Ilha de Fernando de Noronha Travel Forum

Hi,

I am planning to backpack on februar-march in brasil.
do you know how much a week in fernando de noronha should cost me?
how much are the flights?

how long in advance should i order? and from where?
can i just come to recife and book a flight for the same week?

Thanks
Yuval

I have been there last year , and i did take a cruise there, as that was not more expensive then a fligth and hotel !

- heres what I did March 2001
- went to Recife by myself
- looked in Fodors book for a travel agent + found one but NOT HARD TO FIND ONE just looking around Recife
- Stupid Lonely Planet is no help - but other guide books have travel agent details
- I paid then rather less than $200 return by plane. Today I guess it should be similar price. THERE ARE BOATS for a 1-day trip, but I could not find how to get them or even if gringoes are allowed on them.
- The travel agent will need to book 3 or 4 days in advance. So like I just waited in Recife 4 days. It was carnival - just go to Olinda and party for 4 days. Recife itself was cool also - great dance scenes + friendly folks.
- You must have the travel agent book your first day or so in a pousada from Recife before you arrive, and it will be unfairly expensive - I paid 80 Reals ( then $40) / day for first 2 days, but then after you arrive you move into a local pousado for half that. I paid $15/day for the rest of my stay.
- Pousada prices are higher now, I would guess maybe 30% higher in $.
- Tax is charged $15/day ( I guess - I paid $10/day) by the authorities for Noronha Aquatic park upkeep. Pay on arrival and departure at airport.
- There was no "western" ATM on the island, but PHONE the dive companies about thsi because by now it has surely improved.
- I paid $60/day for 2 tanks per day. I guess today its $75. If you have a bunch of you and you dive like 5 days in a row they will negotiate a discount obviously.
- All 3 companies charge the same but only 1 took VISA in those days, again, Im sure that´s changed now and they must all take VISA. The biggest one had a faster boat and many divers. They all go to the same sites and all have pretty much the same rules. ´
- BE SURE TO TAKE THE JEEP around the island on your first day, and do lots of freedives on that day. Can hire fins from guys on pier, dive shops will tell you where. The jeep trip was $40 but worth it, tells you orientation, and shows you the best beaches that otherwise you´d miss. On my first splash on, for instance, Praya de Leao, I immediately met a 2-metre shark in brilliant, utterly deserted water. Fantastic. Just, out of jeep, into water, find shark ( and may other fantastic fish and turtles).
- Then from day 2 and every day, dive every day. Mornings scuba, afternoon freedive. It really helps if you have a freediver buddy with you, I didnt, but crazy, so I just went by myself and miraculously didnt get eaten.
- The dive shops refuse to tell you in advance where they go that day. But I bet if you had a bunch of friends they´d talk about that. The best dive is Bahia Golphinoes. Utterly astonishing.
- YOU MUST GO!!!!!!!!!
- BTW if you get a bunch of buddies to go, email me if you want another! I might just swing thru recife mid February.