On this island there are the historic sites (Vila dos Remédios, Vila da Quixaba, ruins of the Forts of São Pedro do Boldró, of Sto. Antonio, of N.Sª da Conceição and Parque de Sant'Ana), the civilian residential villages, the village of the Flight Protection Department, the Airoport, the day nursery, the School, the Hospital, the Tubarão Power Station, the Piraúna Water Treatment Station, the Desalination Station, the Garbage Treatment Station and the Telephone services.

Part of this island is a National Marine Reserve since 1988 and there is a division identified as Environmental Protected Area - EPA with about 8 km² and PARNAMAR / FN Area with 112,7 km², which comprises the marine portion up to a sea depth of 50 m (isobathic).

Around this bigger island other small islands, cliffs and islets constitute the praised landscape by scientists and troubadours. They are the SECONDARY ISLANDS and today it is known that all of them were binded together, forming only one block. They were separated along million of years due to the marine erosion. Click on the links below to know each of these islands.

The island was also the base of the commercial experience of the "Guano Company", which explored the "guano" (calcium phosphate), very abundant in its whole surface as a result of the accumulation of solidified seafowl excrements and considered "the biggest storage yard of zoogenic phosphates of Brazil". The Pontal da Macaxeira and the Lucena Island can be distinguished, whereby this one forms another island at the high tide. Iron ladders fastened to the rocks allow the access of scientists and Marine supervisors.

3. Meio Island
Situated between the Rata Island and Sela Gineta cliff. Its base is narrower than its top, so the breaking of the waves at its steep walls form cavities, which are very appreciated when sailing around.

4. Rasa Island
This island is situated near the Sela Gineta cliff and by the side of the Air France point, at the main island, has a sandstone constitution and a smooth top. It's the lowest secondary island and its top has an eroded soil full of pointy spaces. It's supposed that this island was already linked to the body of the main island in a period of lower sea level.

5. São José Island
It's composed by basaltic rocks, has a dark colour and is binded to the beach in the Air France area, in the main island, by a black pebble bed, similar to a reef (one of the evidences that the islands were linked together in the past), which allows the access by foot at the low tide. At the top there is the São José do Morro Fort, built in the XVIII century, the only one of the defensive system out of the main island and which purpose was to defend the Santo Antônio bay, situated in its front.

6. Cuscuz Island
Phonolitic rock situated near the São José Mount, its name was originated by the similarity to the form of the "northeastern cuscuz", a corn food.

7. Lucena Island
It's a point of the Rata Island, which is slowly separating from it by the sea activity. At the low tide It's still possible to see the connection with this island.

8. Chapéu do Nordeste Island
Small structure near the access rocks to the São José Mount.

9. Cabeluda Island
Similar to the Sela Gineta Cliff, It's also a phonolitic rock and is situated at the exit of the Southeast Bay in the outside sea.

10. Chapéu do Sueste Island
Similar to the Meio and Rasa Islands in its formation, this island is like a small mushroom. Its top is enlarged and its base, near the sea waves, is narrower, forming a plateau right below, where different crabs can be seen.

11. Ovos Island
Situated in front of the Abreu creek, between the Southeast Bay and the Atalaia Beach, is also phonolitic.

12. Trinta-Réis Island
Small whitish phonolitic elevation due to the abundance of guano, situated near the "Chapéu do Sueste" in the outside sea.

13. Conceição or Morro de Fora Islet
Phonolitic like most of the islands of the archipelago, this islet undergoes more erosion than the remaining islands and is the darkest of them. From the distance, the big block is similar to a laid down dog, which "tail" is the PIÃO, a compact rock block, considered by its balance over a smaller basis than its body as a proof that there are no earthquakes on the archipelago.

14. Sela Gineta Cliff
It's constituted by a phonolitic rock and is situated between the Rasa and Meio islands. It calls the attention due to its imponent topography. Its name is due to the similarity to a cowboy saddle.

15. Dois Irmãos Cliff
Two very similar islands formed by dark colour volcanic rocks, over which the guano deposits grant them a whitish aspect of seldom beauty. It's the most significant shape of volcanic emergence of the archipelago and inspired one of the most famous folk tales of Fernando de Noronha, that is, the SIN FOLK TALE, which consider this emergence as the "breasts of a gigantic woman, which were petrified as a punishment for her sins".

16. Ilha do Frade Cliff
Emergence of phonolitic rock, It's possible to see fractures in its composition. It's similar to a seated monk with a cowl in a prayer position. It was already called "Bell Island" due to the noise of the waves striking against the rocks.

19. Morro do Leão Cliff
Phonolitic rock similar to the Sela Gineta cliff, is situated in the outside sea, near the Leão Beach and is similar to a laid down sea lion, hence the name.

20. Morro da Viuvinha Cliff
It's also a phonolitic rock situated near the Leão Cliff, in the same beach at the outside sea. It's a place of fowl nesting.

21. Pedras Secas Cliff
Three small phonolitic formations situated in the outside sea, far away from the archipelago, in the direction of the Atalaia beach and the Caeira creek. Called as "reefs" by Américo Vespúcio in his descriptive boarding letter of 1503, due to the shipwreck occurred in the neighbourhood, is the place whre the official history of Fernando de Noronha begins.