Page 181 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Portugal

Explore the spacious gardens, but there’s town is Sítio, reached by a
charmingly land­ also a land train which beetles funicular that climbs 110 m
scaped lawns, deeply through the gardens. Don’t (360 ft). At the cliff edge
stands the tiny Ermida da
miss trying the estate’s wine,
wooded areas and a which is sold at the on­site Memória. This is said to be
central lake, while restaurant, café and shop. where the Virgin Mary saved
admiring over 200 Dom Fuas Roupinho, a local
Eastern­inspired dignitary, and his horse from
fol lowing a deer that leapt off
sculptures, statues 11 the cliff in a sea mist in 1182.
and modern art. Nazaré Across the square from this
! D4 @ n Avenida Vieira chapel, the 17th­century
church of Nossa Senhora da
Guimarães 54, Mercado
José Berardo – a wealthy Municipal; 262 561 194 Nazaré, with two Baroque
philanthropist – designated belfries and 18th­century
the Bacalhôa Buddha Eden Beside a glorious beach in a tiles inside, con tains an
Gardens as a place for every­ sweeping bay backed by anonymous painting of
one to enjoy regardless of steep cliffs, this fishing village the miraculous rescue.
their wealth, ethnicity, religion is a popular summer resort The church also contains the
or sexual orientation. that has maintained some of revered image of Our Lady
Explore the charmingly its traditional character. of Nazaré. In September this
landscaped lawns, deeply Fishermen dressed in checked statue is borne down to the
wooded areas and a central shirts and black stocking caps, sea in a traditional procession.
lake, while admiring over 200 and fish wives wearing several The Visigothic church of São
Eastern­inspired sculptures, layers of petticoats can still be Gião, 5 km (3 miles) south of
statues and modern art at seen mending nets and Nazaré, has fine sculpting and
every turn. Many of these drying fish on wire racks on well­proportioned arches.
are of Buddha, including a the beach. The bright boats
21­m­ (69­ft­) high “Giant with tall prows that were once
Buddha” and an enormous hauled from the sea by oxen
reclining figure. You’ll also are still used, although now
encounter cobalt blue replicas they have a proper anchorage Did You Know?
of the Xi’an Terracotta Warriors south of the beach. According
from China, as well as a fascin­ to legend, the name Nazaré Rodrigo Koxa mastered
ating separate section for comes from a statue of the the largest wave ever
imaginative contemporary Virgin Mary brought to the surfed, 80 ft (24 m)
and African sculptures. town by a monk from high, at Nazaré.
You could easily spend half Nazareth in the 4th century.
a day wandering around the High on the cliff above the

A fisherman hanging out
his nets to dry on the
beach at Nazaré

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