Where to Shop for Healthy Food in Nazaré, Portugal
An amazing market in the middle of town...
Nazaré, Portugal is known for MASSIVE waves and that's exactly why we went to visit. I wouldn't say we are surfers by any means, although we love giving it a shot and I (Bain) can stand up every once in a while. The draw for Nazaré, though, was the watch the pros surf some of nature's finest waved. We arrived at night and literally could not wait for the next morning to go see the world-renowned ocean monsters. However, we definitely wanted to continue to eat healthy and exercise while visiting.
Nazaré is actually a town split in two. The lower town contains the bus stop, main tourist beach, and most of the living accomodations. The upper town contains the iconic lighthouse to watch the waves, the reindeer man, and some small restaurants and cafers. To travel between the two you can either take the funicular (a tram that travels up the mountain within a few minutes), or walk the path between the two parts of town. Given our propensity for exercise we mostly used the path, BUT we admit we did use the funicular once during a cold and rainy night. Sorry, guys. Also, there's a swing while walking on the path which is super fun!
Without further ado, let's talk about some healthy food. Nazaré has amazing restuarants on every block with extremely fresh seafood. We ate at A Tasquinha one night and it was absolutely delicious with amazing service and very natural ingredients. However, as you might know, we enjoy booking Air BNBs with kitchens so we can cook. We like to know we are eating fresh food with good oils. It's healthier and saves money!
Well, in Nazaré we had a perfect kitchen, and the BEST place to find fresh veggies and fruits is at the Mercado Municipal de Nazaré! The market is open from 7am to 1pm every day of the week and the food is very fresh and cheap. We bought bags full of veggies that lasted 3 or 4 days for around 5 euro.
Also, there's a grocery store, Spar, directly across the street if you can't find what you need at the market, or need toiletries, spices, or other things. The butcher at Spar seemed very fresh. One of our favorite dinners so far was pan-fried curry chicken with red cabbage, and the chicken was delicious. They also have a "healthy section" directly on the right when you first walk into the store which has oatmeal and different seeds that we eat for breakfast. Oat and almond milk are a few aisles over. Thanks, Spar.
Enjoy the healthy food of Nazaré! We loved our time there and know you will too.
