Guide to Fernando de Noronha

Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago in Brazil and a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. Its pristine beaches, landscapes, water sorts including snorkeling and diving, and wildlife attract tourists worldwide.

Source: Wikipedia

The archipelago has never been linked to the mainland. Geologically, it is the tip of a submarine volcanic formation which rises out of the deep seabed and consists of one main island and several rocks and islets. The rocks form many natural aquaria and the underwater life is diverse. Because the reefs of the South Atlantic are isolated from the Caribbean by the outflow of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, the reef communities are very different with many endemic species.

Bathed by currents coming from Africa the waters around the islands are very clear with very good visibility even at 50 meters and have great year-round warm temperatures. Of course, you can also see the large “global” species such as manta rays, sharks, moray eels, goliath groupers, sea turtles and dolphins.

The island is also home to one of the largest sea bird breeding colonies in the South Atlantic.

Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), Italian merchant and cartographer in 1503, the archipelago is 4 degrees south of the Equator, around 329 km (200 miles) off the northeastern coast of Brazil, north east to the city of Natal.

During its 500-year history, Fernando de Noronha has been temporarily occupied by the Dutch (17th century), French (18th century) before Portugal established dominion in 1737. They built an extensive defense system of 10 forts. The largest and best conserved fortress is Nossa Senhora dos Remédios de Fernando de Noronha.

The island also served as a prison and a US Army base. Today the population is around 3,500 and the main industry is tourism.

As a unique ecological sanctuary, Fernando de Noronha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a large part of the area is a National Marine Park. And it has the most wonderful beaches. Three (Sancho, Porcos and Leão) regularly feature in Brazil's top beaches list.

Being a small island with limited water resources and a fragile ecosystem, there is a maximum number of 460 visitors allowed on the island. Visitors also pay an Environmental Preservation Tax that increases progressively with the length of the visit.

The relative isolation from the mainland, the limits on visitors and the preservation make Fernando de Noronha an expensive destination. But the "happy few" will be well rewarded by the delights of this island paradise and its fascinating underwater world.

Tourist and local information

• Fernando de Noronha Administration website

All visitors to Fernando de Noronha must pay a local government environmental preservation tax called the Taxa de Preservação Ambiental (TPA). It costs R$87.21 per day, per person as of 2022. You may pay it online or at your port of entry. This is different than the PANAMAR ticket required to access most of the island's touristic attractions (see National Maritime Park, below).

By plane

From the airport you can take a bus, taxi, hire a golf buggy or even walk along the main road to most hotels if you are feeling adventurous.

By boat

During high season travel operator CVC has 4-6 days cruises from Fortaleza, Natal and Recife.

The archipelago comprises 21 islands. Only the largest of them is inhabited (pop. 3,500), and visiting the other islands requires special authorization from the environmental authority, as they are protected areas.

There is one road that circles the main island and connects many of its attractions. It is possible to rent a car or a buggy for about US $50 - 70 a day depending from whom you rent. The easiest way to get around is by bus (R$ 2.85) which goes back and forth along the main road from the Port on one end of the island to Praia de Sueste on the other. Another option is to hitchhike as almost all the local people and sometimes the odd taxi or dive truck will be happy to pick you up and give you a ride if you are going in their direction. If you choose to hitchhike, try to learn at least some Portuguese so you can tell them where you want to go and say thank you at the end of the ride.

Time zone is UTC-02:00 hours year-round, meaning that for most of the year it is one hour ahead of the standard time zone of coastal and most of central Brazil, and from mid-October through mid-February (Daylight Saving Time in all except the more northern Brazilian states), the same time zone.

Although Noronha is a small island, it offers regular and efficient public transport, ideal for tourists who want to travel economically between the island's main beaches and villages.

The main (and only) bus line on the island is called PORTO / SUESTE. It runs the entire length of BR-363, the island's main road, connecting the port (far north) to Praia do Sueste (far south).

The line operates every day of the week, from 5:00AM to 10:00PM, both in the Southeast and Porto directions.

The complete journey from one end of the island to the other takes approximately:

23 minutes in the Southeast direction.

22 minutos no sentido Porto.

The bus in Noronha is an excellent alternative for those who want to explore the island's beauty while spending little and with freedom. With regular schedules, several strategic stops and a short journey time, it serves both locals and tourists well.

• The sunset.

• The full moon rising from the ocean. In some areas you will be able to see the rocks under the water near the beaches at night because of the full moon.
• Dolphins at the Dolphins Bay site
• Sea turtles on Sueste Bay (Baía do Sueste)

• Underwater life

National Maritime Park

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Many of the touristic attractions of the main island are in a national park called PANAMAR, or Parque Nacional Marinho Fernando de Noronhã, which is administered by ICMBio. You must purchase a PANAMAR ticket from ICMBio to be in the park. Tickets are R$330 per person for foreigners. The tickets are valid for 10 days and are available for purchase online or at the ICMBio Ticket Office, located in the center of the city and at the main entrances to the park. Don't confuse this ticket with the TPA environmental tax you pay on arrival to the island (see Get in).

Special reservations

To protect attractions with a more fragile ecosystem, reservations are required for:

Rules for making reservations are here. You can make reservations for these attractions up to 6 days in advance. Reservations are free with your PANAMAR ticket, but must be made in person at the main ICMBio Ticket Office at Alameda do Boldró from 16:00 to 19:00. Arrive early to get in line. Try to reserve the day you arrive if possible. As noted above, some of the attractions requiring reservations also require the hire of a licensed tour guide. You may find and hire your guide before or after you book your reservation.

Snorkeling is a big attraction for most of the natural pools. However, the snorkeling rules in the Do section are actually enforced. Life jackets and a snorkeling mask are required to enter some of the pools mentioned above.

• Beaches - Fernando de Noronha is home to the top two beaches in Brazil - Praia do Leão and Baía do Sancho. Both beaches offer crystal clear blue water with areas for swimming and snorkeling. If you decide to visit, it is a good idea to bring along your own provisions as well as an umbrella as there is no shade at Praia de Leão and the shaded areas of Baia do Sancho quickly fill up with other visitors.
• Boat tours
• Buggy tours
• Dolphin watching
• Diving - with visibility up to 50 meters, Fernando de Noronha is a Mecca for divers and snorkelers at any level of expertise. It has more than two hundred species of fish, five shark species, sea turtles and dolphins.

• Kayak tours
• Snorkeling - Despite what several of the travel guide books say, snorkeling at Praia da Atalaia is no longer unrestricted. If you wish to visit to see the tide pool, it is recommended that you arrive early as the number of visitors is restricted to 100 per day. The tide pool is 45-60 cm (18-24 inches) deep but contains a remarkable diversity of animals. Lobsters, octopuses and numerous fish species inhabit the pool and, if you are lucky, maybe a baby shark. The tidal pool is monitored by the government of the island. If you choose to go keep in mind a few things:
• Visitors are not allowed to wear suntan lotion as the oils from the lotion will pollute the tidal pool (this is another good reason to go early in the morning when the sun isn't too hot)
• You are only allowed to stand or put your knees down in a small sandy area in the middle of the pool. If you are not a confident snorkeler (i.e. capable of floating on the top of the water) then do some practice at another beach before you go. They will remove you from the pool and you could be fined if you violate this rule.
• You will be limited to 25 minutes in the pool

• Swimming
• Trekking - there are also many different trails to choose from, but some restrictions apply. Trails in the National Marine Reserve (Parnamar/FN) can only be visited with authorization and with accredited guides. Trails inside the Environment Preservation Area (Apa/FN) have free access.

There is not much to buy that is unique to the island. If you are desperate for a souvenir from the island, you could consider purchasing a souvenir to support the TAMAR/IBAMA project which is focused on turtle conservation.

After a long morning of diving, nothing beats a bowl of açaí (exotic sweet and fatty dark purple-colored Northern Brazilian fruit, usually eaten as a mashed pulp) with granola and bananas at the port.

• Biu Restaurant - Floresta Nova, +55 81 3619 1458. Buffet self-service.
• Arte e Sabor Creperia - Tu-Su 18:30 until 22:30. Credit cards accepted.
• Tartarugão Boldró - Grilled picanha, moquecas, shellfish. Tu-Su, 12:00-15:00 and 18:00-23:00.
• Alameda do Paraíso -Buffet self-service.
• Restaurante Ecológico - Seafood, dinner only.
• Sabor da Ilha - Buffet self-service. Lunch and dinner.
• Trattoria Di Modena - Italian food, M-Sa 19:00 - 22:30. Credit cards accepted.
• Taquinho - Buffet self-service. Lunch and dinner every day.
• Nascimento - seafood, lunch and dinner.
• Cantinho do Porto - Steaks and pasta. Tu-Su 11:00 - 23:00. All cards accepted.
• Flap -Buffet self-service. Lunch and dinner, every day.
• Miramar - seafood, lunch and dinner every day.
• Porto Marlin - Sushi bar with small store. Every day from 17:00.
• Zé Maria - Lunch and dinner every day.

The island has about 70 inns or pousadas, often private residences more or less adapted for this type of service, similar to B&B. The quality of the lodgings are indicated by the number of dolphins. There are 3 categories :

• 1 dolphin (basic) - most places are in this category
• 2 dolphins (comfortable) - about 9
• 3 dolphins (very comfortable) - 4

Most pousadas have a website and can be booked online.

• Canto das Sereias
• da Fátima
• da Morena
• Del Mares
• Simpatia da Ilha
• Alquimista
• Lenda das Águas
• Bela Vista

Shark incidents are rare but do occur. Between 2004 and 2023, there were 10 recorded shark biting incidents. None were fatal, but two attacks (in 2015 and 2022) resulted in limb amputations.

Sharks are more active while feeding. If you see birds diving into the water, this often indicates feeding fish below, and sharks may be feeding on them too. Swim only in designated areas, and avoid swimming alone or far from shore. Do not enter the water when it is dark or visibility is poor.

Baía do Sueste is sometimes restricted. Scientific monitoring recorded over 16,000 shark detections there during intensive monitoring over 18 months beginning in mid-2024.

• Recife
• Natal