PORTO SANTO TRAVEL GUIDE: 28 AWESOME THINGS TO DO

Porto Santo is an unimaginable island with a wealthy historical past close to Madeira in Portugal. Known for its 9-kilometer seaside coated in delicate, powdery sand there’s much more to this island than first meets the attention. I spent 10 days exploring the island by mountain bike and ventured to the entire seashores, sat atop each peak, and swam in the entire pure swimming pools. In this Porto Santo Travel Guide, I’ll share the entire high issues to do on Porto Santo and some suggestions for visiting this superb island.

I explored the caves by kayak, scuba-dived all the way down to shipwrecks, and located sea life whereas snorkeling amidst the volcanic rocks under the floor. I hope you benefit from the Porto Santo journey information as a lot as I loved exploring this unimaginable island.

PORTO SANTO TRAVEL GUIDE

HOW TO GET TO PORTO SANTO ISLAND

Flight: A flight is simply 25 minutes from Madeira to Porto Santo and may vary from 120 Euros to a couple hundred relying on the sale costs and time of 12 months. The good half concerning the Porto Santo Airport is that it’s worldwide so in case you are simply visiting Porto Santo and never Madeira you possibly can fly immediately out to Europe. It won’t be the most cost effective choice however very handy if you’d like a fast seaside getaway.

HOW LONG TO STAY ON PORTO SANTO ISLAND

Most individuals who go to Porto Santo are coming for a calming time on the seaside, which is completely high-quality. For this kind of trip with an all-inclusive package deal the place you would possibly lay on the seaside and take a look at one or two viewpoints for sundown, you solely want 4-5 days. There are solely so many days you possibly can lay on the seaside proper?

However, if you wish to get a bit extra adventurous and do some diving, kayaking, snorkeling, swimming in pure swimming pools, climbing, taking boat journeys, or doing a jeep tour you possibly can shortly see how the times could be crammed moderately shortly. Therefore Porto Santo Island is a trip the place you get to write down the script. You can go to this island in many alternative kinds.

I stayed for ten days. That’s most likely greater than sufficient however I saved myself busy creating this information doing sunrises, sunsets, eight hikes, ten seashores, scuba-diving, kayaking, snorkeling, and the record goes on. So now you may have an thought of how lengthy you must keep! If I needed to say a quantity, most individuals will probably be totally recharged and have loved an ideal stick with as much as per week on Porto Santo Island.

HOW TO GET AROUND ON PORTO SANTO ISLAND

At its widest factors, the island is 11 kilometers lengthy. However, most individuals simply have to stroll from the resort to the seaside so the island transit could be very brief for them. You don’t have to have a automobile on this island. Almost every part is on the south aspect of Porto Santo the place the primary 9-kilometer seaside is. Taxi run up and down this strip or you possibly can stroll to and from a restaurant or a seaside.

If you do need to discover a number of the viewpoints, hikes, and different seashores away from the south, there are a couple of choices for transport.

Car: When you ebook your Porto Santo Rental Car on-line, I personally advocate and at all times use Discover Cars. They seek for each native and worldwide firms, so that you get the perfect deal! MUST Read: Guide to Renting a Car on Madeira

Scooter: This might be the best choice for my part. There are some fairly vital hills on Porto Santo Island. It’s not as steep as Madeira however I rode it on my bike and it was a heavy exercise week for my legs. A scooter will get you in every single place you should go and is fairly low-cost at round 20-25 Euros per day.

Bike: I rented a Mountain Bike from AAColombo – Auto Acessórios Colombo, which is a neighborhood store. The guys and ladies in there have been tremendous good. Was actually easy. I simply turned up and requested for a motorcycle they usually gave me one for 10 Euros a day. They additionally gave me lights, a helmet, and a lock for no further cost. If you’re taking it for greater than a day or two you may get it for 10 Euros a day in any other case I believe it was 15 Euros a day. In ten days, I did 150 kilometers and a couple of,100 meters of elevation on a mountain bike.

Electric Bike: As I mentioned earlier, this island is steep with small undulating hills. For many, the hills will probably be an excessive amount of on a motorcycle so an E-bike is an efficient different that allows you to take pleasure in using a motorcycle across the island however you may get some assist from the motor up the hills or if you end up drained. It wasn’t too costly at round 20 Euros per day.

BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT PORTO SANTO

It’s an fascinating query as a result of you may have a couple of components to think about. Do you need the very best climate Porto Santo can supply or are you escaping the tough winter of mainland Europe? Do you need to go to Porto Santo when it’s the least crowded?

The finest time to go to Porto Santo Island is from June till November when there’s a lot of sunshine and never a lot rain in any respect. The highest common temperature in Porto Santo is 23°C in August and the bottom is 17°C in February. While the perfect climate for hitting the seaside could be in the course of the summer season of July and August, it could be extra tempting to go to later within the 12 months. If you go to round September to October when you possibly can nonetheless swim, benefit from the solar, and have a seaside getaway whereas your house nation properly and really enters winter and the colder temperatures.

28 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON PORTO SANTO ISLAND

I’m now going to indicate you the entire epic seashores, each single hike on the island, the pure swimming pools, and different actions you are able to do while you’re on Porto Santo Island. I did the entire actions you might be about to see and these suggestions are based mostly by myself experiences. You can click on on any of the hyperlinks all through this record to move to a extra detailed weblog put up I’ve written a couple of particular exercise.

‘THREE PEAKS HIKE’ PICO CASTELO, PICO DO FACHO & PICO JULIANA HIKE ON PORTO SANTO

This is a hike on Porto Santo that I’ve named ‘The Three Peaks’ hike because it excursions three of the highest peaks on the island. The route takes you to Pico Juliana, Pico Castelo, and Pico do Facho on a 9-kilometer round-trip journey. It’s a steep path however the panoramic views from the summit of every peak are properly well worth the arduous journey!

Check out all the main points and images of this hike: The Three Peaks Hike

PONTA DA CALHETA

Ponta da Calheta is the southern level on Porto Santo Island. It’s one in all my favourite spots on the island as a result of it’s nice for sundown but additionally the dawn. If you come out right here early within the morning, there will probably be mainly nobody on the seaside and as you lookup the whole stretch of sand on the island, the solar will rise lighting up the seaside. A dawn stroll right here is without doubt one of the most stress-free Porto Santo Activities. Alternatively, when you come out for sundown, you may have an ideal view of the solar setting over the horizon beside the close by island of Ilhéu da Cal.

There are a couple of caves across the nook of Ponta da Calheta, which I visited on a kayak tour. There are additionally a couple of enjoyable little tidal swimming pools you possibly can try at low tide. There are often a couple of individuals down this finish of the seaside however it’s not fairly as busy as the primary sections of Praia Porto Santo in entrance of the large resorts.

ZIMBRALINHO BEACH

Zimbralinho Beach is tucked away, requiring somewhat little bit of an journey to seek out. There are a couple of methods to achieve this hidden gem seaside on the southern coast of Porto Island. You can drive all the best way up and make the brief stroll down the steps, hike to Zimbralinho, or kayak to Zimbralinho seaside. I really hiked, biked, and kayaked to Zimbralinho seaside on three separate events.

This isn’t a sandy seaside for sunbathing like the primary Praia Porto Santo Beach however it’s way more epic. After a reasonably steep, cliff-side stairway leads you all the way down to the seaside, you may be on the rocky shore with large cliff partitions towering over you. There are a couple of rocky formations inside this little cove, that are excellent for exploring whereas kayaking or snorkeling.

VEREDA PICO BRANCO & TERRA CHÃ HIKE

The Vereda Pico Branco and Terra Chã hike is the most well-liked hike on Porto Santo Island. The route leads you to the second-highest peak on the island, Pico Branco. The different viewpoint on the path is Terra Chã, which has coastal views and is without doubt one of the greenest areas on the whole island. The hike is simply 5 kilometers round-trip and is an ideal dawn journey. This hike is without doubt one of the high hikes and hottest issues to do on Porto Santo.

Check out all the main points and images of this hike: Vereda Pico Branco and Terra Chã hike

PONTA DA CANAVEIRA SUNSET VIEWPOINT

Ponta da Canaveira sundown viewpoint is correct subsequent to Morenos and is on the far western coast of the island. You have an ideal view of the lighthouse on the close by island of Ilhéu de Ferro. I visited this viewpoint a few instances and it was by no means busy however since you drive on to the point of view, there are often a couple of different vacationers who come out right here to catch the sundown.

PORTO DAS SALEMAS NATURAL POOLS

The Porto Das Salemas pure swimming pools are among the best locations to swim on the north coast of Porto Santo Island. At low tide, you possibly can float and swim in an unlimited array of superbly formed pure tidal swimming pools. The water was crystal clear within the swimming pools and it was unimaginable to look at the waves smashing in opposition to the outer wall of the swimming pools. This is one in all my favourite Porto Santo actions.

It’s essential to decide on the correct time to go to Porto das Salemas pure swimming pools. You want to think about the time of day in order that the solar is reaching the swimming pools however most significantly you want the low tide. I recommend arriving one hour earlier than low tide so you may have two full hours of time to discover whereas the tide is at its lowest.

There is a really small sandy seaside on the shore earlier than the tidal swimming pools, which is without doubt one of the few sandy spots on the north coast. There is sufficient room for about 20-30 individuals to sunbathe on the sandy patch after having fun with the tidal swimming pools.

If you need to learn my full weblog put up you possibly can test it out right here: Porto das Salemas Natural Pools

ANA FERREIRA SUNRISE CAVE AND ORGAN PIPES ROCK FORMATION

This rock formation is extremely distinctive, with an organ-pipe association of pentagonal rock columns, which was attributable to volcanic exercise tens of millions of years in the past. The crest was produced by differential erosion, which suggests the ‘host’ rocks had been worn out exposing the extra sturdy and resistant internal layer of mugearitic rock.

At the bottom of the organ pipes, you possibly can stroll all the best way as much as examine the floor. When you might be near the rocks, you’ll shortly be dwarfed by the large, elongated columns that tower above. It’s a really distinctive spot to go to on Porto Santo.

Once you attain the caves, you will notice there are two separate caves about 5 meters huge. The nice half about these caves is that they face on to the east so you possibly can sit contained in the cave, hiding from any wind, whereas ready for the solar to rise over the ocean within the east. I visited the caves in the course of the day and for dawn. They had been each nice instances to go to however the dawn was further particular with some good colours coming out over the clouds because the solar breached the horizon.

KAYAK TOUR FROM PONTA DA CALHETA

I did my kayak tour with Matias, who’s born and bred in Porto Santo and has been operating the excursions for years now together with his firm Porto Santo Destination Tours. He is aware of the swell, and ocean circumstances properly.

This is a really low-key tour that isn’t too intensely bodily. It’s filled with journey however not an endurance occasion. You spend 1-2 hours leisurely paddling alongside the coast and now and again head right into a water cave to discover.

Throughout the journey, we entered about 5 totally different caves. Some of them had been big and appeared to go on perpetually as we paddled inside for greater than 50 meters. The luminescent water glowed a vibrant blue from beneath the kayak as we examined the excessive, volcanic rock on the ceilings. The spotlight for me was having Sherlock (his canine) mainly sitting on my shoulder for the entire tour! We stopped off at Zimbralinho Beach and even visited a cave at Ilhéu da Cal, the small island close to Porto Santo.

If you need to view the total weblog put up, it’s right here: Kayak & Snorkel on Porto Santo

MORENOS SUNSET VIEWPOINT

Morenos sundown viewpoint is a little bit of a wierd one. The important viewpoint close by is Ponta da Canaveira and it has fences, a platform, and could be very clearly a viewpoint. However, Morenos didn’t actually have a pleasant spot alongside the coast and was only a cliff edge. The view was nonetheless nice and you would see out to Ilhéu de Ferro completely. I did discover somewhat tide pool on the cliff edge the place I frolicked whereas ready for the solar to set. When the sundown got here, I used to be prepared with my telephoto lens to snap a shot of the lighthouse on Ilhéu de Ferro, which is the small island proper in entrance the place the solar units.

PICO DE BAIXO HIKE ON PORTO SANTO

The Pico de Baixo peak is a 209-meter, steep mountain on the east aspect of Porto Santo Island. It’s not an official climbing route however it is without doubt one of the finest dawn views on the island and a enjoyable climb involving some sketchy scrambling, and a few sand dune sliding. This is an journey for these prepared to get somewhat soiled, perhaps a couple of scrapes, and do some scrambling up the mountainside. This was one in all my favourite issues to do on Porto Santo.

Check out all the main points and images of this hike: Pico de Baixo Hike

FONTE DA AREIA SUNSET VIEWPOINT

On the north coast, accessible by automobile, you’ll find one of many lesser-frequented viewpoints on Porto Santo. Fonte da Areia isn’t solely an ideal sundown viewpoint on the cliffs however it has some extremely distinctive rock formations. You can actually see the erosion over a few years alongside these cliffs. You have a direct view out to the sundown from the cliffs and the rocky partitions look nice with the nice and cozy gentle of the golden hour because it beams immediately upon them.

CALHAU DA SERRA

Calhau da Serra is the seaside you go to if you wish to get away from the vacationers within the south and revel in a while out in nature. It’s a rocky seaside so don’t count on the powdery sands of the south, however what you do get is a few peaceable solitude at fairly a surprising little spot on the northeast coast of Porto Santo Island.

I visited this seaside after the Vereda Pico Branco and Terra Chã hike and loved the whole seaside to myself. There are some unimaginable rock formations alongside this shoreline and a few good snorkeling is to be carried out as properly. To get to this seaside you merely flip off the primary ‘ring-road’ that wraps across the island and both stroll or trip your bike alongside the filth street. It wasn’t tremendous clear from the primary street however it’s just a few hundred meters to stroll.

SCUBA DIVING ON PORTO SANTO

I headed out with Rhea Dive to take a look at one of many shipwrecks close by the island. There are a few shipwrecks and even a submarine wreck in addition to some cool cave dives on Porto Santo Island. You can have two or three full days of diving and see a variety of numerous motion.

I dove the Cordeca wreck, which is a large sunken ship. You can look by way of the whole ship, which is now taken over by fish and sea life though the weapons and captain’s cabin remains to be intact. It was a lot larger than I anticipated and a extremely nice expertise.

I solely journey with my GoPro however these images had been taken by Pedro Vasconcelos.

MIRADOURO DAS FLORES VIEWPOINT

When I visited, we arrived at Miradouro Flores about half an hour earlier than sundown, which was excellent timing. The cliffs had been gleaming and we might take within the views earlier than the solar would placed on its nightly present. At the point of view, a pleasant picket railing strains the whole perimeter with a number of ranges of viewing. It’s an ideal spot you could drive to for sundown. You have views again down the island to the east and, in fact, a direct view of the solar setting over the ocean to the west.

On the night time we visited, there was a storm brewing proper in entrance of the solar, which created some loopy gentle rays by way of the clouds. In the opposite path, the clouds had been being strung out by the wind creating formations I’d by no means seen earlier than!

PICO DO MAÇARICO HIKE ON PORTO SANTO ISLAND

The Pico do Maçarico hike on Porto Santo Island is a superb peak for both dawn or sundown with panoramic views of the whole island. The route is brief however very steep up the tough path. There isn’t any official path however you’ll find a worn path that makes it simple to entry the summit the place you’ll find a big white cross overlooking the ocean and the entire island of Porto Santo. This is a superb Porto Santo exercise for adventurers.

Check out all the main points and images of this hike: Pico do Maçarico hike

ILHÉU DE CIMA

Ilhéu de Cima is a small island close to the southeast nook of Porto Santo. Atop its rugged cliffs is a plateau the place a small lighthouse will be discovered. It’s doable to hike as much as the highest of the island however first, you will want to take a ship trip over to the island, which is feasible on some excursions. Otherwise, you possibly can benefit from the view of Ilhéu de Cima from a number of of the hikes on the japanese finish of the island.

PORTO DOS FRADES TIDAL POOLS

Porto dos Frades is a pristine space with crystal clear water and a rugged shoreline, which has some well-protected tidal swimming pools. This makes it an ideal snorkeling spot with out many waves. Lots of sea creatures love the shallow water and safety of the reef wall so that they name it residence. I really visited this spot as a part of my snorkeling tour with Matias from Porto Santo Destination Tours.

The volcanic rocks under the floor make an ideal hiding spot for an octopus or a Moray eel in addition to a lot of fish and different creatures. Within such a small space we noticed so many alternative critters and sealife, much more than on a complete scuba dive I did at one of many high dive websites in Porto Santo. The Moray Eel was most likely the spotlight of the journey as he got here out of his gap to tell us that is his territory.

If you need to view the total weblog put up, it’s right here: Kayak & Snorkel on Porto Santo

PICO DE ANA FERREIRA SUNSET HIKE

Pico de Ana Ferreira is an unimaginable rock formation on Porto Santo, which seems like a backbone of jagged rocks operating down the middle of the island. There are a number of sights at Pico de Ana Ferreira such because the quite a few caves to discover, a hike to the summit alongside the jagged ridge, and the ‘Organ Pipes’ rock formation.

Check out all the main points and images of this hike: Pico de Ana Ferreira hike

FONTINHA BEACH (THE PIER)

One of probably the most iconic seashores on Porto Santo island is Fontinha Beach due to the outstanding pier stretching out from the coast. This space of Porto Santo is a hub for cafes, eating places, and small retailers so it’s at all times energetic with motion. Lots of locals hang around right here and most of the younger children love leaping off the pier, which is just some meters in peak.

PICO DO CONCELHO HIKE

The Pico do Concelho hike on Porto Santo Island is a steep climb up an undefined path, which rewards hikers with epic views alongside the east coast of the island. It’s an ideal hike for dawn and I can all however assure you may be up there alone because the solar creeps over the horizon to announce a brand new day.

The views from the highest are literally fairly epic. On the left, you look down the coast to the north and may see immediately throughout to Pico Branco and Terra Chã. To the correct, you possibly can see all the best way to Pico de Baixo and the small island within the distance known as Ilhéu de Cima.

Below, you may have an ideal view of the unimaginable Porto dos Frades tidal swimming pools, that are an ideal spot for snorkeling. I believe the perfect half concerning the view was simply how wild and free it felt. There was zero likelihood of one other hiker coming as much as be part of us and we felt on high of the island, all by ourselves.

Check out all the main points and images of this hike: Pico do Concelho hike

PRAIA PORTO SANTO – MAIN BEACH

We most likely shouldn’t go a lot additional into this Porto Santo journey information with out mentioning the primary strip. Praia Porto Santo is a basic. On a great, clear day you may have extremely, crystal clear water to go with the unbelievably high-quality sand. It actually is like powder greater than granular sand. You’ll perceive as soon as you are feeling it beneath your toes. Visiting this seaside is without doubt one of the high issues to do on Porto Santo.

There are a lot of areas alongside Praia Porto Santo which have umbrellas and daybeds for lease. Many are linked to a resort however you may as well simply flip up and ask to lease one. With the sand so delicate, it’s good simply to put the towel down and benefit from the pure, free sunbed.

It’s greater than 8 kilometers in size so excellent for a morning stroll the place you possibly can catch the dawn. Depending on the swell there will be some waves sufficiently small for physique browsing however often, it’s fairly calm, good for swimming, and a refreshing dip after working in your tan on the seaside.

ILHÉU DA CAL

Ilhéu da Cal is a small island simply off the southwestern tip of Porto Santo Island. From Ponta da Calheta, you might be mainly inside swimming distance of the island though the voyage isn’t inspired. You really want a allow to set foot on the island however you possibly can discover the caves by way of kayak or take a tour by boat with a information to discover the island. If you simply desire a good view of Ilhéu da Cal, the Miradouro das Flores viewpoint is the perfect spot to test it out throughout sundown.

PORTO DOS FRADES BEACH

I’ve already talked about the tidal swimming pools at Porto dos Frades, that are nice for snorkeling. However, Porto dos Frades seaside might be my high decide for seashores on Porto Santo Island away from the south coast. There is parking proper subsequent to the coast right here, which makes it probably the most accessible seaside on this rocky japanese shoreline. The important drawcard to Porto dos Frades is the crystal clear water, snorkeling alternatives and it’s sandy seaside! Pico do Maçarico acts as an ideal backdrop to this extremely scenic seaside.

PICO DO ESPIGÃO HIKE

The Pico do Espigão hike is a really brief however steep path to a rocky viewpoint within the south of Porto Santo Island. With simply over 200 meters of elevation in lower than one kilometer, the path up will certainly get your coronary heart racing. At the summit, you may have views of the close by Pico de Ana Ferreira within the heart of the island however you may as well see all the best way all the way down to the peaks within the east of Porto Santo. The finest views are out over the small island, Ilhéu de Ferro, which is correct in entrance of you on the coast. It’s an ideal sundown viewpoint you could get to shortly for a brief and sharp night hike.

Check out all the main points and images of this hike: Pico do Espigão hike

SNORKEL TOUR ON PORTO SANTO ISLAND

I did the snorkel tour with Matias, the identical tour information from my kayaking tour. The snorkel tour is on the opposite aspect of the island at Porto dos Frades, which is kind of actually down the street from Matias’ home. It’s no marvel he is aware of the place all the ocean creatures stay when it’s virtually his yard. Porto dos Frades is a pristine space with crystal clear water and a rugged shoreline, which has some well-protected tidal swimming pools. This makes it an ideal snorkeling spot with out many waves. Lots of sea creatures love the shallow water and safety of the reef wall so that they name it residence.

ZIMBRALINHO BEACH AND MIRADOURO FLORES VIEWPOINT HIKE

On the east coast of Porto Santo Island, the hike to Zimbralinho Beach and Miradouro Flores Viewpoint is a superb coastal path for sundown views. Most of the path will be accomplished by automobile or bike alongside the roads however it’s a brief coastal path, which is nice for climbing and having fun with the views. Because it faces east, you possibly can count on lovely lighting and colours within the sky at sundown! For me, this was the perfect coastal hike on Porto Santo Island with quite a lot of nice viewpoints.

Check out all the main points and images of this hike: ZIMBRALINHO BEACH AND MIRADOURO FLORES VIEWPOINT HIKE

PORTELA VIEWPOINT ON PORTO SANTO ISLAND

The Miradouro da Portela (Portela Viewpoint) is without doubt one of the hottest viewpoints on Porto Santo Island. Portela Viewpoint has views down the 9-kilometer-long sandy seaside to the west and the entire sharp, volcanic peaks to the east. It’s accessible by automobile however in case you are like me, take up the problem and trip your bike to the highest!

If there may be one viewpoint most individuals go to in Porto Santo it’s this one. It has nice views of the whole island however you may as well drive your automobile straight up the hill to entry it, which might be why it’s so widespread. The different attraction on the viewpoint is the historic windmills, which have been preserved on high of the hill.

PENEDO BEACH / MARINA

If you might be on the lookout for a basic sandy seaside for a pleasant day of swimming and sunbathing however don’t need the crowds, you must attempt Penedo Beach. It’s proper subsequent to the marina and the port the place the ferry dropped you off once you arrived. Unlike many docks world wide, the seashores close by have remained pristine and with some umbrellas arrange, it’s a fairly good seaside for a calming day.

PRAIA DO FURADO & POIO DAS MULHERES

These two little seashores are a bit extra distant and at all times very empty. They take somewhat coastal trek to achieve however are assured some social isolation and a few crystal clear waters. If you proceed on from Porto dos Frades alongside the coast to the north, you’ll attain these two lovely little spots.

I hope you loved this Porto Santo Travel Guide. Now you already know, there may be extra than simply the seaside in entrance of your resort so go try a few the epic locations on this lovely island!