1. NAZARE, PORTUGAL. Nazare is home to the worlds biggest waves, clocking in a record breaking 86ft!
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Praia do Norte is the largest wave in Europe (and the world). This psycho wave is the product of a deep-sea canyon (the Nazare Canyon) that cuts through a seabed almost five kilometres deep in some places.
But when it comes to epic waves, there's only one place on earth known as the “surf capital of the world.” The epic beach we're talking about is Pichilemu. Pichilemu is located in the center of Chile, right by the coast. It is a rough three-hour drive from Chile's capital, Santiago, to Pichilemu.
Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in the region, and southern ocean swells bless their beaches with consistent waves groomed by morning offshore winds each day. Playa Nosara is a popular spot for yoga enthusiasts, and also home to some of the best surf schools on the planet.
When conditions are calm offshore, you can actually have a very normal beach day at Nazaré. But just off the coast, the ocean floor is anything but normal. It's home to the Nazaré Canyon, an underwater trench that is 140 miles (230 kilometers) long and up to 16,000 feet (4,877 meters) deep.