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
June 15, 2026Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 13, 2026Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, United States
Feb 27, 2025Polar bear cub, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Jan 14, 2024Whooper swans
Mar 3, 2024Leopard in a tree, Kruger National Park, South Africa
July 13, 2026Antelope Canyon, east of Page, Arizona, United States
Jan 17, 2025Brown pelican, San Diego, California, United States
June 15, 2026Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, United States
Aug 6, 2025Ring-tailed lemur
May 22, 2024Tasmanian snow gum, Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Aug 27, 2024Young black caiman
Jan 10, 2025Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada
Jun 21, 2025Masai giraffes in the Serengeti
Feb 15, 2025Icicles of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan
June 19, 2026La Rocchetta Lighthouse, Piombino, Italy
May 16, 2025Great green macaw, Mexico
Oct 29, 2024Great horned owl
Nov 26, 2025Olive orchard in the Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Sep 19, 2024Milky Way over the Elbow River, Alberta, Canada
Nov 23, 2023Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Nov 9, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Oct 10, 2025Coral reef surrounding the island of Monuriki, Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
Aug 10, 2025Lioness in Kenya
Oct 4, 2026Château de Castelnaud overlooking the river Dordogne, France
Feb 18, 2024Sperm whale
May 21, 2025Tea garden at Yangjiatang Village, Songyang County, China
Mar 28, 2024Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
Oct 10, 2026Double-crested cormorants over Monterey Bay, California, USA
Dec 11, 2023Huangshan Mountains, China
May 2, 2026Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada
Mar 16, 2026Cable car and Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil