Surfer riding a wave in Nazaré, Portugal Jun 15, 2024

Today"s image shows an intrepid surfer riding a wave at Nazaré, Portugal. Nazaré on the west coast of Portugal is a popular tourist destination, with people flocking from all over the world to enjoy its sandy beaches in summer. It is on the Atlantic coast and is known for its giant waves, which can reach over 30 metres in height. Come winter, the surfers take over. Thanks to an underwater canyon, enormous waves form off the coast, making it a surfers" paradise. Several surf records have been broken here, including the biggest wave ever surfed—an incredible 26 metres. Surfing has a long history; around 5,000 years ago in Peru, people used reed watercraft to surf the waves when they were out fishing. It was in pre-colonial Hawaii, however, that modern surfing was born. Here, people started to stand on their boards and to surf for fun. So, wax down your surfboards and go out and catch some waves!

© Rui Caria/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jun 15, 2025Lesser rheas, Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 12, 2024Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
May 7, 2024Duckling in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Jan 22, 2025Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan
Aug 15, 2024Hang Sơn Đoòng, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam
Dec 3, 2024Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Dec 25, 2023Reindeer running in snow
Oct 22, 2025Belogradchik Rocks, Bulgaria
Apr 3, 2026Armbrug bridge, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jan 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Sep 18, 2023Milky Way over Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, Portugal
Jan 20, 2026Gentoo penguin, Petermann Island, Antarctica
Sep 12, 2023North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
Feb 23, 2026Great white egret, Upper Bavaria, Germany
Jul 9, 2025Constitución railway station, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
May 14, 2024Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, USA
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands
Sep 28, 2024Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida, USA
Oct 10, 2024Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
Apr 27, 2026The glass dome of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, Italy
Nov 4, 2023American bison
Oct 4, 2023Tarantula Nebula
May 20, 2024Bee tending a honeycomb
Jun 13, 2025Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Oct 14, 2024Coco Beach, Goa, India
Sep 9, 2023Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Dec 12, 2023Poinsettias
Mar 30, 2026Demoiselle cranes, India
Aug 6, 2025Ring-tailed lemur
Apr 29, 2025Garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France