Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fernando de Noronha
The staggeringly beautiful and environmentally protected archipelago of
FERNANDO DE
NORONHA
lies in the equatorial Atlantic some 545km from Pernambuco and 350km
from Natal. Boasting sixteen stunning
beaches
, it's also hard to beat for
snorkelling
and
scuba diving
- its clear water stretches down to a depth of 40m in places, with a
white sandy sea bottom, plenty of coral, crustaceans, turtles, dolphins and a wide range
of fish species and shoal types. There's just one a small catch - visiting Noronha is
extremely expensive.
European explorers first came here in 1503, and after a struggle between various powers,
with the Dutch running the show from 1700 to 1736, the islands ended up under the
control of the Portuguese in 1737 (the archipelago got its name from the Portuguese
merchant Fernão de Loronha). Lisbon considered the islands strategically important
enough to build the
Forte dos Remédios
, of which only some remains can now be seen.
In recent years, the archipelago has become well known as an ecotourist destination.
Most of it is protected within the
Parque Nacional Marinho de Fernando de Noronha
(
W
parnanoronha.com.br), created in 1988 in order to maintain the ecological wonders
that have been preserved by the islands' isolation from the rest of Brazil. The vegetation
is fairly typical Northeastern
agreste
, but the wildlife is magnificent: birdwatchers will
be amazed by the variety of
exotic birds
, including several types of pelican, and you'll
be moved by the remarkable sight of thousands of
dolphins
entering the bay every day
between 5am and 6am, viewed from the harbour.
The largest and only inhabited island (there are 21 altogether),
Ilha de Fernando de
Noronha
is just 10km long and much of it also falls within the park boundaries. The
main settlement is
Vila dos Remédios
, surrounded by a few smaller villages, linked
by one main road. The most famous beaches - all pristine tropical paradises with
turquoise waters - lie inside the park (open daily 8am-6.30pm):
Baía dos Porcos
,
Praia do Leão
and
Praia do Sancho
.
ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND
4
FERNANDO DE NORONHA
By plane
To reach the islands, you must fly from either
Recife (1hr 15min) with Azul or Gol, or Natal (1hr 10min)
with Azul. As with other domestic routes, prices vary
considerably according to demand and time of year, though
expect to pay a lot more than an equivalent flight on the
mainland (one-way fares rarely dip below R$300). Aeroporto
Governador Carlos Wilson (
T
81 3619 1633) lies in the centre
of the main island - taxis charge around R$25 into town.
Getting around
On the main island, buggies (R$220/
day), 4WD jeeps (R$500/day) and motorbikes (R$100/
day) can be rented from several operators, including
Locbuggy in Vila do Trinta (
T
81 3619 1490,
W
locbuggy
.com.br) and Locadora Noronha (
T
81 3465 2735,
W
locadoranoronha.com.br). Many hotels and
pousadas
rent out their own buggies, which can work out to be
less expensive.
INFORMATION
Tourist information
You'll find the information kiosks at
the airport and at the port (daily 8am-6pm;
W
www
.noronha.pe.gov.br), while the Parque Nacional Marinho
Centro de Visitantes (daily 8am-10.30pm;
T
81 3619
1171) lies 10km to the south near the airport.
NORONHA TAXES AND FEES
All visitors to Fernando de Noronha are expected to pay the
Taxa de Preservação
Ambiental
(R$48.20/day for first four days, then increasing by varying amounts for each
extra day), which goes toward protecting the environment. You pay by credit card or with
cash on arrival at the airport. At the time of writing (and fees do go up every year), a four-day
stay cost R$192.80; seven days R$298.84. This is in addition to accommodation and the
Parque Nacional Marinho de Fernando de Noronha admission fee
, hard to avoid if
you want to visit the best beaches. The fee is R$150 for up to ten days, paid at the park visitor
centre in Vila Boldró (daily 8am-10pm).
