I’ve visited a lot of places in this world & seen a lot of things. So I feel somewhat secure when concluding that Fernando de Noronha goes down as one of the most beautiful places on earth.

 

Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands, the largest one of which (only 7 square miles) is the only one inhabited with a population of 5k, located 350km offshore from the NE Brazilian coast. The island is home to the most postcard perfect & largely deserted beaches as well as protected marine life as most of the island falls within the boundaries of the national park. There’s a sea-turtle sanctuary & it’s the world’s best place to see spinner dolphins. It’s known as home to Brazil’s best beaches, diving & surfing. And it’s unforgettable. It’s only been open to tourism since 1988 & it doesn’t overwhelm now as access is limited to 2 small flights a day. No new construction is allowed on its beaches, there are restrictions on vehicles, no condos or hotel chains are allowed, no beach vendors are allowed. So for this reason, pousadas are the only lodging option & there aren’t any pousadas on the beaches. Rather, they’re concentrated in the tiny town center.

 

To enjoy this paradise certainly comes at a cost. They charge you an environmental preservation fee based on the number of days you’re visiting & they also charge you to access the National Park attractions – probably half of the beaches are included as well as any access to the gorgeous aqua-hued sea (i.e. diving).  And generally, prices for everything else are on the expensive side.  

 

For someone who loves to dive, there was no way I was missing out on the best dive spot in Brazil. While I didn’t dive in the Galapagos due to my head & chest cold, the snorkeling was sic & of course that’s my first comparison to Fernando de Noronha.

• The Galapagos is a LOT bigger – much bigger islands & far more inhabitants.
• The Galapagos has been open to tourism for much longer (mid-60s) vs. late 80s for Fernando de Noronha which means the industry & the marketing is far more developed in the Galapagos & far more people visit. There’s a quick blurb in my travel books about Fernando but word of mouth by Brazilians & then subsequent online research is really what propelled me to visit. Fernando felt much smaller to me & very welcoming. There aren’t very many people that live there & by the end of the week, I was constantly running into people I’d met (& some I’d forgotten I’d met) at the pousada, on hikes, at the beaches & at the island’s best dive shop.
• My sense is there’s a lot more cool marine life to see in the Galapagos than Fernando. While in Fernando, I dove with 30+ spinner dolphins (awesome!!!), sharks, rays, turtles & eels, while the Galapagos added to that giant manta rays, hammerheads, sea lions, penguins, giant turtles, marine lizards, etc. Beyond that, I was blessed in the Galapagos to see SCHOOLS of marine life whereas in Fernando, excepting the spinner dolphins, the marine life was usually one-off. Add to that the vast wildlife in the Galapagos, including land lizards, tortoises & all the birds, & there’s no comparison.  
• The marine life in the Galapagos is also very snorkel-friendly. I saw crazy creatures all without diving. No dive I’ve ever done can possibly compare to multiple snorkel trips I enjoyed in the Galapagos. While I had luck when snorkeling in Fernando as I saw sharks, rays & turtles, people I told of this seemed a bit incredulous so I suspect it’s far more rare in Fernando to be able to enjoy the marine life without diving.
• However, Fernando de Noronha takes the prize for beaches. Hands down, no question. It has the most stunning beaches in the lushest of landscapes & the most perfect aqua blue water.

 

So bottom line… I loved them both for different reasons. In the Galapagos, you feel like you’re on a nature tour & it’s constantly paying off in huge dividends. In Fernando de Noronha, it feels like an untouched island paradise accompanied by awesome marine life & feels very small & homey. Which I love. So I’ll return to both. Hopefully sooner than later.