Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km. off the brasilian coastal state of Pernambuco, in the Nordeste.
You reach the island both from Recife and Natal in about 2 hours flight; local time is one hour later than Brasilian Standard Time. The entire archipelago was declared Parque Nacional Marinho in 1988 in order to preserve its natural beauties: wonderful desert clean beaches, two species of marine turtles and one of the largest colonies of dolphins in the world.
For once the environmental aim has turned good intentions into real facts! The IBAMA (Brasilian Institute for the Environment and Natural Resources) has both forbidden the access to some beaches (f.i. the wonderful Praia do Leao), which are the breeding area for marine turtles, and limited the number of visitors to others, like Praia de Atalaia, where maximum 100 tourists per day are admitted.
The IBAMA has created Projeto TAMAR (TArtaruga MARinha), a non profit foundation aimed to stop this wonderful creatures' extinction; they meet at the Gymnasium (airport neighbourhood) to discuss about the island ecosystem. These lectures take place every evening in order to inform and touch the tourists.
Moreover, trying to reduce the pollution impact due to the visitors flow on the island, the Government has fixed an Environmental Preservation Tax of 24 Rs (about 7 E) at the arrival, which progressively increases with the length of the stay, consequently limiting the number of entries.
Actually, since some time ago, arrivals were limited according to the means of accommodation, basically the residences of the inhabitants (there is only one very expensive hotel in Fernando de Noronha). The number of Pousadas on the island is increasing more and more, so the visitor arriving without a reservation can easily find a sleeping arrangement enquiring at the airport info desk or simply asking a taxi driver.
European summer is a good period for spending a week in Fernando de Noronha, even if til mid july there is the real risk of getting a couple of windy and rainy days, which anyway will turn into sun and still warm water!
Besides the mergulho autonomo, scuba diving with gear (with Noronha Divers 195 Rs - 54 E for 2 tanks, full equipment and one photo), the main activity is the mergulho livre, skin diving, which offers the opportunity of snorkelling with turtles and sting rays in the Baia do Sueste, and with green moray eels in the Baia do Sancho, this last one known as the most beautiful beach in Brazil.
If you want to deeply enjoy this charming island don't miss the passeio de barco: for 60 Rs (roughly 17 E) you will ride along the whole coast of the mare de dentro in about 4 hours, stopping for a swim; you will meet great groups of dolphins, coming regularly on the prow of the boats, jumping and spinning around.
In the evening after 10 p.m. everybody meet at the Bar do Cachorro, where you can dance forrò music and drink Skol beer or caipirinha, the national drink cachaça-, sugar-, lemon- and ice-based.
Walking across the island is ecological, but distances -though short- are pretty rough; those who are lazy can try the island bus service, which is expensive (2,5 Rs), as well as everything on Fernando de Noronha; otherwise a buggy rental will cost about 80 Rs a day (23 E): this could be pleasent to experience, but certainly not useful. The cheapest choice available is hitchhiking.
We advise to take some cash with you, as the only bank has no foreign currency change, and shopkeepers who do normally apply a very disadvantageous rate. The best to do, as usual, is withdrawing some cash from the airport automatic counter.
Accommodation: Vila dos Remedios offers the cheapest sleeping arrangements, while you find the more expensive ones at Floresta Nova. We advise the Pousada Paraiso do Atlantico, run by Hugo at Vila do Trinta, which offers either rooms inside the house or an external lone one, which is really nice.
Off season the price for a casado (a room with double bed) is about 150 Rs (42 E) including the cafè da manha.
Food and restaurants: in the day everybody has lunch at the Flamboyant at Vila do Trinta, a restaurant offering buffet por quilo (customers weigh the course and they pay by weight whatever the food may be); in the evening one can choose between Trattoria di Morena, preparing excellent italian food (we suggest to taste the massa com bacalhau, italian pennette rigate with dried salted cod sauce) and Restaurante do Nascimento, offering a great peixada (stew fish with vegetables) for an average price of 80 Rs per couple (22 E). Remember that in Brazil restaurants use to serve meals for two.