Seven and a half months have passed since the beginning. We can consider that we are at the equator of our circumnavigation. Yesterday’s goal was the Portuguese city of Nazaré. It is known for having the largest waves in the world. It’s not the season right now, but nevertheless.
The formation of these waves is linked to the shape of the ocean floor in this area. We want to remind you that much of the amazing and beautiful things on our planet are created by nature. In this case, the giant waves are caused by the unusual underwater Northern Canyon of Nazare near the city of Nazare. This canyon dips down close to the shore, acting like a ramp for ocean waves. The Nazare Canyon is the deepest in Europe and one of the deepest in the world. It runs perpendicular to the coast, stretching 227 km with a depth of 5 kilometers—almost half the depth of the Mariana Trench. As it gets closer to shore, the depth drops sharply, which makes the waves grow taller.
In Nazaré we also tried a huge amount of fresh seafood and were absolutely delighted! On this day we covered 239 km.
August 27th was spent the in Sintra. The city has four palaces, one castle, one monastery, and many parks. In the 19th century, Sintra became a popular spot for rich European artists and the elite, who built beautiful mansions in the Romantic style.
We visited the Initiation Well, which is thought to have been used for secret Masonic rituals, giving it its name. After that, we rode a tuk-tuk around the city. We saw many palaces and explored the old part of town.
At the end of the day, we arrived at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe. We were amazed by the views and the fact that we had reached as far west as we could go. Distance covered: 314 km
The formation of these waves is linked to the shape of the ocean floor in this area. We want to remind you that much of the amazing and beautiful things on our planet are created by nature. In this case, the giant waves are caused by the unusual underwater Northern Canyon of Nazare near the city of Nazare. This canyon dips down close to the shore, acting like a ramp for ocean waves. The Nazare Canyon is the deepest in Europe and one of the deepest in the world. It runs perpendicular to the coast, stretching 227 km with a depth of 5 kilometers—almost half the depth of the Mariana Trench. As it gets closer to shore, the depth drops sharply, which makes the waves grow taller.
In Nazaré we also tried a huge amount of fresh seafood and were absolutely delighted! On this day we covered 239 km.
August 27th was spent the in Sintra. The city has four palaces, one castle, one monastery, and many parks. In the 19th century, Sintra became a popular spot for rich European artists and the elite, who built beautiful mansions in the Romantic style.
We visited the Initiation Well, which is thought to have been used for secret Masonic rituals, giving it its name. After that, we rode a tuk-tuk around the city. We saw many palaces and explored the old part of town.
At the end of the day, we arrived at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe. We were amazed by the views and the fact that we had reached as far west as we could go. Distance covered: 314 km
