and around the rocks with many of them using huge boulders as roofs.
It makes for quite a long day, but if you time it right you’ll get some incredible views from the top of the hill. It’s also one of the quieter spots on this list, since it’s restricted to tourists with their own vehicle and quite far off the usual tourist route.
516 Arouca Bridge – 2 ½ hours
Want to push your bravery to its limits? A day trip to 516 Arouca Bridge and the Paiva Walkways is the way to go.
The 516 Arouca bridge is the largest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world, but if you can’t stomach that you can enjoy the winding paths of Piava instead which zigzag their way around the valley with incredible views.
This walk is around 8.5km, and will take you around 3 hours to complete. It isn’t a complete loop, so you will have to hop on one of the connection taxis which cost between €15-18 or, organise a lift back to your car.
If you’re travelling with a dog, they can’t access the bridge but the walkway is fine as long as they’re on a lead.
Day Trips To Nazare From Lisbon
If you’re wondering how to visit Nazare as a day trip from Lisbon, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s super easy!
Even if you don’t have a car, you can join one of the many guided tours (I’ll list a few below) or hop on the coach which only takes 2 ½ hours.
Which of these day trips are you going to try? We’ve lot to hear about it over on our Facebook Page!
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