Shopping

Few other towns in Portugal have so many shops -- but so few that aren't disappointing. Perhaps it's the sheer volume of merchandise in the crammed boutiques, all featuring much-the-same wares. The residents of tourist-conscious Nazaré long ago lost their enthusiasm for their ubiquitous, rough-textured fisher's sweaters, which seem to spill over shelves of virtually every boutique in town. The robust varinas (fishwives) of Nazaré have given up knitting in favor of more modern commercial pursuits, such as running snack bars, souvenir shops, and postcard kiosks. Most of the knitwear you'll see here is imported from less prosperous communities in Portugal's far north.