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The main dive sites in Fernando de Noronha include: the Ship in the Port, Morro de For a, the Rock at Dos Irmaos, the famous Corvette V 17, Sapata Rock, Sapata Point, the Shop at Leao, Luias, the Submarine at Cabeco, Frade Island, Pedras Secas, Pontal do Norte, Buraco do Inferno, Cagarras, Ressureta and do Meio Island. But it is hard to see them all as you never know which site will be dived next so there is no way you can avoid visiting a site twice within a limited time frame. Not too big a problem as all dives are all great and worth exploring more than once.

Corvette V17
For all of you wreck and deep diver fanatics out there, don't miss out on diving the Corvette V17. In 1983 the Brazilian Navy Corvette V17 struck the rocks within the marine reserve of Fernando de Noronha. It now rests upright and intact on a 62 meter seabed with its deck reachable at 53 meters. This is the star wreck dive in South America. All operators will require you to be experienced (+60 logged dives) and you will have to dive with them for a couple of days (no matter what level you're at) so they can monitor your dive level and air consumption before they'll take you on this deco dive. You might want to think twice before considering this dive as 60 meters is very deep a dive to do on a single tank of air. They do provide hang tanks for decompression but still. Read more here >>

You can easily spend a couple of weeks, or even a month, diving around Fernando de Noronha and have a great time. Brazilians are fabulous people; friendly, fun loving, healthy and good looking and extremely proud of their paradise and rightly so. According to Brazilians "God created Fernando de Noronha" and you start to believe it after only a few days...




Accommodation on the island ranges from simple rooms at one of the many family run pousadas (bed and breakfast places) spread all over the island to a luxury apartment at the lovely Pousada Ze Maria. This pousada also offers an excellent buffet of regional Brazilian dishes twice a week (reservations necessary) that is not to be missed. It is a great way to mingle with the locals as well as interesting visitors and enjoy the music and delicious food. Top accommodation for honeymooners or people that don't have to watch their budget can be found at Pousada Maravilha. If you are looking for something more affordable, you can just arrive on the island, rent a beach buggy and have a look around at a number of rooms until you find the one you like.

Beware that Fernando is primarily a destination for high heeled Brazilians and is priced accordingly. Expect to dig much deeper into your pocket than you would on the mainland and consider shelling out much more to assure you get a comfortable and clean room. If you are staying at the family run accommodations, make sure you bring plenty of cash as credit cards won't be accepted. There is an ATM machine at the airport but don't count on it always working so fill your wallet on the main land.

For daily lunch the local "kilo" (pay per weight) restaurant is your best option, it seems to be the place everybody goes to. The menu is always the same but healthy and filling. It is also next door to the only internet cafe (offering good coffee) on the island. Otherwise food can be had at one of the many beach cafes. This food tends to be of the simple snack variety. Don't miss the daily gathering to watch the spectacular sunset at Concencaio beach. Have a local beer and try some of the Brazilian snacks along with everyone else. We had a blast!

Fernando de Noronha has a tropical climate, with a marked dry season and a strong oceanic influence, shown by the small variation in annual temperatures. The rainy season runs from February to July with the most intense from March till May. From August to January is the dry season.

The average temperature is very pleasant and hovers around 25 C, with an average maximum of 31 C and minimum 18 C. The winds make the climate on the islands feel less hot.

The best dive conditions are usually between November and July but every dive greatly depends on daily ocean conditions.

Fernando de Noronha can be reached by plane from Recife or Natal on the mainland and is an hour ahead in time from Brasilia (the capital of Brazil). Varig and Tam both have daily flights which take around an hour. There are direct flights from Rio de Janeiro as well as Sao Paulo to Recife.

Arrival procedures are very much like on the Galapagos Islands. All visitors have to "check in" and are taxed based on the number of days of stay upon arrival at the airport. This fee can be easily paid by credit card and you will receive a refund upon departure if your stay turns out to be shorter than initially intended. This tax is to assure the maintenance of the environmental and ecological conditions of the archipelago. They'll also give you an excellent map to explore the island.

It's easy to get around. The main village and any pousada on the island are only a short taxi beach buggy away. There is also a regular cheap bus that loops from one side of the island to the other via the airport.



Fernando de Noronha >>

Noronha.com >>

IBAMA >>

Discoverbrasil.com/fernando >>

Destination Brazil >>

Naufragios do Brasil (Brazilian dive site and operator info, in Portugese only) >>