Hiking trails in Porto Santo

At 437 m, one of the widest views on the island: the bay, the centre of Vila Baleira and several islets, including Ilhéu da Cal and Ilhéu de Cima. On the summit survive the traces of a small 16th-century fortress built to protect the inhabitants from frequent raids by French pirates; a few cannons are still in place, and the Canhão viewpoint at the foot of the trail is named after them. The peak, now covered in conifers, was once far barer: in the 1920s António Schiappa de Azevedo led its reforestation with crews who carried materials and trees up by hand — his bust stands near the top. Aleppo pines and dragon trees line the classified PS PR2 trail (3.2 or 4.6 km from Moledo; €4.50 for non-residents over 12). A road climbs almost to the summit, where there is a viewpoint and a picnic area.

The north-eastern summit, 450 m, the goal of the classified PS PR1 trail. Its slope is the only one on the island that still carries dense native vegetation, protected under Natura 2000 in the Pico Branco – Terra Chã special area of conservation. The trail starts from the Serra de Dentro road and continues to the Terra Chã plateau.

Geosite, on the northern road. The undersea volcanic rocks of the island's submarine mountain phase are exposed here: angular fragments of basalt shattered by the thermal shock of lava meeting sea water, cemented into a yellowish breccia. The oldest known on the island are about 19.3 million years old. That this submarine deposit now sits at 200 m of altitude is due to the uplift of the whole island as a block. These rocks, known locally as pedras pretas, were quarried for decades to make pozzolana.

Porto Santo's classic lookout, just over a kilometre and a half from the centre at the eastern tip of the island. An avenue of palm trees and a windmill set the scene; below lies the whole south coast, with Vila Baleira in the middle, the golden beach and the turquoise sea, the Porto de Abrigo and the marina, then Pico de Baixo and Ilhéu de Cima. The Portela windmills, symbols of the island, are a short walk away. A few minutes further, a staircase at the place called Casinhas leads to the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graça, standing alone on the slope of Pico do Castelo: founded in 1533, destroyed in 1812 and rebuilt in the 20th century, it houses a 16th-century Virgin from a Flemish workshop and often served as a refuge for islanders during pirate raids. Its feast, one of the island's best attended, is held on 15 August.

On the south-west coast: leave the main road, pass the Centro Hípico and turn left. From here the view takes in the nine kilometres of beach, Ilhéu de Baixo (or da Cal), Ilhéu de Ferro and Ilhéu de Cima and, weather permitting, the Desertas and Madeira; the contrast between the gold of the sand and the turquoise of the sea is striking. The site holds the bust of the painter Francisco Maya (1915–1993). You can also ride up on horseback with the nearby equestrian centre. From the junction for the viewpoint, a road and then a steep path drop to the pebble cove of Zimbralinho, tucked between Cabeço das Flores and Morenos.

On the east coast, at the end of the classified PS PR1 trail (2.7 km, about 1:30 from the road). The Terra Chã plateau belongs to the Natura 2000 network: it is the place on the island with the largest number of well-preserved specimens of native flora. A stone house serves as a base for the team reintroducing endemic plants and carrying out scientific studies. Cypresses planted in the early 20th century, white lichens known as "urzela" (Rocella sp.) on the rocks and, all around, Vila Baleira, Ilhéu de Cima and Pico Branco (450 m, the island's second-highest peak). The path was originally opened to bring farm produce down by donkey. Paid access (€4.50) and booking via SIMplifica since 2026.