Fernando de Noronha Island

This small island (about 10 km across and 7 km down) is located 340 kilometers off the Brazilian coast and is very protected to prevent damages to the environment. The island is under strict control and that's why the beaches are as beautiful as they were 500 years ago. Mean annual temperature is 26 degrees Celsius and winds are relieving and permanent.

The island was discovered in 1503 by Americo Vespucio (the man after whom America was named). The king of Portugal gave the island to Fernando de Loronha, a wealthy man in the pau-brasil (a kind of tree in Brazil) business. Strange is that Loronha has never been to the island and that it's unknown why the name was changed to Noronha.

Portugal was never really interested in the island and for this reason, it has also been in hands of the Dutch and French for short periods. Though in 1737, Portugal reclaimed it and turned it into a prison for convicted Brazilians.

Unfortunately the forests were totally devastated in 1832, This in order to make sure the prisoners couldn't make boats to escape the island.

The first tourists paid a visit to the island in 1972 and in 1988 it became a National Marine Park and because of this a very popular tourist destination. Trips to the island can be started from Natal and Recife and you need to have a package tour scheduled. Only a restricted number of about 500 visitors are allowed on the island every day and you have to pay "environment tax". The amount of the tax to be paid depends on the number of days you're staying on the island; this to prevent people for staying too long.

There are only two villages in Noronha: Vila dos Remedios and Vila do Trinta. The island has about 3,000 residents, most of which strangers who fell in love with the island or with someone who lived there. You will not find luxury resorts here, though recently some higher standard hotels were built, but, because land, electricity and fuel are scarce commodities here, not much of it can be wasted with luxuries like, e.g., shopping centers, air conditioners and neons. You should also keep in mind that everything is quite expensive and more expensive than in the mainland, because of the long distances and the market laws (demand exceeding the limited supply).

Night entertainment all happens in open air bars along the beaches. Other popular events include the IBAMA expositions promoted with themes such as sharks or dolphins. Many people come to these gatherings to learn more about environment and how to preserve it. During the day the IBAMA people can guide you to watch turtles laying their eggs at Praia do Leao (Lion's beach), or watch the dolphins ballet at Baia dos Golfinhos (Dolphins Bay).

The Dolphins Bay should definetely be on your to do list, as it is the home for over 1,000 dolphins, which return there to rest when the sun is setting, after spending the day in high sea looking for food. As they are very curious animals, they come very near the boats.

Noronha has sixteen beaches, one even more beautiful than the other! five of them (including the above mentioned Leao and Golfinhos) are of restricted access, for preservation purposes. Among the others, the most popular (that means a few dozen people in each) are beaches of Cachorro, Conceicao, Americanos, Quixaba and Cacimba do Padre. All beaches have fine grained sand and cristaline warm water. In some of the beaches, like Baia dos Porcos and theBaia Sueste, there are natural pools formed by water trapped among the reefs; a perfect place to bring children.

Noronha is a great place for water sports. Due to its north-south geographic position, the island presents, at the same time, perfect places for diving, surfing and fishing.
The archipelago is considered by many specialized magazines one of the best places in the world for diving due to the clear and calm waters of the sea, rich and well preserved marine fauna and the innumerous ship-wrecks in the area. The visibility exceeds 40 meters and you can easily see sharks, dolphins, turtles, stingrays and various species of multicolored fishes.

Between November and March, Noronha is also the best place in Brazil for surfing. Surfers from all parts of the world are now discovering the perfect waves of Noronha, nicknamed the Brazilian Hawaii.

The island is the peak of a mountain, part of a volcanic chain which erupted a few million years ago; so, the submarine surface has a steep slope, which allows for a deeper view into the sea waters. The entire island is good for diving, but some spots, like Baia dos Sanchos, concentrate the diving operators.