Fernando de Noronha is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places to visit in Brazil. It’s been featured in various famous world travel magazines. It is an ecological sanctuary and it is protected by IBAMA as a National Marine Park.
It is an archipelago that belongs to the State of Pernambuco that occupies an area of 17km2 and has 21 island and islets although only Fernando de Noranha is inhabited and its population is approximately 3,000 inhabitants.
There are many ways to explore its attractions: by boat, by jeep or buggy, or simply on foot. It is ideal for those who enjoy a good walk, snorkeling, diving, take great photography or simply relaxing, enjoying silence and peace with the sound of the ocean and its natural beauty as a gift for your eyes.
Dolphins, sea turtles, stingrays and even sharks made this place their home and a huge variety of colorful fish that can be seen swimming in the clear warm waters.
I’m all for nature and as an animal lover, to see the Dolphins and other animals in their habitat is something that is priceless to me. The amount of Dolphins you can see playing around, jumping and spinning in the air in the Dolphin’s bay is unbelievable. Precious!
From December to June or July is the time when sea turtles go there and to other beaches, to rest or to make their nest and place their eggs. Unfortunately among other factors, natural predators are a big problem as the birds take advantage of the opening of the nest and they catch little turtles before they can make their way to the water when their nest is opened. Thanks to the great work of Project TAMAR, many of the little turtles are able win this battle and survive. Visitors can make arrangements with them to go see when they open the nests. It’s a great experience for adults and kids and they learn about the importance of protecting the species and environment. Kids get very excited and perhaps a new future Marine Biologist will come up from the experience! For more information about visitation to this great project check out their website http://www.tamar.org.br/base_ing.php?cod=20.
The access to Fernando de Noronha is made exclusively by the cities of Recife, capital of Pernambuco and Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte. So if you are visiting other cities, be aware that you will have to take a connection flight in one of these two cities.
By the way if you will be in Recife or Natal anyway for the connection flight, I suggest you to take a couple of days to visit the city. Natal and Recife are great places to visit as well. Natal has beautiful white dunes that end in the beaches and you can rent a buggy and explore the area and have lots of fun. Recife is a great option too, with its beautiful beaches, some really famous that drowns tourist from all over the world. So do your research and decide for yourself.
Oh, and if you are going to the World Cup to watch the games in these two cities, it will be another great opportunity for you to go and visit Fernando de Noronha.
The visits in Noronha are controlled and you pay an environment tax at the airport on your arrival, so be prepared for that.
For me the best time of the year to go is September, October and November as it is low season, it doesn't rain and the visibility of the sea is 50 meters.
I have a friend who says: “I pay more but I don’t give up on comfort”.
So every time I travel I think of her and her “quote” or when I talk to another friend about travelling, we always joke and say her quote, as we both know her.
The same is valid for the other group of travelers who, like another friend of mine would say and I quote “you will stay all day out and go back only to sleep, so why pay more?” He has a point too.
Whatever your choice is, I’m absolutely sure you will love Noronha!
The prices of the Pousadas varies and some are simpler than others and there are a few options that are more expensive and of course offers the luxury you are looking for and it is up to you to decide whether you want to treat yourself with a five star accommodation or prefer to stay in a more modest one. It will depend on your budget. Everybody can visit and be happy in Noronha!


And every Wednesday and Saturday from 8pm there is the famous Ze Maria Gastronomic Festival where it is served a rich banquet with dozens of dishes to please all palates, especially the paella, various fish, shrimp and other seafood, in addition to bread flour, jack-fruit rice, meat, pasta, salads and Japanese food, with fresh fish. Then there are the marvelous desserts, including pies, cakes, mousses, fruit salads and other options.
They suggest to book in advance by phone +55(81) 3619-1258 or by email.
Check them out on Facebook and Twitter and see for yourself. Visit their website too!
https://www.facebook.com/PousadaZeMariaNoronha /
https://twitter.com/pousadazemaria
Their website here: http://www.pousadazemaria.com.br/index-en.php
When to go: Dry/high season (from September up to March) and rainy/low season (from April up to August)