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Nazaré: How a Portuguese Fishing Town Became the Capital of Big-Wave Surfing
Nazaré existed before 2011 as a beach town with a funicular and a seafood economy. Then Garrett McNamara rode a wave measured at 78 feet, a photograph went viral, and a submarine canyon became the most consequential piece of seabed in big-wave surfing.
By ZealZag TeamHow Portugal Became Big-Wave Surfing's Most Important Address
In 2011, an American surfer and a Portuguese canyon nobody had surfed changed everything. A decade later, Nazaré hosts the world's most-watched big-wave contest and Portugal claims the heaviest beach break on the CT calendar. Here is the story of how it happened.
By ZealZag TeamRunning Madeira: Levadas, Ridge Lines, and the Race That Crosses the Island
Madeira packs a 1,862-metre volcanic summit, 200 kilometres of levada irrigation channels, and a serious international ultra into a 57-kilometre-long island an hour from Lisbon. For trail runners wanting genuine mountain terrain with subtropical logistics, it is one of the most efficient destinations in the Atlantic.
By ZealZag Team
The Price of Wonder
How 170,000 Kilometers on Unconventional Roads Taught Stefano Scapitta What It Means to Have Everything While Possessing Nothing
By ZealZag TeamSupertubos and Peniche: Portugal's Championship Tour Wave, for Everyone Else
Peniche is 85 kilometres north of Lisbon on a peninsula surrounded by Atlantic on three sides. Supertubos — the beach on its south flank — has hosted the WSL Rip Curl Pro since 2009 and produces one of Europe's most powerful beach break barrels in autumn swells. What the town actually offers beyond the competition window.
By ZealZag Team