Pancas: a rocky hidden gem in Espirito Santo
- Gustavo Galli
- 25 de set.
- 5 min de leitura
Last year, we took a road trip to Bahia, and on the way back, we were unsure about where to stop. After having a cold beer, we decided to open the map and thought, "Why not stop somewhere in Espírito Santo?" The question sounded like an invitation to do something completely unusual and different, and we decided that would be our stop. This might sound silly, but when we think about traveling within Brazil, we rarely think of Espírito Santo. We have nothing against the state, but since it's geographically squeezed between the cultural depth of Bahia and the beautiful landscapes of Rio de Janeiro, we tend to overlook it. Anyway, it was decided! We were going to Espírito Santo.
After a lot of research, we found a small town in a valley surrounded by gigantic rocks similar to Sugarloaf Mountain, called Pancas. We loved the name! Even though it doesn't literally mean anything. rsrs :) I remember our surprise when we saw some photos of the region and asked ourselves, "How on earth have we never heard of this place!?" We discovered that those rocks were the Pontões Capixabas, geological formations called inselbergs, the result of a geological process that occurred over millions of years.
Pancas is definitely a hidden gem! Few Brazilians have heard of the town, and that's one of its highlights. Everything feels raw in terms of tourism, and people are surprised when they see an outsider. When we arrived, we went to eat something at the town square, and the next day, someone said: "I saw you eating at the square yesterday. You're THE TOURISTS, right?". We thought it was hilarious and felt super special! lol :)
How to get there?
Pancas is literally in the middle of nowhere! Vitória, the state capital, is a 4-hour drive away and is where you need to start your trip. No matter where you are, the fastest way to get there is to fly to Vitória and rent a car to drive to Pancas. There's a bus that leaves daily from Vitória at 6:10 a.m. and costs approximately US$20. This might be a cheaper option, but if you are with another person or in a group, my suggestion is to rent a car, which will be cheaper and more convenient.
*If you rent a car using this link, you will be helping me maintaining this blog alive.
What to do?
Hiking Trails
The absolute highlight of Pancas is undoubtedly its hiking trails, which climb the enormous rocks surrounding the town. Since there isn't much information available, I believe the best way to explore the area is by hiring a guide, which is exactly what we did. When we had this trip in 2023, the only guide in town was Helinho, a local radio host with a passion for the mountains. We contacted him via WhatsApp, and since he was working that day, he recommended Kálita to be our guide. At the time, she had just quit her job at a clothing store to dedicate herself entirely to guiding tourists in the region. Everyone thought she was crazy and nicknamed her "goat" a reference to the animal that is always climbing up and down hills. We found it a little funny!
*Here are their WhatsApp contacts: Helinho (+55 27 98896-1390) and Kálita (+55 27 99643-7138)
Our tour started at 8 a.m., and we began with a trail called Pedra do Operário. The path started in someone's backyard and gradually climbed upward. As we ascended, we could see not only the small town below but also the famous Pontões Capixabas, which, as the name suggests, are literally large pointed rocks that seem to aim for the sky, as if they want to show something. I'm not a religious person, but this is one of those places that makes you question the rationality of things on our planet. How is it possible for something so perfect to also be so random?
After the hike, we went to have lunch at one of the few restaurants in town. The homemade food from Brazil's countryside is so comfy, and even though it's not fancy, there's something about it that is so good. Especially after a hike! It was there, at the restaurant, that they asked us if we were the tourists in town! rsrs :)
Since we only stayed in Pancas for a short time, we didn't end up doing any other hikes, but I'll list the names of some famous ones here in case you have more time in the region:
Pedra do Camelo Trail: It's 4.5 km long, but with an elevation gain of 720 meters, which makes the path moderately difficult. There are several slightly exposed sections, so be prepared if you're afraid of heights. The entire hike takes 3 to 4 hours to complete.
Trilha dos Menezes: The trail has a medium difficulty level and takes an average of 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. The main part of the climb is where you'll find a heart-shaped rock slab and a beautiful view of the town of Pancas.
Pedra da Agulha: The trail takes an average of 2 hours and reaches one of Brazil's rocky inselberg elevations. It's relatively easy.
Visiting the Chocolate Factory and Coffee Producer
After lunch, Kálita met us again with Helinho, who had finished his radio show, and we went to visit a small coffee producer and a small chocolate factory. Both were small, local producers, and there was no structured tour. We literally clapped in front of their houses and asked if we could see the production and buy some products. This is where we got to feel how amazing it is to visit such an unknown place and, at the same time, how important it is to help the people who are producing something local and handcrafted. We bought a lot of chocolate and coffee to take home!
Escalada
For those who love rock climbing, Pancas is the place to go. There are over 60 routes on the rocks around the town with various difficulty levels. Since we aren't climbers, we didn't do any of them, but I found a blog called Naokiarima that has a great post about where to climb in Pancas. The blog is in Portuguese, but with a good Google Gemini or ChatGPT, it's easy to translate into English, right?
Paragliding
One of the biggest surprises we had in Pancas was discovering that the region is famous for paragliding. In fact, every year events are held there that bring together more than 100 people from all over the world to compete in the area. If you want to fly, I suggest talking to Helinho or Kálita to help you. This is the downside of a place so raw in terms of tourism, but it's what makes everything so much more surprising.
Sunrise at the paragliding ramp
On our last day, we decided to wake up very early to watch the sunrise from the paragliding ramp, and this was one of the highlights of our trip. In fact, I think it was the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen in my entire life. The view of the pontões with the red sun on the horizon is something I will never forget.
The impression I got after our short visit to Pancas is that the town has huge tourism potential, but I'm also not sure if things will have evolved much in 10 or 20 years. I say this because the region is really far from major cities, and it's very difficult for any Brazilian to make a weekend trip there. In other words, in my opinion, Pancas is and will continue to be an incredible, classic off-the-beaten-path hidden gem. I hope you can one day go to Pancas and have this unique experience! :)
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