Travel to Fernando De Noronha. Answers to Questions You Didn’t Even Know You Had.
Travel to Fernando de Noronha (No-ron-ya). How many of you saw this title and thought, “Where the eff is that?” One of Brazil’s best kept secrets, most people have never heard of this place. In fact, the explanation I often had to give my co-workers was, “It’s the Galapagos Islands of Brazil.” So, let’s talk about Fernando de Noronha by answering the following questions that you didn’t even know you should be asking.
- Where is Fernando de Noronha?
- Why should you travel to Fernando de Noronha?
- How do you get there?
- What is the environmental tax and how do you pay it?
Where is Fernando de Noronha?
Fernando de Noronha is a 21 island archipelago off the Northeast coast of Brazil. Further, the island is an UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the seabirds that roost on the islands and the marine life in the surrounding waters. The main island is the only island that has people and infrastructure, and due to the island’s tropical climate, it is always warm. There is a rainy season and a dry season, and the dry season is July through December. The dry season is also the most expensive time to visit the island. The main island is about 7 square miles large and is navigated by one main road and several dirt roads.
Why should you travel to Fernando de Noronha?
Now, let’s get to the good stuff. After some googling, you will likely find images of blue waters and picturesque rocks. Have we talked about whether I’m a beach person or mountain person? Though I love the mountains, I am a beach person all day. Fernando de Noronha is this amazing paradise and has some of the most beautiful beaches of Brazil. Furthermore, the island is also home to some incredible marine life, including fish, sharks, turtles and one of the largest colonies of spinner dolphins in the world, making it an ideal location for snorkeling and scuba diving. And lush tropical trails make for good hiking with a guide.
You can listen to more about Fernando de Noronha on my recent interview on the Amateur Traveler Podcast!
Travel to Fernando de Noronha, Brazil – Episode 733Travel Tip: If you have an under water camera or go pro, you won’t want to forget it. The waters of Fernando de Noronha are super clean and crystal clear. Don’t be like me, I forgot my GoPro… 🙁
I also consider Fernando de Noronha a sort of, “Brazil lite.” There are several constraints on visiting the island because of its environmental protections. Only 560 people are allowed on the island a day, and everyone must pay a daily environmental tax. There are also only 2 – 3 flights a day, which make the flights expensive, and cost of living is probably quadruple what it is in the rest of North and Northeast Brazil. All these factors make Fernando de Noronha a playground for the famous and wealthy of Brazil. So, even though you will be paying prices similar to the U.S. (Caipirinhas are R$ 40 or $10!), the island is also very safe and several people speak enough English to help you get around. Therefore, if you have ever been nervous about visiting Brazil due to safety or language, Fernando de Noronha is a good introduction to the country.
Travel Tip: You will always be better off by learning some basics of the language and even Fernando de Noronha still has the same plumbing issues as any other Latin American country.
How do you get there?
So, are you interested yet? Have a burning desire to go? Already added it to your bucket list? Join the club. Fernando de Noronha had been on my bucket list for so long that I wept with joy when I finally laid eyes upon the famous “Two Brothers (Dois Irmãos)” rocks. But, getting there takes planning. Due to the tourist population restrictions, a hotel or pousada should be booked 4 to 6 months in advance. By making a hotel reservation, you guarantee yourself a spot on the island. When you go to pay the environmental tax, the first questions they ask you is where you are staying and for how long.
Also, there are no direct flights to the island. You will likely need to connect through Recife or Natal. Because there are no direct flights from Atlanta to these two cities, we also had to connect through Ft. Lauderdale (my husband’s favorite airport in the world – just kidding, he hates it LOL). Flights should be the second thing you book, but due to the tourism controls there is usually a fair amount of room on the flight. Further, wifi is spotty on Fernando de Noronha, credit cards don’t always work, so get cash from the ATM at the airport!
Travel Tip: Because I had never been to Recife before, I was really worried that the ATMs would be out of money. So I pre-exchanged money in the U.S. prior to leaving at a much smaller exchange rate. Recife is a huge modern airport with a whole bank of ATMs. Just wait until you get there to take out Brazilian currency.
What is the environmental tax and how do you pay it?
As you have heard me mention, the environmental tax is the first huge chunk that gets taken out of your budget when visiting this wonderful island. The environmental tax was the most confusing part for me. There is an option to pay it early online, but I wasn’t sure if this was a requirement. Also, the website was not user friendly and often crashed. Further, I couldn’t figure out if there was only one tax, or two taxes. So let’s clarify.
Because booking a hotel guarantees you a spot on Fernando de Noronha, you DO NOT need to go online and pre-pay the environmental tax. If you do decide to pre-pay, all it lets you do is skip the line for your paperwork at the airport. Otherwise, you just wait until you get the airport, fill out the paperwork, and pay the tax. We waited and paid the tax at the airport, and the whole process took maybe 30 minutes. We were 4 traveling for a total of 4 nights, which was R$ 1,176 or about $317.60! Yikes, I know!
Travel Tip: My credit card definitely worked at the airport, they are going to give you plenty of options to pay this tax.
70 percent of the main island, including the best beaches, is part of a national marine park. So you do have to pay a second park fee to have access to these beaches and trails. This fee is administered by the ICMBio which you will want to pay and obtain the passes as soon as you’ve finished checking into your hotel. They definitely check the passes, so there’s no getting around this rule. All these taxes and fees are used for environmental conservation. They are 100% worth paying as Fernando de Noronha is one of the cleanest places in Brazil.
Travel Tip: Fernando de Noronha is really not for anyone with mobility issues. Several of the beaches are difficult to get to and require the ability to climb down ladders in tight places and the ability to climb over rocks.
I hope this post resonated with you and convinced you to travel to Fernando de Noronha! With the scaled down tourism and development, it really is one of the world’s jewels.
This post will be one in a series talking more about this magical place! Follow-along on instagram for more information!
