Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Ribamar
A3
D2
Eating
C2
B3
B2
A2
Drinking & Nightlife
10
Casa O Santo
A2
Sights
Promontório do Sítio
Until the 18th century the sea covered the present-day site of Nazaré; locals lived at this
clifftop area 110m above the beach. Today this tourist-filled promontory is popular for its
tremendous views and its religious associations. From Rua do Elevador, north of the
tur-
ismo
, an
ascensor
OFFLINE MAP
(funicular; adult/child €1.20/0.90; every 15min 7.15am-9.30pm, every 30min
9.30pm-midnight)
climbs up the hill to Promontório do Sítio; it's nice to walk back down, es-
caping the crowds of trinket-sellers. There are plenty of places to stay and eat up on the
clifftop too.
On a foggy day in 1182, local nobleman Dom Fuas Roupinho was in pursuit of a deer
when the animal disappeared off the edge of the Sítio precipice. Dom Fuas cried out to the
Virgin, whose sculpture was venerated in a nearby cave, for help, and his horse miracu-
lously stopped right at cliff's edge; the mark of one of its horseshoes is still visible. In
what is a much-repeated story in the Iberian peninsula, Dom Fuas built the small Hermida
da Memória chapel on the edge of the drop-off to commemorate the event and house the
sculpture. It was later visited by a number of VIP pilgrims, including Vasco da Gama. The
statue is now housed in the grander church across the square.
HISTORIC AREA
Igreja de Nossa
Senhora da Nazaré
CHURCH
