On the road to paradise...? (Fernando de Noronha (Brazil))

Member Name: mouette

Product:	Fernando de Noronha (Brazil)
Date:	22/09/08 (572 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Unspoilt, uncrowded and beautiful

Disadvantages: Expensive and average accommodation and food

Before reaching Fernando de Noronha we'd mentioned it was one of our planned destinations to Brazilians we met and invariably they would sigh, and remark on how beautiful it was - paradise even... such wonderful beaches. Now, if asked I would not describe myself as a beach person, but then the beaches on Fernando do Noronha are not just like any beaches.

If you are going to Brazil and want to treat yourself, or are just looking for a destination that is a little bit special then this could be the place.

The island is small. If you are energetic, or training for a marathon, you'd easily cover all the roads. About 6 miles long and 2 wide it has no towns as such, just the small villages of Vila dos Remedios, Bosque de Flamboyant, Vila do Trinta, Floresta Velha and Floresta Nova, and then the odd pousada elsewhere. Beach buggies outnumber cars.

You won't be coming to Fernando for culture. It is all about the sea and the beaches. The water is amazing - crystal clear in aquamarine colours, the most beautiful beaches, quite possibly anywhere. There are 26 in all, and we got to see a good many of them.

We had booked ahead for 3 nights and 4 days, and were keen to make as much of the island as possible. With two full days, we chose a boat trip on one day and a buggy tour the next. These are very popular as due to park restrictions is not easy to see a lot of the island on your own (though you can see most of the best beaches).

The boat trip, which costs about R$85 a person, lasts for three hours and takes in a few of the uninhabited islands as well as the north coast line. I recommend it as it gives you a different perspective of the island. The boat took us to Baia do Sancho, and on the way we saw turtles, fish and dolphins, and lovely deserted beaches. Stopping at the bay (another gem of a beach) we had a snorkelling stop where we swam over the coral and among the fish. The coral itself was not as beautiful as you can find elsewhere (Ras Mohammed in Egypt for example) but the variety and colour of the fish and the wonderfully clear water had everyone buzzing afterwards.

The second day we did a day's Island Tour (cost approx R$80 pp) which took us to Praia do Sueste to swim with turtles. We had to wear life jackets as (I guess) it was on the rougher south coast, which had the unexpected result of making me feel seasick after about an hour in the water. Still, we did swim with one or two turtles, which was the main aim. As interesting were large numbers of crabs leaving the water and climbing up small cliffs. For the rest of the day we visited a number of different beaches for snorkelling; the harbour for investigating a sunken ship, (supposedly Greek but I have no idea why a Greek ship would have been there); visited the shark museum (there are 5 different sharks occupying local waters, but fortunately they have no record of showing interest in humans. Must the island vibe, as off the coast of Recife the same sharks are not so fussy!); and finished walking along the cliff tops and watching the sun set while drinking beer.

We were limited in time but if you have it to spare, you can walk to many of the best beaches in a day. Starting from Vila dos Remedios you can walk down to Cachorro beach and then head west to Meio (where there is a beach front restaurant that we found expensive with very limited light meals) and onto Conceicao which is perhaps the island's most beautiful beach, nestling under the Morro do Pico, a volcanic rock that you can see from most parts of the island. This is as far as we walked, though you can carry on all the way to the Baia dos Porcos. We covered the beaches in between during the buggy trip.

Other activities available include kayaking, surfing, and scuba diving, all bookable on the island with one of the many operators that will meet you at the airport, or in advance.

Most people on the island earn their money through tourism, so if they are not providing activities they have turned their home into a pousada or simple eatery.

We stayed in a very basic pousada that we booked a long time in advance via an American tour operator. Called Tartarugas Marinhas (sea turtles) it was a private house with three rooms turned over for tourists. It was comfortable enough but lacked anywhere nice to sit outside. In hindsight we might have spent a bit more on somewhere a little bit nicer but with 4 weeks to budget for in Brazil we economised on accommodation here.

There is a good range of basic pousadas though none are cheap (over priced even) and only a few have a touch of luxury. Over 100 in total they are graded according to standards. If going on a honeymoon or another special occasion Pousada Maravilha and Pousada Ze Maria are the best, though the latter has a better location. Details of accommodation and food can be found on the Island web site detailed at the end of this review.

The food standards we experienced were fairly average, and there isn't a huge choice. Also we didn't want to walk too far from our Pousada. We ate at a per kilo restaurant (which are all over Brazil -you pay by weight of food you eat) in Bosque de Flamboyant called imaginatively Flamboyant (food was good, but my wife suffered with a bad stomach the next day); a soup and pastel bar in Flamboyant that was very simple but tasty (soup was all my wife could tolerate after the last place); a set priced buffet called Restuarante do Biu (food good, though I guess less good when it has sat for a while) and a Creperie called Arte and Sabor (tasty and unusual - recommended), both in Floresta Nova.

Shopping is not something you would come to the island for, but if you need to you can buy clothes, food and diving equipment. There is also a post office and bank, though I recommend you take the cash you need. You don't need to worry about having anything stolen as the island is probably one of the safest places in Brazil.

We walked everywhere but if your feet need a rest there are numerous taxis (beach buggies) and buses that run from Vila dos Romedios to the harbour, and to the airport. You can also hire buggies for around R$100 a day.

Seeing as there is no culture on Fernando do Norohna I'll finish with a very brief bit of history.

Fernando do Norohna is an archipelago consisting of 21 islands, although only one is inhabited. The English, French and Dutch all had a go at occupying it before the Portuguese finally got control of it in the mid 1700's. Like so many islands it was used as a prison, though one thing they can't have complained about was their surroundings. It used to be covered in trees but it seems prisoners were adept at making rafts, so they had to come down.

In 1988, a national park was created covering 70% of the archipelago and a third of the island. It has a population of around 2,500 people and there are restrictions on who can live on the island and on who can own businesses.

How to Get There
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We flew to the Island from Recife, courtesy of Varig for US$375 per person, which was £187 back in August. There are also daily flights available with Trip from Recife and Natal. You can get to Recife and Natal on a variety of European airlines.

Forewarned by our guidebook we'd got seats on the left side of the plane, and we were rewarded with a wonderful view of the islands and beaches.

Useful Bits and Pieces
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On arrival you have to pay a tourist tax based on the number of days you stay. We stayed for 3 nights and had to pay R$99.29 per person. For the first 4 days the rate is R$33.09, then it reduces slightly.

Visit Fernando do Norohna's web page at http://www.noronha.com.br/english/tourism.htm for more information.

We pre-booked our trip which without flights cost US$1000 in total for three nights B&B and the 2 tours. You can easily do it yourself, just turning up and booking accommodation on arrival though be aware it can fill up at busy times.

The Brazilian currency is the Real ($R). At the time of writing you get 3.35 to the pound.

UK Residents do not need a visa to visit Brazil.


In Summary
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Fernando do Noronha is worth visiting. It is an undeveloped and beautiful place with gorgeous deserted beaches. Certainly the best I have ever seen. However it is expensive and accommodation and food is mostly average at prices which would buy you luxury on the mainland. A place to chill, not party.

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Thanks for reading.

Summary: On the road to paradise...but not quite there