"Archipelago o ..." a Ilha de Fernando de Noronha Travel Page by Quero

Fernando de Noronha is bathed by what the locals call the Inner Sea (Mar de Dentro) to the northwest facing the South American continent, and the Outer Sea (Mar de Fora) to the southeast facing the African continent. From the beach, the Outer Sea is characteristically deep blue, while the waters of the Inner Sea appear turquoise green.

The archipelago sits about 200 miles off the easternmost tip of South America, at 3 degrees south of the equator.

The air and water temperatures average 27 and 24 degrees C respectively, year round.

The islands and surrounding waters are protected parkland and nature preserves. Limits are imposed on the number of visitors allowed in the archipelago at any one time (about 400), and an ecological preservation tax is levied on every non-resident based on the length of the stay (it gets more expensive the longer you remain on the island).

The marine life is strictly protected with research programs for the various sea turtle species and for the spinner dolphin colonies who call the islands home.

Refuse is sorted at the point of collection for composting or for shipment off the island. Even isolated beaches accessible only by hiking paths have bins for sorting trash.