Centro Coast

Portugal's Centro coast runs from Figueira da Foz south to the Setúbal Peninsula, encompassing the fishing towns of Nazaré, Peniche, and Ericeira. Atlantic swell arrives unimpeded from the open North Atlantic — there is no intervening land between this coast and Newfoundland — and the submarine canyon of Nazaré sits just offshore, funnelling deep-water swell energy into waves that regularly exceed 20 metres face height in winter. Garrett McNamara surfed a record 23.7-metre wave here in 2011. Spring tidal range on the Centro coast is 2.8 to 3.5 metres, semidiurnal Atlantic, which means the beach profile changes substantially from low to high water and surfers track the tide table alongside the swell forecast. Peniche, on its tombolo peninsula, has a sheltered ferry harbour for the Berlengas Islands natural reserve 12 kilometres offshore — an important marine park with posidonia meadows and seabird colonies. Ericeira is a World Surfing Reserve, the first designated in Europe, protecting a 4-kilometre stretch of consistent reef and beach breaks from Ribeira d'Ilhas to Pedra Branca. For authoritative Portuguese tide data, consult Instituto Hidrográfico.