Events in and around Nazaré, October 2026 to spring 2027: surf contests, the half marathon and what to watch for

Facts checked 16 September 2026. A few items in this list still have no official date. They are flagged, and we will update when they firm up.

Quick answer

October is the busy month. The Challenger Series stops in Ericeira from 6 to 12 October, and the Championship Tour's only European event runs at Supertubos in Peniche from 16 to 25 October, four days later. Both are free to watch and both are an easy drive from Nazaré.

November belongs to Nazaré. The Big Wave Challenge window is expected to open on 1 November, the 50th Meia Maratona Internacional da Nazaré is on Sunday 15 November, and a stage of the national youth bodyboard circuit lands in the same month. Down the coast, Capítulo Perfeito at Carcavelos has a waiting period from 1 November to 15 December.

After that, the fixed dates are New Year's Eve on the seafront and the Carnaval da Nazaré in February. The rest belongs to the ocean. December to February are the core big-wave months, and the two wait-for-the-day surf events can be called on any morning the forecast allows.

The calendar at a glance

Two kinds of event are mixed in that table, and it matters which is which. Fixed-date events happen when they say they will. Waiting-period events do not. A ten-day surf contest window means four or five days of competition somewhere inside it, decided by the forecast a day or two ahead. The Nazaré and Carcavelos contests go further: one day each, called with about 72 hours' notice.

October: two world-tour contests, back to back

Challenger Series, Ericeira, 6 to 12 October

Ribeira d'Ilhas hosts the fourth of five stops on the 2026/27 Challenger Series, the circuit that decides who qualifies for the 2027 Championship Tour. The top 10 men and top 6 women at the end of the season go up, and Ericeira is the only European stop, so it draws a big Portuguese contingent trying to make the cut at home. The dates were confirmed by the WSL in March and reported by RTP.

Why it is worth the drive: the beach sits in a natural bowl, so you watch from a grass slope with the whole line-up in front of you. It is one of the easiest surf contests in Portugal to actually see. Ericeira is about 1h10 from Nazaré and 45 minutes from Lisbon.

MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, Peniche, 16 to 25 October

The Championship Tour, in other words the world's elite, at Supertubos. The dates moved forward six days after the WSL added a Philippines stop to the tour, which Beachcam reported in July. That makes Peniche the 10th of 13 events rather than the second to last, and it starts four days after Ericeira finishes.

Two practical details. The waiting period ends on the weekend the clocks go back, so on the last possible finals day the sun sets around 17:45. And Peniche fills up. If you are staying in Nazaré you are about 50 minutes away and outside the squeeze, which is a decent argument for basing yourself here and driving down on competition days. Check the WSL app each morning for the day's call before you leave.

Supertubos is a beach break with a short, heavy barrel that can turn from perfect to unsurfable in an hour. Contest days tend to be the good days.

November: Nazaré's month

The Big Wave Challenge window opens

The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge is a one-day, tow-in contest at Praia do Norte with no fixed date. In recent seasons the waiting period has opened in early November and closed on 31 March, and a 1 November to 31 March window is expected this season, although the WSL had not published it when we checked. The last three editions ran on 22 January 2024, 18 February 2025 and 13 December 2025.

We have written a separate guide to the 2026/27 Big Wave Challenge that covers the alert system, past dates, where to stand and how to time a visit. Read that one if the contest is the reason you are coming.

Capítulo Perfeito, Carcavelos, 1 November to 15 December

The other wait-for-the-day event of the Portuguese winter, and a very different animal. Capítulo Perfeito is an invitational tube-riding contest on Carcavelos beach, run on the single best barrel day the organisers can find. The 12th edition was supposed to run between January and March 2026. It never did. Plenty of swell, never the right wind, and on 31 March the promoter reset the waiting period to 1 November to 15 December 2026 rather than run a second-rate day. The full statement is on their site.

The line-up is 16 surfers including Rob Machado, Joel Parkinson, Nic von Rupp and the defending champion Cam Richards. Watching is free from the sand. The Cascais line train from Cais do Sodré takes about 25 minutes and Carcavelos station is a short walk from the beach, which makes this the easiest surf contest in the country to reach without a car. From Nazaré it is about 1h30 by road.

A 13th edition at Carcavelos is already confirmed for 2027, with the 2026 finalists given wildcards. No dates yet. Historically the window has sat between January and March.

50th Meia Maratona Internacional da Nazaré, Sunday 15 November

The Nazaré half marathon reaches its 50th edition this year. The race starts at 10:00 on Avenida da República and finishes in Praça Sousa Oliveira, the main square by the beach. There is also a 10 km and a walk of around 8 km, so it works for a mixed group. It is the last race of the Circuito Estrelas de Portugal 21K series, which brings a field from across the country. The date is confirmed by Athleko, and the rules and registration are on Recorde Pessoal.

If you are not running, expect road closures near the seafront that morning. Park away from the seafront, or better, stay put and watch from a café terrace. Mid-November is also big-wave season in Nazaré, so keep one eye on the forecast. A race weekend with a swell running behind it is a very good weekend.

National youth bodyboard circuit, Nazaré stage

The Portuguese Surf Federation's Circuito Nacional de Bodyboard Esperanças has four stages in 2026. Two ran in May at Ericeira and Sesimbra. The other two, Nazaré and Carcavelos, are scheduled for November with exact dates still to come from the federation. Under-12 to under-18 categories, a weekend event, and a good excuse to watch bodyboarding on a wave that suits it. We will add the date here when it is published.

December to March: fireworks, Carnaval and the ocean

Two fixed dates break up the winter. New Year's Eve usually brings music and fireworks to the seafront. In February comes the Carnaval da Nazaré, one of the most popular carnivals in the region, with parades along the seafront on Carnival Sunday and Carnival Tuesday. Carnival Tuesday 2027 falls on 9 February, so expect the main parades on Sunday 7 and Tuesday 9 February. The 2027 programme has not been published yet.

The rest of the schedule belongs to the ocean: a handful of giant days at Praia do Norte most winters, and the two contests above waiting for them.

December brings the most severe Atlantic storms and, on the right day, the biggest swells. January is powerful and often stormy. February tends to combine strong swell with cleaner viewing windows. March still produces, just less often. The month-by-month big wave guide goes through each of these in detail, and the parking guide explains what happens to the roads on a big morning.

For a weekend in this stretch, the honest advice is the same as always: choose the weekend, not the day, and let the forecast decide what you do with it.

Looking ahead: Mesh Nazareth Trail, May 2027

Outside the winter window, but the course is the good stuff. The Mesh Nazareth Trail is a charity trail race over the coastal cliffs and hills around Nazaré, roughly 21 km and 12 km plus a 10 km walk. The 8th edition ran on 24 May 2026 and the three before it on 1 May, so expect May 2027. The date has not been announced. It is organised by Mesh Nazareth, a local solidarity association.

Making a weekend of it

Most of these events reward staying in Nazaré rather than driving in and out. Peniche is about 50 minutes, the half marathon, Carnaval and the big waves are on your doorstep, and the town in autumn is a different place from the town in August. Our guide to how long to stay in Nazaré is written for exactly this kind of trip.

If you have a free morning between contest days, the coast north of Sítio is at its best in October and early November. The 2-hour e-bike loop covers Sítio, Praia do Norte and the old fishing town. The Praia do Norte big waves tour is the one to book on an ordinary swell day, when the surfers are out and the crowds are not. On competition days, leave the bike and walk.

Afterwards, our restaurants list has the places where locals actually eat.

What is still unconfirmed

Two items should firm up within six to eight weeks.

• The official WSL launch of the 2026/27 Nazaré Big Wave Challenge window, at worldsurfleague.com. Last year it came on 1 November.

• The Nazaré date for the youth bodyboard circuit, from the Portuguese Surf Federation.

And two will take longer: the 2027 Carnaval da Nazaré programme from the municipality, and dates for the 13th Capítulo Perfeito at Carcavelos, at capituloperfeito.com.

Frequently asked questions

What surf competitions are near Nazaré in October 2026?

Two. The Challenger Series at Ribeira d'Ilhas, Ericeira, from 6 to 12 October, and the Championship Tour's MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal at Supertubos, Peniche, from 16 to 25 October. Ericeira is about 1h10 from Nazaré and Peniche about 50 minutes. Both are free to watch.

When is the Nazaré half marathon 2026?

Sunday 15 November 2026, starting at 10:00. It is the 50th edition, with a 21.1 km race, a 10 km and a walk. It starts on Avenida da República and finishes in Praça Sousa Oliveira, so expect road closures near the seafront that morning.

When is the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge?

There is no fixed date. The waiting period is expected to run from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 and the event is called at most 72 hours ahead when a big enough swell lines up. Our separate guide covers how to follow the alerts.

When is Capítulo Perfeito 2026?

The 12th edition has a waiting period from 1 November to 15 December 2026 at Carcavelos. It runs on one day inside that window, called on a few days' notice. A 13th edition follows in 2027, dates not yet announced.

When is Carnaval in Nazaré in 2027?

Carnival Tuesday 2027 is 9 February, so expect the main parades along the seafront on Sunday 7 and Tuesday 9 February. The municipality has not published the 2027 programme yet.

Can I see contests in Ericeira, Peniche and Nazaré on one trip?

In theory, yes, if you come for the second half of October and stay into November. In practice the Nazaré contest will not run until a giant swell arrives, and that has happened in December at the earliest in recent seasons. Plan for Ericeira and Peniche, and treat Nazaré as a bonus if the forecast turns.

Do I need a car for these events?

For Ericeira and Peniche, a car is much easier from Nazaré. For Carcavelos, the train from Lisbon is the best option. For everything in Nazaré itself, no car needed once you are here, and on big-wave days a car is a liability near Sítio.

The short version

October: Ericeira 6 to 12, Peniche 16 to 25, both confirmed, both free. November: the Nazaré window should open on the 1st, Capítulo Perfeito is waiting from the 1st to 15 December, the half marathon is on the 15th, and the bodyboard stage is somewhere in the month. December to March: New Year's Eve on the seafront, Carnaval parades expected on 7 and 9 February, and otherwise the Atlantic and two contests waiting for it. Book the weekend, check the forecast on Thursday, and decide on Friday night.