The Fernando de Noronha volcanic archipelago, belonging to the state of Pernambuco, is one of the main Brazilian tourist destinations, located 354 kilometers off the tip of the Brazilian northeast coast and 427 south of the equator. It consists of 21 islands, extending over an area of 26 square kilometers. Only the main island is inhabited (population 3,100) and it has an area of 18 square kilometers.
The island is characterized by its volcanic peaks and sparsely urbanized beaches, perfect for travelers looking for experiences in contact with nature, such as diving, snorkeling and hiking. In 2001 UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site because of its importance as a feeding ground for tuna, sharks, sea turtles and marine mammals.
Noronha sign at Baia de Santo Antônio
The flight from Recife took an hour and a half on a rather large Embraer twin turboprop with a capacity of 72 passengers. When I arrived I was surprised that the island has its own time zone, one hour ahead of Brazil. I had to pay R$ 405 (R1,300) Island Preservation Tax for 4 days on the island and another R$ 373 (R1,200) for a ticket to enter the Marine Park for diving.
I took a taxi to my “chalet” at Porto Beiramar on the northeastern point of the island. It turned out that it was advertised on Booking.com as a detached chalet with a balcony, a patio, a dining area and dining table, but had none of these and was a very small double room, part of a nondescript house. The kitchenware advertised was a couple of plates with cutlery and a couple of mugs and glasses. The rating they received was 9.5 but I guess that is mostly for the friendliness and helpfulness of the host and not the facilities.
A Pajero that I rented was delivered at the guest house and this gave me the mobility to explore the beautiful island. It rained heavily when I arrived and continued to rain intermittently until I departed the island. Luckily the forecast of rain every day was incorrect and on all the days there were breaks of several hours from the rain with the sun shining briefly through the high clouds.
Luckily scuba diving is not greatly affected by rain and I did 4 dives over the first two days with Águas Claras Dive Centre, departing from the port close to my “chalet”. The dives were different from what I’m used to, with only a few isolated coral patches and seagrass growing on large volcanic boulders, but luckily with abundant sea life. I had good sightings of sea turtles, barracuda, reef sharks, rays, moray eels. crayfish and other tropical reef fish. The surge was quite strong on the first two dives and we were swept in surges over the boulders, making photography a challenge, but I did manage to take a few videos.
Sea cave dive
Moray Eel
Honeycomb Cowfish
Barracuda
Hawksbill sea turtle
As we sailed back to the port on the last dive we were blessed by a a large pod of dolphins playing in the bow wave of the boat.
The price for everything on the island is 2-3 times the mainland prices. For example a shrimp salad and a beer cost me the equivalent of R674 ($36)🤦🏻♂️
On the last full day, my birthday, I drove around the island to explore some the beautiful beaches on the island, most of them lined with pitch black volcanic rocks.
Praia do Bode
Praia do Cachorro
Praia da Cacimba do Padre
North coast of Noronha
Church Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
Interior of the Church Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
Baía do Sancho was chosen by TripAdvisor as the best beach in the world and its waters have a unique emerald green hue. The views of Sanchos beach and the Two Brothers islands from the Marine Park walkway were spectacular.
Baía do Sancho
Two Brothers
The Two Brother from Cacimba Beach
On the hill overlooking the port is a quaint little chapel, the Capela de São Pedro, and is used during the Feast of St. Peter, on June 29, when the procession comes out to make the "Barqueata" (boat trip) in praise of the patron saint of fishermen. Below the chapel are the ruins of the De Santo Antônio Fort, built in 1737 to guard the port.
Capela de São Pedro
Capela de São Pedro
Ruins of the Santo de Antônio Fort
Canons at the Santo de Antônio Fort
Santo de Antônio beach
Overall the island was a pleasure to visit, except for the disappointment with the misleading information about the accommodation and the exuberant prices.
This afternoon I will fly to Natal, a city on the far northeast coast of Brazil where I will stay for three nights and plan to explore the south and north coast of Natal. This must sound weird for South Africans because our Natal south and north coasts are also famous.
This featured blog entry was written by Malan from the blog South America & Antartica.
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