220 miles off the coast of northeast Brazil is a paradise unlike any other – Fernando de Noronha. Until you visit this dreamy island, it is impossible to comprehend the beauty of the pristine beaches, abundant marine life, and striking landscapes awaiting travelers.
I’d never seen the ocean sparkle and shimmer as I did in Fernando de Noronha, and I grew up in South Florida. There’s a reason why Fernando de Noronha’s beaches are routinely voted the most beautiful in the world.
Part of the island’s allure is its exclusiveness. While Fernando de Noronha isn’t a secret, at least not to Brazilians, it’s not easily accessible to the casual traveler.
Executing a successful trip to Fernando de Noronha, also referred to as just Noronha, requires early planning to guarantee one of the hundreds of coveted spots offered daily.
Baía dos Porcos
Limits on Tourism in Noronha
An online search will tell you anywhere from 400 to 800 tourists per day are allowed on Noronha. In 2023, 123,437 tourists visited the island. Slightly down from the nearly 150,000 tourists in 2022 on the heels of the pandemic.
More recently, the question of sustainability and the impact of tourism on the fragile island ecosystem has risen to the forefront.
As of May 2023, Fernando de Noronha is under shared governance by the state of Pernambuco and the federal government. Following this change, new rules limit the number of tourists to 11,000 per month or 132,000 per year (about 366 per day).
This rule will remain in effect until a sustainability study is completed. In addition to the new visitor limit, construction beyond the existing “urbanized” areas is also being reined in for now.
Tourism Fees in Noronha
There are two other hurdles to jump over before your visit besides the island’s limited capacity:
- All visitors must pay an environmental preservation tax, or taxa de preservação ambiental as you will see it in Portuguese, before leaving the airport upon arrival.
- If you plan to visit the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park or Parque Nacional Marinho de Fernando de Noronha, visitors will need to purchase their park entry pass through a Brazilian organization called ICMBio.
It is complicated to navigate the bureaucracy involved in booking a trip to Noronha, especially if you don’t speak Portuguese.
This article details how to pay the tax and purchase a park pass plus everything else travelers need to know about visiting Fernando de Noronha.
Noronha’s Famous Pico do Morro
Where is Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago located 220 miles off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
In total, there are 21 islands and islets that form the archipelago. Fernando de Noronha is the only island with inhabitants and tourism.
What is ICMBio
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) or the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation is charged with the administrative management of 334 specific areas of environmental conservation in Brazil.
It is named after Chico Mendes, who was an environmental activist famous for his defense of the Amazon in Brazil. ICMBio aims to enhance park visitors’ knowledge and experience while protecting the integrity and biodiversity of the natural environments under its management.
Conditions in Noronha are always changing. ICMBio does a good job of keeping tourists informed. Give the ICMBio Noronha Instagram a follow for the most up-to-date information about the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park.
ICMBio also oversees parks like Iguazu Falls and Tijuca National Park in Rio de Janeiro where you’ll find Cristo.
Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park
In Noronha, the conservation park that ICMBio oversees is called Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park. The national park covers 70% of the island. Visitors must purchase a park pass from ICMBio to have access to the incredible beaches, trails, and vistas within the park.
This means, that if visitors do not purchase a park entry ticket, they are limited to only a few beaches and areas on the island. It is still possible to enjoy Noronha without a park pass but you’ve already come all this way, so don’t miss out.
Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park Map (click to expand)
Areas that Require a Park Pass
ICMBio’s website has detailed information on each of these areas to help visitors decide which they would like to visit.
Some of my favorites included: Baía dos Porcos, Praia do Sancho, Praia do Leão, and Baía dos Golfinhos.
Read my blog post Fernando de Noronha: Winner of the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches for more specific details about the island’s amazing beaches!
Beaches:
- Baía do Sueste
- Praia do Leão
- Praia do Sancho
- Baía dos Porcos
- Praia da Caieira
Trails to natural pools/snorkeling:
- Capim Açu* (Guide required)
- Abreu*
- Atalaia*
- Pontinha Caieira* (Guide required)
- Atalaia Pontinha Caieira* (Guide required)
- Morro São José* (Guide required if swimming)
*In addition to a park pass, these attractions require ADVANCE booking with ICMBio. More on scheduling attractions is below!
Viewpoints on the island:
- Baía dos Golfinhos
- Forte São Joaquim do Sueste (Fort)
- Ponta das Caracas
Baía do Sancho
How to Purchase Your ICMBio Park Pass
The easiest way to purchase your ICMBio Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park pass is online. ICMBio has a super helpful website and many of the pages have an English translation option.
The ticket prices in 2024:
Foreigners: R$ 358,00
Brazilians: R$ 179,00
Under 12 years and over 60 years old: FREE
The park pass is valid for 10 days. When you purchase the ticket, you will be required to enter the dates of your trip. If you need to change your trip dates, email ICMBio to request a change.
After purchasing a park pass, you can schedule your desired ICMBio attractions online using the ticket number.
How to Schedule Attractions that Require a Reservation
ICMBio reservations are one of the more complicated aspects of visiting Fernando de Noronha. While frustrating to visitors, the reservation process exists for an important reason – human actions and natural forces pose an extreme threat to many fragile ecosystems on the island.
For this reason, the six attractions listed below require not only a park pass but also a reservation. The number of people permitted per attraction is very limited as are the number of times/hours per day the attraction is open.
- Abreu – 8 to 24 spots
- Atalaia – 10 spots
- Capim Açu – 20 spots**
- Pontinha Caieira – 10 to 20 spots**
- Atalaia Pontinha Caieira – 10 spots**
- Morro São José – 16 hiking spots/10 swimming spots**
The daily number of time slots or operating hours varies from day to day. Sometimes there are zero and other times there might be three, depends on weather conditions and tides.
Attractions can be reserved online (NEW) or in-person at the ICMBio visitor center upon arrival in Noronha.
**Don’t forget that in addition to your park pass and reservation, four of the six attractions listed above ALSO require an ICMBio-approved guide to accompany visitors. ICMBio assists visitors with finding a guide at the Visitor Center too.
Online Attraction Scheduling
In July 2023, ICMBio entered the 21st century and introduced an online scheduling system.
Upon purchasing an ICMBio park pass, visitors can now schedule their preferred attractions in Noronha from the comfort of their homes.
While you cannot access the scheduling system without the park pass ticket number, ICMBio has an “instant availability” webpage that shows the number of reservations available per attraction in real-time.
At the time of writing this post, the “instant availability” page only showed reservations one month in advance. So it’s not totally helpful if you are trying to determine what the current availability is like in 3 months during a specific weekend. But hopefully, ICMBio will continue to improve upon this product because it makes a big difference.
In-Person Attraction Scheduling
Before 2023, all reservations had to be made IN PERSON at the ICMBio Visitor Center in Noronha. Reservations could be made for up to 6 days in advance. If you were staying in Noronha for fewer than 6 days, it was nearly impossible to get a reservation. This antiquated process also took about 2-3 hours of visitors’ precious vacation time.
Luckily today there is an online system. However, I have heard of tourists still struggling to secure reservations online forcing them to rely on the in-person process.
To help anyone in this situation, below is a step-by-step process on how to make a reservation in person if the online system fails.
Step #1: Purchase your ICMBio park pass online before your arrival. Familiarize yourself with the trails and areas where a reservation is required. Then rank your top priorities. If your first pick is sold out before you can reserve, you already know your backup option(s).
Step #2: Arrive at the Visitor Center at least 1 hour before 3:30 pm when ICMBio begins to hand out numbers. This number determines your place in line to make a reservation. If your flight doesn’t arrive until later, you can still go to the Visitor Center until 7 pm to schedule. Or you can return the following afternoon to be one of the first people in line.
Step #3: At 4 pm ICMBio will direct everyone to a small auditorium inside Projeto Tamar, the turtle conservation center located next door. If you can only arrive at 4 pm, go straight to the Projeto Tamar and after the presentation, ICMBio will give you a number. ICMBio will introduce the attractions available for a reservation and any restrictions or closures. This presentation was all done in Portuguese when we were there but a few ICMBio employees spoke English.
Step #4: Following the 30-minute, presentation ICMBio will direct people back to the visitor center and begin calling out numbers. Be prepared for everyone to crowd around the door even if their number isn’t at the top of the order.
Step #5: While waiting for your number to be called, you can check the TV monitors for real-time updates on the number of spots available for each attraction. Once your number is called, you proceed to a self-service kiosk where you make your reservation. The kiosk has an English-language option.
Praia do Leão
Final Thoughts on Reserving Attractions
Time of year and length of trip: There is more competition for reservations during peak travel season on Noronha. Visiting during shoulder seasons like September and April and visiting for more than 6 days increases your chances of reserving the attractions most important to you.
Attractions close sometimes: During our stay, the natural pools at Praia da Atalaia were closed for restoration. This is not uncommon as ICMBio makes daily assessments of fragile areas on the island and retains the right to close them to visitors when necessary.
Tides and weather: The tides during your stay will influence what days and times specific attractions like Morro São José and Praia da Atalaia are available to reserve. When we visited, low tide occurred more frequently at night, limiting the number of times for hikes to Morro São José.
If you cannot obtain the reservation you want, you will still have an unforgettable time in Noronha. The ICMBio reservation-only attractions are only a small part of what Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park and the island offers.
Don’t stress about this aspect of the trip too much. Decide ahead of time what beaches, trails, and activities are most important to your travel experience, and be flexible if it doesn’t go exactly as planned.
How to Pay the Environmental Preservation Tax
The environmental preservation tax, or taxa de preservação ambiental (TPA) as you will see it in Portuguese, must be paid before leaving the Noronha airport. The number of days spent on the island determines the tax amount.
In 2024, the daily tax rate is R$97.16 per day. So if you are staying for 7 days, the total tax cost per person is R$617.93.
The tax can be paid online before you arrive in Noronha or at the airport upon arrival. The online form is only available in Portuguese. We were unable to pay in advance because the system did not accept our foreign credit card. It took about 30 minutes at the airport to pay the tax due to general chaos.
Tax Amount By Number of Days in 2024
How to Get to Fernando de Noronha
The fastest and most direct way to get to Noronha is by airplane. Cruise ships do not go to the island.
Azul Brazilian Airlines offers the most direct flights from the city of Recife to Fernando de Noronha.
In 2023, Voepass Airlines began offering flights from two other cities in Northeast Brazil: Fortaleza and Natal.
If you travel from the United States, Azul Brazilian Airlines and LATAM offer direct flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale, FL to Fortaleza and Recife, Brazil. You could then continue to Noronha with Azul or Voepass.
When to Visit Fernando de Noronha
The weather and temperatures might be the smallest factors when deciding what time of year to visit Fernando de Noronha. Ocean conditions and peak tourism months tend to have a greater impact on a trip to Noronha.
Temperatures and Weather
The island can be thoroughly enjoyed year-round and sees little change between seasons thanks to its proximity to the equator.
All year the island has high temperatures in the 80s and lows in the 70s. Water temps remain stable at around 80 degrees as well.
Noronha has a wet and dry season:
- The dry season (least amount of rain) is from August to January
- The wet season (most amount of rain) is from February to July
Ocean Conditions
Months August through October tend to offer the calmest and clearest waters. If scuba diving or snorkeling is a priority this is a good time to visit.
If you want to surf, the biggest swells arrive between December and March. However, ICMBio will close beaches to swimmers if the swells are too dangerous.
Peak Tourism Months
Summer vacation months in Brazil are December through February. This is also the same time as some of the country’s most important holidays like Christmas, New Year, and Carnival.
Noronha will typically be more crowded and hotels and flights more expensive during this time.
July is also a popular vacation month for families in Brazil when schools have their winter break.
Visiting Noronha in September
One of our main priorities when we traveled to Noronha was to scuba dive. Therefore we visited during September and had near-perfect weather and ocean conditions the entire trip.
Our daily temperature highs were around 82 degrees and lows about 75 degrees. It didn’t rain during our stay and there was relatively low humidity. We couldn’t have dreamed of better weather for our stay.
How Many Days in Noronha
We spent 5 days in Noronha and I consider this the bare minimum. If you want to explore and enjoy more than a couple of the 16 beaches on the island you will need more days.
With 7 days or more, visitors have a better chance of scheduling the ICMBio attractions that matter most to them while having ample time to visit many beaches, hike, snorkel, or scuba dive, and squeeze in a little relaxation time too.
The island is so beautiful, that you will feel like any amount of days just isn’t enough when its time to leave.
Transportation in Noronha
Even though Fernando De Noronha is only 6.2 miles long and 2.2 miles wide, the terrain is such that walking is not always the easiest method of transit on the island.
This was a surprise to me. I thought we would easily be able to walk to and from the little town center and beaches without any strain. Turns out Noronha is actually kind of hilly, especially near a few of the beach entrances.
Many excursions like scuba diving or boat tours include pick up and drop off at your hotel saving you the hassle of getting all the way down to the port.
During our visit, we relied on a mix of walking, taxis and the public bus.
Taxis in Noronha
Don’t expect to call an Uber on Fernando de Noronha.
The Noronha taxi service, Nortax, is the only taxi provider on the island. All drivers follow a predetermined pricing chart so there is no haggling when it comes to the fare.
You can either flag down an empty taxi or call the Nortax service line if you have cell service. The number is +55 (81) 3619-1314.
If you are paying with a debit or credit card, request that the operator send a taxi that accepts cards. To be safe, it’s best to have cash on hand specifically for taxis in Noronha.
We only had trouble securing a taxi one time during our stay. It was after 9 pm by Praia do Meio. We ended up sharing a taxi with another couple who happened to be staying near us. So it worked out in the end but we did wait over 45 minutes and had several dropped calls with Nortax which is never a fun experience while on vacation.
Public Bus in Noronha
BR-363 is the primary paved road that runs almost the length of the island, from the Praia do Porto de Santo Antônio Noronha to Praia do Sueste.
The bus fare is R$5.00 (cash or coins only) and runs every 30 minutes, or so.
We took the public bus from Praia do Porto de Santo Antônio Noronha to our pousada near Projeto Tamar. We just happened to be trying to flag down a taxi when the bus appeared, almost magically, saving us a couple of reais.
Buggy’s in Noronha
If you want to have full control over your transit on the island, the best option is to rent a “buggy”. This is also one of the more expensive transportation options and if you plan on having a few coronas at the beach before driving back to your pousada you’ll want to have a designated driver.
Brazil has a zero-tolerance drinking and driving law. Driving with any amount of alcohol in your system is illegal.
Cell Service and Wifi in Noronha
Be prepared to disconnect. Our cell phone provider is GoogleFi and we barely had 3G service anywhere on the island. The wifi at our Pousada was also dismal. The best wifi we found was surprisingly at the various ICMBio Point of Information and Control (PIC) centers located throughout the island.
Fernando de Noronha is Worth the Hassle
More steps are involved with a trip to Fernando de Noronha than anywhere else in Brazil. But this dreamy island paradise is so worth it!
To quickly summarize the main steps in the process:
- Decide when the best time of year is for you to visit Fernando de Noronha and for how many days (aim for 7!)
- Purchase your flights to Fernando de Noronha – Direct flights from Recife, Natal, and Fortaleza, Brazil
- Purchase your ICMBio Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park pass online
- Using the park pass ticket number, schedule your ICMBio attractions that require reservations online
- Pay the Environmental Preservation Tax online (or pay at the airport upon arrival)
- Schedule any scuba diving or Hawaiian canoe tours
- Have an unforgettable trip to one of the most beautiful and dreamiest places in the world
Ready to go? Remember to read about Noronha’s best beaches before your trip!
Helpful Portuguese vocab words for this article:
- Praia = Beach
- Ilha = Island
- Baía = Bay
- Trilha = Trail
- Golfino = Dolphin
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