Ascensor da Nazaré

The Ascensor da Nazaré is the funicular railway that links the lower town of Nazaré, by the beach, with Sítio, the old quarter on the clifftop above. For more than a century it has been the easiest way up the steep slope, and the short ride is one of the classic experiences of a visit to Nazaré, used every day by residents, pilgrims and visitors alike.

The line opened in 1889, in the decades when funiculars and lifts were being built to tame the steep hills of Portuguese towns, and its design is usually attributed to Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, the engineer associated with several of Lisbon's funiculars and the Santa Justa lift. It was first powered by steam, and was rebuilt and converted to electric operation in the twentieth century. The track is a little over 300 metres long and climbs well over a hundred metres up the hillside, with two cars that pass each other at the midway point.

The journey itself takes only a few minutes, but the view makes it memorable: as the car rises, the rooftops of the fishing town, the long beach and the Atlantic open out below. At the top, the upper station is a short walk from the Miradouro do Suberco, the Ermida da Memória and the great square of Sítio with its sanctuary, and from there a road leads down to the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo and the giant-wave viewpoint over Praia do Norte.

The lower station is in the town centre, a few streets back from the seafront avenue. Cars run frequently through the day and into the evening, and tickets are inexpensive and sold for single and return trips; check current times and fares locally. Expect queues on summer afternoons and on big-wave days, when crowds head up to the fort. If you prefer, you can walk up the steep path and steps alongside, and ride the funicular back down.