The Valinhos correspond to the lands that the three little shepherds of Fatima traveled from their homes in Aljustrel to the Cova da Iria for the grazing of their flocks. It was in this place that two of the appearances of the Angel of Portugal (or Angel of Peace) took place in 1916 (and where the children learned, including, the Prayers of the Angel), and an appearance of the Virgin Mary on August 19, 1917.

During the 20th century, Nazaré progressively evolved from a fishing village to a village dedicated to tourism, having been one of the first points of international tourist interest in Portugal. The tourism industry is today one of the main employers of the village. The giant waves of Nazaré (on North Beach) have gained worldwide fame and are already inscribed in the Guinness Book by surfing. It is impossible today to speak of Nazaré without referring to the world record for the largest wave ever surfed, 30 meters, set by Garrett McNamara, on North Beach, in November 2011.6] Due to the worldwide projection of the giant waves of Nazaré, the village has become the host of the largest international surfing championships and welcomes many athletes of this mode, as well as thousands of curious and tourists who come to appreciate its brave demonstrations.

In 2007, the castle of Óbidos was declared by the competition the Seven Wonders of Portugal the second of the seven most relevant monuments of the Portuguese architectural heritage. On December 11, 2015, UNESCO considered Óbidos a literary city, as part of the Creative Cities Network program.