Fernando de Noronha is a volcanic archipelago about 350 kilometers off Brazil’s northeast coast. It’s named after its largest island, a protected national marine park and ecological sanctuary with a jagged coastline and diverse ecosystems.
The Fernando de Noronha islands are the peaks of an underwater volcanic mountain range. It rises 4,000 feet from the ocean floor, about 300 miles off the state of Pernambuco and the northeast coast of Brazil.
The Fernando de Noronha archipelago is divided into two conservation units, the National Marine Reserve and the Environmental Protected Area, with its own preservation rules for environmental preservation with sustainable development.
Because the reefs of the South Atlantic are isolated from the Caribbean by the outflow of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, the reef communities are very different from many endemic species.
Why Visit Fernando de Noronha?
The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha contains 21 islands and it is a paradise and was declared a Natural World Heritage Site by Unesco. In order for the nature of the islands to be preserved, the number of visitors is limited. There is a maximum number of 460 visitors allowed on the island. Visitors also pay an Environmental Preservation Tax that increases progressively with the length of the visit.
Travelers can enjoy golden sands, crystal clear waters, and marine life. Some of the most beautiful beaches of Brazil and the world, such as the beaches Praia dos Porcos, Praia dos Leões, and Baía do Sancho. Baía do Sancho has been selected twice as the best beach of the planet by the Traveller’s Choice Awards of TripAdvisor.
Photo credit: Paulo Henrique / Wikipedia
If you are looking for the best place for diving, you can find it at Noronha – you can observe its splendid marine life of corals, dolphins, turtles, and sharks. You may practice scuba diving with certified local instructors. For those you like surfing, the best months are between December and enjoy waves reaching up to 5 meters.
Some of the migrating birds include the black noddy, sooty tern, red-footed booby, and frigatebird.
Here you’ll find the highest concentration of dolphins in the world. More than 99.99% of the dolphins found around the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha belong to the spinner dolphin species, Stenella longirostris, from the Delphinidae Family.
Photo credit: Rosanetur / Flickr
The sunsets on Noronha are magnificent due to the lack of air pollution. One of the best places you can enjoy and relax watching the sunset is Boldro beach.
There are plenty of activities on the island including options of ecological trails, boat tours for observing dolphins, visits to Museu do Tubarão and Parque Nacional Marinho or the Tamar project, which helps to preserve endangered sea turtles.
The number of inhabitants is restricted to around 2000. Most of the population works in the hospitality industry, catering to the visitors of the island, which includes food and accommodation, diving, snorkeling, and other water sports instruction and equipment rental and private transportation.
Cape Town is South Africa’s greenest city in Siemens’ African Green City Index. Cape Town’s topography allows the city to introduce new green spaces and its population has driven the rise of farmers’ markets and growth in locally sourced food.
South Africa was colonized by the Dutch in 1652 and then from the British Empire and its independence was granted on May 31, 1961. South Africa has increasingly become an attractive tourist destination due to its varied cultural offerings, eclectic food scene, architecture, and natural beauty.
In this post, we put together the top 10 things to do in the city.
Best Things to do in Cape Town
Cape Town has plenty to offer from its world-class restaurants and golden beaches, colorful historic districts and hipster farmer’s markets to the stunning coastal suburbs of Simonstown, Hout Bay and Fish Hoek await nearby and award-winning vineyards.
The name of the island come from Dutch for “seal island.” Robben Island is a World Heritage Site and museum, offering daily tours. This was a place of isolation for nearly 300 years, housing many political prisoners and serving as both a lunatic asylum and leper colony, one of them was the legendary South African president Nelson Mandela who spent 18 years here during his imprisonment.
The tours are led by former prisoners and include a return ferry ride from the island, a tour of the island and also a visit to some of the old cells.
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top.
The ride on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is one you’ll never forget. The journey up the mountain takes about five minutes and the car rotates 360° as it ascends, slowly revealing better and better views as you approach the summit.
The Cableway operates from 8:30am until 5:30pm in winter and closes later in summer
You can gain free entry to Table Mountain Aerial Cableway with Cape Town City Pass. The pass also gets you free entry or amazing discounts on over 70 other Cape Town attractions!
Here’s a selection of tours to Table Mountain – both hikes and cable car; a mix of the two, or a proper adventure:
Boulders Beach is located in the Cape Peninsula, near Simon’s Town towards Cape Point, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Cape Town has many beautiful beaches, but Boulders Beach offers up something the others don’t – a large colony of African penguins!
These African penguins are only found on the coastlines of Southern Africa – South Africa & Namibia. They are adapted to live in a warmer climate and you can see these little birds up close at Boulders Beach. It is located approximately one hour’s drive south of the city center. At the beach, an observation platform gives you the option to observe the penguins. There is a small conservation fee, which goes towards ensuring the future of this sadly endangered species.
Here’s a selection of the best tours that go to Boulders Beach:
If you want to explore outside the city borders Cape Winelands is one of your choices. It spreads out around the famous wine-making regions of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Here you’ll find some of the world’s finest vintages.
Groot Constantia has been producing wine of outstanding quality uninterruptedly since 1685 with its award-winning wines still celebrated around the world today. The Simon’s and Jonkershuis restaurants at Groot Constantia offer visitors al fresco dining expertly paired with the estate’s award-winning wines.
If you have limited time then one of the best ways to see several different wineries is to book a tour on the Franschhoek Wine Tram. You can enjoy wine tasting, go for a tour of the cellars or a gourmet meal in a local farm restaurant with breathtaking views. Another wineries that you could add to your list are the iconic vineyard Spier Wine Farm.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is an oasis in Cape Town’s city center. Nestled beneath Table Mountain, this botanical garden is one of the most famous places to visit in Cape Town, this garden is one of the most beautiful in Africa. It is the first botanical garden in the world to be declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
It offers many fantastic places to have a picnic. It also hosts concerts between November and April every Sunday, art exhibitions and more.
Locally growth produced is boost also by the restaurants who offer fresh, local ingredients. The South African capital has a unique multi-cultural heritage that inspired culinary scene influences. The wineries themselves often house some of the region’s best restaurants. It has some pretty amazing restaurants, some of whom have earned internatonal awards.
V&A Waterfront Food Hall is one of the best places to eat in town.
Cape Town’s coolest restaurant strip is Bree Street in the Central Business District.
Bo-Kaap is known for its brightly coloured homes and cobble stoned streets. The area is traditionally a multicultural neighbourhood with immigrants from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia, and most of its population is Muslim.
Translated from Afrikaans, Bo Kaap means ‘Above the Cape’ and it has a long history dated back to the 1760s. It is a former township, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill above the city center and is a historical center of Cape Malay culture in Cape Town.
The area is filled with history, visit the museum for a glimpse of the past and find out about the architectural heritage.
Camps Bay
Camps Bay is considered Cape Town’s most beauteous living. It’s also known for its white sands and dolphin sightings, natural rock swimming pool and views of the Twelve Apostles mountains. Just a walk from the beach where you can find many trendy restaurants and cafes, cozy accommodation.
Nearby you’ll find also the Promenade Mall boutiques selling fashion and beachwear and the intimate Theatre on the Bay performing drama, musicals, and comedy.
Photo credit: Stockvault
Walk Around the Beaches
Cape Town is home to some of the most picture-perfect beaches in the world, each with its own unique advantages.
The beaches along the False Bay coastline boast warm water and good swimming conditions when the Atlantic coast beaches have much colder water with a brilliant shade of turquoise.
Zeitz Museum offers the largest collection of contemporary African art on the continent features works from all over the diaspora. You can check out the Afro-futurist goggles by Cyrus Kabiru, anti-patriarchal needlework by Ghada Amer, oil portrait by Kehinde Wiley, and cowhide sculptures by Nandipha Mntambo.
The museum located at the V&A Waterfront opened on September 22, 2017.
Responsible Tourism is a unique approach to the management of tourism, which aims to maximize the benefits of the destination for both tourists and locals.
Want to learn more about South Africa? Check our other posts.
Main photo credit: Pe_Wu / Wikipedia
The Galápagos Islands is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Its isolated terrain shelters a diversity of plant and animal species, many found nowhere else. The Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s greatest wonders and an incredibly magical destination to visit.
The Galapagos Islands were claimed by the country of Ecuador in 1832 and today have been named a province (Galapagos).
What are the Galapagos Islands?
The Galapagos Islands are part of the country of Ecuador and are located in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 kilometers west of northern South America. The archipelago consists of 19 islands and dozens of islets and rocks that dot a vast area of 17,000 square miles (45,000 square kilometers) of the ocean.
Some of the Galapagos National Park Rules
Stay on the designated trails at all times.
Do not disturb the animals or remove any native plants or rocks.
Do not transport any organic material into the islands, or from island to island.
Follow your naturalist guide when exploring the national park.
Do not feed the animals.
Do not carry food and/or foreign elements into visitor sites.
Do not approach animals that are resting or their nesting sites.
Cellular and satellite phone use is prohibited in visitor sites.
Do not buy goods that are made from native Galapagos species (except for wooden carvings).
Sneakers with rubber soles and/or “Teva” type sandals
Shorts
Long pants
T-shirts
Long- and short-sleeve shirts
Windbreaker
Bathing suits + a wetsuit for snorkeling in cold months is recommended (these are available for rent aboard our boats)
Socks
Hat or cap
Toiletry kit (biodegradable products, please)
Plenty of strong sunblock (SPF50 or higher)
Sunglasses
Binoculars
Camera & video recorder
Any important medication you may be taking
Book/Notebook
Chargers for electrical equipment
Emergency contact information
Plug adaptor
Passport
How to get to the Galapagos
First, when traveling to Galapagos, is important to know that they are 600 miles off the coast of South America. You have to fly into Baltra Island before taking a bus and ferry ride to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island.
There are no direct international flights to the Galapagos Islands.
The Galapagos Islands is one of the most pristine and isolated places in the world. The archipelago provides the perfect environment for the unique wildlife and the magnificent flora that lives here.
Daily flights to the Galapagos Islands depart from the cities of Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador. You can fly to Quito or Guayaquil cities with international flights. Guayaquil’s Jose Joaquin de Olmedo “International Airport” and Quito’s “Mariscal Sucre” International Airport receives daily flights from Miami, New York, Amsterdam and Madrid, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and some of the major cities of Central and South America.
When is the Best Time to Go to the Galapagos?
The year-round temperatures are quite warm, however, there are two seasons. The two seasons in the Galapagos are hot: January through May and dry – June through November.
The best time to see wildlife is during the hot season if you want to explore the marine and land iguanas or Galapagos giant tortoise. If you are open to exploring the sea then it is better to visit it during the dry season when there is much more marine activity.
The peak months of the year are June, July, and December when there are more tourists.
What is the best way to book a trip?
Some travelers prefer to organize their own trips to the Galapagos, book flights, lodging, and activities on their own. One of the best places to stay is the Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel. If you are not one of those you may want to join group tours or book a cruise aboard the Santa Cruz II, Isabela II, and La Pinta comes with luxury accommodations, healthy and delicious dining options, and expert naturalist guides.
The best way to plan your trip is to do it well in advance.
Hiking
The islands offer some truly remarkable hiking excursions. We recommend booking a designated Galapagos hiking tour for travelers if you are interested in hiking.
Some of the best hiking opportunities in the islands can be found in the highlands of Santa Cruz and the Sierra Negra Volcano, where you can see tortoises and a variety of birdlife or the opportunity to explore the depths of one of the world’s greatest volcanic calderas.
Birdwatching
The islands are home to 56 native bird species, 45 of these can be found only in the Galapagos. You can see different sea birds, land birds, and shorebirds, including migratory birds.
On the islands, due to no natural predators, the birds are approachable and are not scare easily. You can observe them from close distances and for long periods of time.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling gives you the opportunity to explore life under the surface. You will be able to bear witness to all sorts of enchanting wildlife. You can see marine iguanas, sea turtles, sea lions, white-tip reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, starfish, colorful fish, rainbow coral.
Galapagos Islands is one of the best places on earth to do snorkeling.
Kayaking
This is a one-of-a-kind active adventure in the world’s most unique wildlife destination. You’ll have an amazing experience, enjoying the beauty of the islands from a distance and have closer encounters with marine life. The sun at the equator is really strong and burns the skin faster. Remember to wear reef-friendly sunscreen lotion and your personal life jacket.
Other activities
You can enjoy some other activities like mountain biking or paddleboarding that gives you the chance to cover a lot of area for a shorter time. You can enjoy all the activities all year-round.
