Nazaré

Nazaré falls somewhere between a real-life, narrow-laned fishing village and a busy resort with a beach littered with frolicking families. You'll be greeted by the energetic applause of the surf, widows with rooms to rent, and big plates of percebes (barnacles). Relax in the Portuguese sun in a land of eucalyptus and pine trees, ladies in petticoats, and men who stow cigarettes and fishhooks in their stocking caps. Wander the back streets for a fine look at Portuguese family-in-the-street life: Laundry flaps in the wind, kids play soccer, and fish sizzle over tiny curbside hibachis. While the town doesn't have any real "sights," a few worthy stops lay within easy day-trip distance: Batalha (for its monastery), the pilgrimage site at Fátima, Tomar (for its Knights Templar castle), and Alcobaça, home to Portugal's largest church (and saddest romance).