Visit Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha
Find your own piece of paradise in this remote Brazilian archipelago.
Almost 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) away from the busy beaches of Copacabana sits Brazil’s true tropical dreamscape: the 21 islands that make up Fernando de Noronha. Dramatic, almost vertical mountains (think Sugar Loaf in Rio) meet azure, crystalline waters, bordered by dazzling white sand and verdant palm trees. You won’t find the tourist crowds and their coconut cocktails here, either the islands are a Maritime National Park, dutifully protected by Brazilian law.
The islands are actually the summits of submerged mountains, which explains their unusual landscape. But because they are so far away from the South American mainland, these jaw-droppingly beautiful islands have remained largely uninhabited - even today, only about 5,000 people live there. Because of the lack of human activity, all kinds of plants and animals have been able to thrive in the island's climate and rich ecosystem. If you're a budding David Attenborough, you'll be able to identify sea turtles, whales, albatrosses and many more, some of which are totally unique to the area.
In fact, Charles Darwin himself stopped at the islands during his famous Beagle voyage, and was astonished by what he found. “The whole island is one forest and this is so thickly intertwined that it requires great exertion to crawl along. The scenery was very beautiful, and large magnolias and trees covered with delicate flowers ought to have satisfied me.”
Nearly 200 years later, the natural beauty that so entranced Darwin is still to be found on the islands today. Immerse your senses in the islands’ jungle, and always be on the lookout for exotic animals and plants you may find along the way.
Or, head out onto one of many perfect praias (beaches), such as Sancho or Conceição, and discover the marine life swimming about in the shallows - if you don your snorkel, you're sure to see a rainbow of fish and plants. Go deeper with a dive tour of the islands, and you might be lucky enough to get close to rare dolphins and turtles. You shouldn't even need a diving suit - the waters are warm, and visibility can reach as far as 50 metres (164 feet).
If you’d prefer to simply sit back and soak up the tranquillity, you’ll find there’s plenty of space on the sand for your towel and suncream. Because tourist numbers are heavily limited to preserve the fragile ecosystem, people are few and far between it’ll be like your own desert island retreat.
Getting to Fernando de Noronha is an adventure all by itself, so it’s only for the intrepid! Tourist numbers are limited to just 500 people per day, so you need to do your research to find out how you can become one of these lucky few. You’ll have to fly from the cities of Recife or Natal, and while Noronha’s hotels are stunning, they are expensive. It’s also worth mentioning that tourists have to pay a daily tax to be on the island (about £11/$15 per day), as well as a tax to enter the national park (roughly £30/$40 daily) so the costs can mount up.
However, if visiting this dream destination is top of your list, then money won’t matter when you’re walking barefoot on the sand, free to act like no one else is around you because they really aren’t.