The Island of Fernando de Noronha

[carioca1232001]

Off the north-eastern coast of Brazil, some 600 km into the Atlantic, and there it is.

A 50 minute jet-airplane ride from the north-east´s major city, Recife (Portuguese for Reef !),gets you there.

http://carioca.zoto.com/img/45/edc60037617a7b8611bea43a9778827f-.jpg

I took a package trip a week before XMas with my family and was taken aback by the sheer (unspoilt) beauty of the place, specially the beaches and coves.

http://carioca.zoto.com/img/45/ad872b9185499deea968dd293f6a9416-.jpg

http://carioca.zoto.com/img/45/f77773b0da3cd53a81af94fed72114dd-.jpg

http://carioca.zoto.com/img/45/ebd5a6c563645eadb703b37cbf5b236d-.jpg

The island is´presently suffering from a bout of serious drought - it has not rained for 8 months (climate change ?) - so the guest-house owners exhort tourists to use water sparingly. Due to the same reason, the vegetation on the island is badly parched and we were told that it is usually quite green and colourful.

http://carioca.zoto.com/img/45/eff06d673c52a8e44264ff479b49f358-.jpg

One needs to wade no more than 20-30 feet into the ocean from the beachfront to see some of the most exquisite looking coloured fish on this planet !

Also a lot of octopusses and........ some turtles,if you please. There is a bay which is packed with dolphins, though out of bounds for swimmers and access is only via a tour-boat.

http://carioca.zoto.com/img/45/432e0fdc6cc853eb58a933927454b119-.jpg

http://carioca.zoto.com/img/45/c5b24a1d8b1875f3569e96b98e70613b-.jpg

The bar/restaurant infrastructure is not too good, specially at the beaches and we were told there is a reason for this - the Brazilian Wildlife Conservation Authority wants to keep the island unspoilt for as long as they can.

However, one beach location has a simple restaurant where we ate grilled Barracuda, wrapped up in banana leaves and flavoured with no more than salt + finest olive-oil. Probably the finest - and by far, the CHEAPEST - meal we ever had !

If you are interested, there are flights from the major Brazilian cities but you have to change planes at Recife.

Alternatively, a Caribbean cruise-line operator has just started offering a 6-day package on the PACIFIC from Recife to the island (36 hours stay) and which also includes the city of Natal, all for US$400,00, which is MUCH CHEAPER than taking a plane from Rio and staying at a guest house (150US$ per night, dbl rm with breakfast)

http://carioca.zoto.com/img/45/da3437c3639475a6514eb6720fb1de00-.jpg

[ 12-30-2005, 08:22 AM: Message edited by: carioca1232001 ]

[Gerald]

Thanks for the pictures. I had always wondered what that place looked like. I have seen a number of pictures from freighters but nothing like your pictures. Between hurricane seasons I will be sailing north, to buy boat parts, and after seeing the pictures will be sure to spend some time there.
Thanks
Gerald

[carioca1232001]

Gerald,
Most boaters that travel north-east from Rio usually break journey on Fernando de Noronha.

I would definitely recommend it, probably the only unspoilt place in this vast country.

However, be prepared for basics.

But for those who need luxury, there is a 5-star guest-house at US$500/day/per person, including breakfast only, that is run by Luciano Huck and one of Abílio Diniz´s sons. ;)

[Alan D. Hyde]

A great post, Carioca.

Thank you.

Alan

[carioca1232001]

You´re welcome, Alan.

Perhaps I should offer some clarifications for prospective visitors:

The return airfare from Rio is around US$1000,00 which is ridiculously high, considering that a return ticket to Recife is around US$400,00 max (and New York, US$900,00) ;)

I haven´t looked into the return fare between Recife-Island - just a 50 minute flight - but as it is currently a VARIG airlines near monopoly , this leg is probably blown out of all proportion.

Which makes a case for the recently inaugurated cruise-line alternative, specially if you are travelling with your family, because two full days is plenty to see the island (17 square kilometres).

On the cruise-line, the third person travels FREE so a 4-member family pays US$1200,00 with full boarding and lodging for 6 days, including a stop in the city of Natal.

You may find the following site interesting to browse through - in ENGLISH, yes:

Fernando de Noronha Island (http://www.noronha.pe.gov.br/eng/ctudo-tourism-intro.asp)

[John B]

Hi Carioca. Thanks for the post, Those first few shots look as though they could be anywhere on the NZ coastline!

[carioca1232001]

John B,

Yes, yours must be a most beautiful - and well conserved - country.

I have heard a lot about it, and hopefully, I hope to visit that haven someday.

Happy New Year !

Carioca

[JamesCaird]

Ah, Yes, Fernando de Naronha: I stopped by there one time travelling North past the "corner" of Brazil enroute to Grenada. We had heard tales of this beautiful and unspoiled place with the lovely coves and the dolphins who would swim with you. We went out of our way to stop. Within VHF range I asked for permission to anchor and it was granted. The place was beautiful but was very difficult beaucratically.
When it came time for us to leave a day later, we were denied outward clearance by authorities in Recife (Navy). We had not done anything illegal (honest) but we could get no explaination for being detained. I had to give the "Navy" inspectors a ride out to our vessel as they had no boat! I had to loan them film so they could take photographs! Meanwhile, a Dutch sailing vessel just in from Cape Verde wanted to stay but were denied because they had not previous "permission".
Anyway-there was some difficulty-I ultimately had to get US Gov. to intervene on my behalf via US Embassy in Brazilia. Never did get an explanation but were released. Otherwise could be very beautiful. Cheers and Best Wishes for the New Year/JC

[carioca1232001]

James Caird, I am sorry to hear about the mess they got you into.

The governmental bureaucracy in Brazil is the anti-thesis of the legendary hospitality and good will shown to persons from afar. :mad:

In this regard, our Yachting and Sailing Boat Associations are pressuring the Brazilian Maritime Authorities - which of course includes the Navy - to simplify the paper-work necessary for persons to stop by at our ports when travelling along our coast-line.

The rigmarole that foreign sailing vessels and crews are put through is in the very least bad for business, and the consequences could be far reaching if other countries started retaliating on a quid-pro-quo basis. :rolleyes:

That said, all access to Fernando de Noronha is strictly controlled by the Brazilian Institute for Administration of the Environmrent (IBAMA). This bureaucratic monster seems to be doing a good job on the island, although it is said that most of the guest-houses have a native-born islander as official proprietor (a mandatory requirement), with the bureaucrats behind ths scenes reaping in the profits.

All the more reason to keep visitors at bay, both Brazilian and foreign, considering that the tourist business to F de N currently operates with packed houses ;)

Happy New Year and my apologies for the humbug.