Pico do Espigão Hike On Porto Santo Island

The Pico do Espigão hike is a very short but steep trail to a rocky viewpoint in the south of Porto Santo Island. With just over 200 meters of elevation in less than one kilometer, the trail up will definitely get your heart racing. At the summit, you have views of the nearby Pico de Ana Ferreira in the center of the island but you can also see all the way down to the peaks in the east of Porto Santo. The best views are out over the small island, Ilhéu de Ferro, which is right in front of you on the coast. It’s a great sunset viewpoint that you can get to quickly for a short and sharp evening hike.

HOW TO GET TO PICO DO ESPIGÃO

The Pico do Espigão hike can be done from many different routes. You can come from the radio tower side (West) or from the golf course side (East) or just march straight up the hill from the south like me. The shortest route (if you have a car) is to drive towards Miradouro das Flores and then at the intersection where you would turn left for Miradouro das Flores you can park and walk up the hill to Pico do Espigão. It’s shorter but less scenic and fun.

I suggest parking near the golf course and hiking up the gravel road from the eastern side as it is the most scenic and enjoyable route. This means you would park at the golf course and then head up the gravel road so I will leave a pin location for where you can park on the map below. The total out-and-back hike from the golf course restaurant to Pico do Espigão would probably be a 3-kilometer return trip.

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE PICO DO ESPIGÃO HIKE

When I set out to reach Pico do Espigão for sunset, I wasn’t actually expecting a hike at all. I thought it would be a short walk from where I left my bike. I was quite wrong. I decided to ride my bike near to the golf course and then when the hill got too steep for me, I simply dropped the bike and starting hiking up the hill.

The climb was pretty steep and I couldn’t find an actual trail, so like many times on Porto Santo Island, I just took the direct route up the hill. If you come from the golf course or from Miradouro das Flores, you will have a more defined route but still nothing super wide or clear.

After about 15 minutes, I reached the ridge. Espigão actually translates to ‘spike’ in English, which is exactly what you get on the ridge. It’s much smaller than the Stegosaurus spikes of the nearby Pico de Ana Ferreira but it is a prominent, rocky ridge atop the hill. In some parts, the rocks were a vibrant orange, which was quite unique and I was left wondering what caused the color.

Once you reach the ridge, you then walk along the rocky route to the summit, which is marked by a cement pillar at the highest point. I brought my dinner up here and sat down on the rocks to enjoy the sunset and the view. It’s a great place to watch the sunset as you are high enough to see it set over the ocean or at least behind the small island called Ilhéu de Ferro.

To the east, you have views of all of the peaks in the east. The clouds were forming ominously over the ‘Three Peaks’ of Pico Juliana, Pico Castelo and Pico do Facho. To the west, you can see all along the rugged coastline as the last light hits the coastal cliffs. I really enjoyed this viewpoint as you feel like you are in the center of the island and can really take it all in.

The sunset never really took hold because of the heavy cloud cover but it was a night full of energy with strong winds and fast-moving clouds. With such a short hike, it’s a great spot for a sunset beer or even to bring up your dinner like me if you want a micro-adventure.

I hope you enjoyed this guide to the Pico do Espigão hike on Porto Santo Island.