European explorers first came here in 1503, and after a struggle between various powers, with the Dutch running the show from 1700 to 1736, the islands ended up under the control of the Portuguese in 1737. Lisbon considered the archipelago strategically important enough to build the Forte dos Remédios, of which only some remains can now be seen.
In recent years, the archipelago has become well known as an ecotourism destination. Most of it has been protected as a marine national park since 1988, helping preserve the ecological wonders made possible by the islands’ isolation from the rest of Brazil. The vegetation is fairly typical northeastern agreste, but the wildlife is magnificent: birdwatchers will find an impressive variety of seabirds, and few sights are more memorable than thousands of dolphins entering the bay between 5am and 6am, viewed from the harbour. For 9-day Brazil trips with a strong nature focus, the archipelago easily justifies several unhurried days.
The main island, Ilha de Fernando de Noronha, shelters plenty of stunning beaches. The water can sometimes be turbulent and not perfectly clear, but it is a fairly constant and very comfortable 28°C. The best beaches are probably Praia da Atalaia and Cacimba do Padre, and at Mirante dos Golfinhos you can watch dolphins leaping over the waves. A number of ecological trails allow good birdwatching, and several companies specialize in scuba-diving courses and trips, including Aguas Claras, Atlantis and Noronha Divers. Various companies also offer boat trips around the archipelago, departing from the ports at the northeastern tip of the island and from the Bahia dos Golfinhos at the island’s southern end. Boat trips from the latter leave most days.
