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BEACHES AND BAYS
At one side Brazil. This is the "inside sea" with 10
beaches, two bays to enjoy, one of which very special where It's
not allowed to go in: the Dolphin Bay. A calm sea during the greatest
part of the year, protected against the winds, allowing the access
from one beach to another in plenty of beauty and adventure tours.
On the opposite side Africa. It's the "outside sea" with
4 beaches, one creek, two areas for contemplation and a set of
swimming pools on the rocks. A rough sea, in some places a little
bit calmed by the reefs, which hold the waves between the stones.
Water spouts, very large areas crowded with coloured fishes, like
enormous aquariums, ready to enjoy.
Here you can better feel each one of the beaches and bays of Fernando
de Noronha and know what they have to offer to their visitors.
OUTSIDE SEA
1. Leão Beach - (3rd.
place among the most beautiful beaches of Brazil)
Far away, situated beyond the Xaréu Dam, its name is based
on the very big stone, which profile is like a laid down sea lion.
By the side another rocky formation - the Viuvinha Mount. A lot
of nests can be seen in these rocky formations. Very white sand,
swimming pools in stones, water spouts, sideway to the sea. In
the height, the constructive evidences of the Bom Jesus do Leão
Fort, with 13 half buried guns. This is the beach where the most
turtle eggs laying occurs. This is a Reserve area with a permanent
rigid control. At the eggs laying periods nobody goes down to
beach after 06:00 PM.
2. Caracas Point
In a rocky point there are the charming natural swimming pools
among the stones and which are accessed going down along the
slope. Ahead, the deep blue sea. In the swimming pools coloured
fishes, rays and dogfishes are the attraction of this area,
currently forbidden for bathing due to the access risk. It's
an area of the National Reserve with permanent control.
3. Southeast Bay
A calm sea and smooth waves distinguish this historic region,
where the naval fleet, which pretended to retake the Archipelago
from the Dutch, landed in 1629. It's an optional point to be visited
in the periods of undertow at the inside sea. Protecting the bay
at the left side there are the ruins of the São Joaquim
do Sueste Fort. Next to the sea there is the only mangrove in
an oceanic island, an ecologic rarity. Considering its importance
as an alternate harbour, at this bay ends the BR-363 road, which
starts at the Santo Antônio harbour, at the opposite side
of the island. It's an area of the National Reserve with permanent
control.
4. Atalaia Beach
Its landscape remembers the volcanic origin of the island: black
stones, reefs and the Frade Mount middle in the sea. In a small
strip of land only thirty people are allowed to remain, a permanent
controlled requirement of IBAMA. With the uncovered reefs a big
swimming pool with an active marine life appears. At the high
tide very high water spouts are formed. In the left beach corner
it's possible to see the ruins of the salt works, which operated
when the Americans were on the island during World War II. It's
an area of the National Reserve with permanent control.
5. Caeira Creek
A region with swimming pools in stones, surrounded by sand dunes
(another ecologic rarity), it's a steep creek, which requires
caution when walking between stones. A great quantity of birds
flies over the region. It's an area of the National Reserve with
permanent control and intense watch and ward.
6. Raquel Cavity
Contemplative region, the origin of the name is a very big stone
with a great cavity at the strand. The stone is surrounded
by plain swimming pools crowded by coloured fishes. It's not
allowed to go down, as It's supposed to be one of the cellars
of marine life, which should be preserved. The name "Raquel" is
related to the impaired daughter of one of the military commanders
who hid herself at that place during crisis.
7. Air France Point
Situated at the exact point where the inside and the outside sea
find together, this is a historic region, where the French settled
down in the twenties for aviation supporting services. It's not
a bathing area, but a place for contemplation of the sea and secondary
islands, among which the São José Island bears the
only fort situated outside the main island, the São José
do Morro Fort. From the three original buildings, only one remains,
where the Artists and Craftsmen Association of Noronha is installed
in the so called "Air France Cultural Space".
INSIDE SEA
8. Santo Antônio
Bay and harbour
As a natural anchorage place, It's used
as unloading harbour for boats. A stone pier was built for tieing
up small ships. Bigger ships remain anchored about 500 m from
the beach, as there is a sinked greek ship - the Eleani Sthatathos
- in the harbour. In the proximity there is the Sto. Antônio
Fort, which is partly destryoed. It was the first of the main
island forts and its name was taken over by the entire region.
It's also posible to see the remainders of the first pier built
during the war for unloading guns. All fishing and tourism ships
are sheltered at this place.
9. Biboca Beach
It's not a bathing area. Situated below the Remédios Fort,
it's formed by black stones, which prove the volcanic origin
of this island. This area arranges wonderfully the landscape
from the Fort height and allows walking at the low tide. Usually
many shipwreck vestiges are found here.
10. Cachorro Beach
Situated just below the Remédios Fort, this beach had once
a bronze fountain representing a dog face. A fresh water springlet
is an additional attraction in this beach near the village. There
are a stone swimming pool (the "Galego Cavity") and
the walls of the Sant'Anna Park in the higher part. This fort
was the first one to be closed and transformed in a Marine Arsenal
at the beginning of the past century. On its stones the fishermen
salted the fishes, hence the nickname "Salgadeira" (salting
box). At the same place there is a part of the Tourist Terminal
with typical markets.
11. Meio Beach
Small intemediate area between the Cachorro and Conceição
beaches, this is a calm beach with swimming pools in stones,
but turbulent and forbidden for bathing at rough sea. At the
limit with the beach and the Conceção islet you
will find the "Pião", a very big stone balanced
over smaller stones, proving that there are no earthquakes in
Fernando de Noronha.
12. Conceição
or Italcable Beach
Situated at the base of the Pico Mount, this is a big beach and
well visited due to its easy access. The origin of the name is
the Nª Sª da Conceição Fort of the XVIII
century, which was transformed in a hospital by the end of the
last century. In 1925 the Italians of ITALCABLE settled down at
this beach for the installation of the telegraphic undersea cable,
so originating its second name. The italian village had three
houses, sports court and a big leisure place, today very different.
At the high tides this beach is excellent for surfing. At low
tides the sea is very calm, with a great walking sand extension
surrounded by coconut palms.
13. Boldró Beach
In the past reserved for the Americans, installed nearby with
the Rocket Observation Station, this is today the nearest beach
from the Hotel Esmeralda, which operates in the same installations.
At the high tide the waves invite for surfing. At the low tide
It's possible to walk over stones and through a long sand extension.
In the height of the cliff you will see the São Pedro
do Boldró Fort, an excellent belvedere and one of the
forts of the system built in the XVIII century.
14. Americano Beach
Small and deserted, this beach is just visited due to its privacy.
It has this name because it was formerly included in the area
used by the Americans of the Rocket Observation Station in the
neighbour Boldró Beach. During the military period this
beach was also forbidden for the islanders.
15. Bode Beach
An old stone route leads to this calm beach with stone swimming
pools and where a big stone (the Bode Stone) serves as a belvedere.
From here visits to the neighbour beaches begin.
16. Quixabinha Beach
A small beach situated between the Bode Beach and the Cacimba
do Padre, is very quiet at the low tide and rough at the high
tide, but excellent for bathing.
17. Cacimba do Padre
Beach
One of the longest beaches in the island, the greatest attraction
is the Dois Irmãos Mount, two similar elevations near the
water. The original name was Quixaba Beach. In 1888 the chaplain
of the prison discovered a fresh water fountain and its name was
accordingly changed. In the height there was the Quixaba Village
with the Nª Sª da Conceição Chapel, a
big bad behavior prisoner lodging and 28 houses. Near to the old
village you can see the evidences of an artillery battery of World
War II.
18. Porcos Bay -
(2nd. place among the most beautiful beaches of Brazil)
A small area, very beautiful, almost without sand, is formed by
stones, which are real swimming pools for coloured fishes, limited
by the high black stones cliff and opposite to the Dois Irmãos
Mount. In the higher part there is the São João
Baptista dos Dois Irmãos Fort, the last fort on this side
of the island. The access to the bay is difficult and made through
the stones.
19. Sancho Bay -
(1st. place among the most beautiful beaches of Brazil)
With clear water and sand ground, this bay is one of the few in
which it's allowed to stop boats for bathing purposes without
damaging the corals. Isolated, limited by a steep cliff, natural
belvedere which can be reached through three "routes":
on boats, by sea;
by ladders fixed in a rock split, from where you can see the sea,
and complemented by stairs carved in the stones;
or scaling rocks from the neighbour Porcos Bay.
Any of the access modes is a delightful adventure. Covered by
vegetation and stuffed with fowl nests, this bay is situated in
the Reserve area and therefore is submitted to constant control.
20. Dolphin Bay or
Carreiro de Pedra Creek
The most widely known attraction of Fernando de Noronha, this
bay is the coupling and resting place of the dolphins. It's considered
"the biggest natural world aquarium for animals of this species".
Buoys and ropes limit the bay and the access is forbidden. Called
as "sea pigs" in old books and as "tuninhas"
by the prisoners, the rotifer dolphins can also be seen from the
Bay heights in the Dolphins Belvedere.
21. Sapata Point
It's not a bathing area. At this point of the main island it's
possible to see the native island vegetation without any interference,
as It's a steep and not inhabited region. An opening from one
side to the other in the cliff is called "gate" and
from some angles it's similar to the brazilian map. It's one of
the preferred places by the divers.
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