Pico De Baixo Hike On Porto Santo Island

The Pico de Baixo peak is a 209-meter, steep mountain on the east side of Porto Santo Island. It’s not an official hiking route but it is one of the best sunrise views on the island and a fun climb involving some sketchy scrambling, and some sand dune sliding. This is an adventure for those willing to get a little dirty, maybe a few scrapes and do some scrambling up the mountainside.

HOW TO GET TO THE PICO DE BAIXO HIKE TRAILHEAD

The place where I began the hike was the Porto dos Frades parking lot. The road actually continues wide enough for a car on the gravel surface but because of potential rockfall, it is best to park in the parking lot. I’ve added the pin location for the Porto dos Frades parking lot below. Once you park the car, simply head around the coast to the right and you will see the sand dunes on your right. This is where you can begin your scramble. Alternatively, I went through the rock tunnel further down the path and then scrambled up the rocks on the southern side of Pico de Baixo. This was more difficult.

The next day I hiked up Pico do Maçarico, which is the peak next to Pico de Baixo. I saw a trail that connects the two peaks, which would be much easier than scrambling from sea-level to Pico de Baixo. It’s easy to get up to Pico do Maçarico but I haven’t done the connecting trail so can’t speak for its difficulty although I saw on several hiking sites that it can be connected so that could be something to consider.

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE PICO DE BAIXO HIKE

I knew the east coast would be a great region to watch the sunset so I set off looking for a nice spot to watch the morning glow. There are several viewpoints on the east but Porto dos Frades is the one that allows you to drive closest to the coast without having to hike in from the main road. Therefore, I chose to park at Porto dos Frades and explore from there.

I noticed Ponta da Gale on the map with a dirt trail leading to it so I decided to head there for sunrise and see what everything looked like. As I made my way along the dirt trail toward the rocky point, I had the desire to climb Pico de Baixo and began to look for a possible route up the side of the mountain. In the dark, it was hard to pick the best line. The below photo was taken on the walk back when it wasn’t so dark but I wanted to show you guys the gravel trail.

I ended up going through the tunnel, which passes underneath the ridge of Ponta da Gale and then I found a sketchy line to the top. I thought I would at least check it out and the next thing I knew I was halfway up the cliff after edging my way meter by meter. The rocks were loose and the gravel was soft underfoot, which makes it very hard to scramble up. I needed to take it somewhat slow to make sure of my footing. Below is a photo from inside the tunnel and from an aerial perspective above the tunnel.

It took me about 40 minutes to reach the summit of Pico de Baixo on my sketchy little line to the top. I think if you came up the route via the sand dunes you could be up in under 20 minutes with no problems.

The last 30% of the ascent was much easier than the early sections because there was vegetation and strong boulders, which made the climb easier than the loose rocks and gravel. As I climbed, I couldn’t see where the sun would rise but just as I rounded the last corner, a slither of the sun edged its way over the horizon. I had made it in time! These are the types of adventures I love.

On top of the peak, there is a rocky ridgeline but nothing else. Just a natural mountain with panoramic views of Porto Santo Island. I could see all the way along the coast to the west side of Porto Santo and felt like I was looking down on the port. Pico do Macarico towered behind me as it also began to glow with the first light of the day.

I flew the drone out over the ocean to check out the small islet nearby called, Ilhéu de Cima. Once I was near the island, I had an incredible view back towards Porto Santo, which emphasized all of the volcanic, cone-shaped peaks of the island.

After enjoying the sunset atop the peak, I now had an easier way down via the sand dunes. With a bit of light and a chance to analyze the way down, I had a quick scramble down in under 10 minutes till I reached the gravel road.

I then turned left on the road and walked back to the parking lot to complete my circuit. It was an amazing sunrise adventure but don’t suggest this one unless you are experienced with scrambling, loose rocks, and just very comfortable on ridges and mountains in general. It’s not a safe route for those looking for an average hike.

I hope you enjoyed this post about my Pico de Baixo hike on Porto Santo Island!