Nazaré

The upper quarter, perched on the cliff, gathers the sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazare, the Memory hermitage and the Suberco viewpoint, suspended 110 metres above the ocean. The esplanade and lanes can be walked on lead; the churches do not admit dogs.

Since 1889 the funicular has climbed the cliff between the beach and the Sitio in a few minutes. Accompanied dogs are admitted, small ones in bags and large ones leashed and muzzled per the Portuguese rule, sometimes for a small fee: the ride spares everyone a punishing climb.

The lighthouse set on the fort of Sao Miguel Arcanjo is the balcony of Praia do Norte's giant waves: in winter you watch surfers take on 20-metre walls. The clifftop path works on lead; the fort's interior and its surf museum do not accept dogs.

Behind the Sitio cliff, this wild beach backed by the dunes of the Pinhal de Leiria receives the biggest waves ever surfed. Outside the bathing season and away from supervised zones, it is a huge on-lead walking ground, windswept and spectacular; no swimming here, the currents are fearsome.

The village's great beach, lined by the promenade and rows of parasols, keeps alive the tradition of fish-drying racks and painted boats. In the bathing season dogs are banned, as on all supervised Portuguese beaches; the seafront promenade stays open on lead all year.

On Nazare's third hill, the old medieval town of Pederneira offers a peaceful viewpoint over the whole bay, the harbour and the Sitio. Away from the crowds, it is the ideal evening on-lead walk, between a Manueline church, quiet lanes and golden light on the ocean.