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.
British ecotourism company Responsible Travel released a list of its 10 favorite destinations for green eco-travelers; see what made the cut, plus our recommendations of what to do in each eco-friendly locale.
When considering your next big trip consider going to an eco-destination. What makes a destination eco?
Here are a few criteria that have to be met to earn the “eco” stamp:
It’s built using environmentally sound methods and/or operates with alternative energy sources
It minimizes human impact on natural habitats and promotes resource conservation
It sustains the well-being of local people and/or indigenous communities
It helps raise visitors’ environmental and cultural awareness
Here is our list with top 10 eco-travel destinations
Photo: Courtesy Prefeitura Municipal de Turismo, Bonito
1. Bonito
Bonito, in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, is one of the top ecotourism destinations suggested by responsibletravel.com ahead of the 11th World Responsible Tourism Awards.
This remote town in western Brazil is sometimes called Caribe do Centro-Oeste, due to its spectacular blue rivers, whose limestone beds act as a natural water filter. The town’s proximity to the Serra da Bodoquena National Park ensures protection of the area’s ecosystems, which are some of the oldest and most diverse on the planet. Resorts such as the gorgeous Santa Esmerelda are catching on to the eco-friendly trend.
Tourists can enjoy a wide range of spectacular beauties in the area, including waterfalls, crystal lakes, caves with stalactite formations and the surroundings of the Serra da Bodoquena national park, much of which is not open to tourism for conservation reasons.
The clarity of the water where travelers can practice snorkeling or scuba diving is due to the large quantity of limestone in the ground, which works as a natural filter leaving impurity on the bottom of lakes and rivers and making these some of the more transparent and clear in the world.
Photo credit: www.tablemountain.net Courtesy Cape Town Tourism
2. Cape Town
South Africa is a leader in responsible tourism and a mecca for Eco Travel. Named by Conservational International as one of the seventeen megadiverse countries in the world. The biodiversity is truly astounding. There are numerous conservation efforts and projects in OUSth Africa designed to protect the native species.
Cape Town is remarkable for its combination of natural beauty and captivating culture. The capital city offers easy access to beaches, forests, and mountains alike. Many restaurants source food locally, and reliable public transportation or the carbon-neutral Green Cabs make it easy to get around. Choose accommodations like the Grootbos Nature Reserve, which takes measures to preserve its land and the animals native to it. Travelers are welcome to go on a Cape Canopy Tour and zip across the Hottentots Holland nature reserve, imitating the majestic eagles in all but the sharpness of eyesight. An exhilarating ride for anyone willing to share the sky with soaring birds to take in the absolute beauty of the Western Cape from a much more thrilling perspective.
Photo credit: Pixabay
3. Birdwatching in Hangzhou, China
Hangzhou, tipped as ‘Paradise on Earth’, is China’s top eco travel destination. It is one of the few places in China where people can watch wild birds chirping in the downtown area. A perfect destination for nature lovers, at Hangzhou’s West Lake, you can glimpse the birds flying over the skyline. Home to dozens of historical sites, the wooded hills encircling the lake are studded with pavilions, towers, pagodas, and caves. The Xixi National Wetland Park in Hagzhou is teeming with biodiversity and a 180 bird species. It allows visitors an intimate glance at the Underwater Ecological Observation Corridor. And for hiking enthusiasts, the Bamboo-lined Path at Yunqi is a serene escape.
Photo credit: Flickr / Rennett Stowe
4. Blue Mountains, Australia
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, Australia’s Greater Blue Mountains Area is a popular ecotourism trip for Sydneysiders seeking to trade in the buzz of the city for the calm of the great outdoors. A mere 90-minute car ride from Sydney, the Blue Mountains (named for the blue hue cast by the eucalyptus oil produced by the region’s native trees) cover some 550 square miles of valleys, swamps, rocky outcroppings, and narrow canyons – topped off by stellar vantage points from which to ogle Australia’s beauty.
A handful of national parks and reserves comprise the area, hosting dozens of trails through breathtaking terrain loaded with unique flora (don’t miss the ancient Wollemi pine, one of the world’s rarest species) and fauna (some 400 species, including koalas, call the Blue Mountains home). Rock climbing, mountain biking, rappelling, canoeing, and horseback riding are just a few of the activities – aside from bushwalking – to enjoy here in the wild. Of course, the prospect of relaxing and breathing in the fresh mountain air at one of the area’s many eco-friendly lodges and cabins can be equally enticing.
Photo credit: Chris McLennan
5. New Zealand
New Zealand is a spot that’s difficult to fully take in during a single trip. Its varied terrain is home to diverse plants and wildlife and makes a beautiful backdrop for hiking, biking, and camping. New Zealand is also one of the most popular destinations for luxury ecotourism, offering comprehensive tours and fancy accommodations with no harm to the environment.
Photo credit: Tea Fields in Kerala. Photo: Midhun Subhash via Wikimedia Commons
6. Slow Travel in Kerala, India
Kerala’s spellbinding rivers and lush fields have deservedly made it one of those eco-travel destinations you must see in your lifetime. In fact, Kerala Tourism has won the award for world’s best responsible tourism project at the World Travel Market London. Kerala’s landscape is as fragrant as it is beautiful. With its hills covered in sweet-smelling spices and gorgeous-looking plantations of tea, every inch of Kerala seems to bear witness to arresting beauty. Travelers can slowly take in and admire Kerala whilst traveling by kettu vallam (tied boats) along glimmering backwaters or take to the road to enjoy delicious cuisine and coffee in the urban areas of the state.
Photo credit: Namibia via Pixabay
7. Wildlife Adventures in Namibia
Namibia’s name is derived from the world’s oldest desert, the Namib. With its golden grass and singing rivers, Namibia easily gathers what the best and most awe-inspiring characteristics of Africa in one stunning place. It can also boast of being one of the best places to watch African wildlife as there is an abundance of elephants, rhinos, lions both in private reserves and freely roaming the African prairies. Namibia offers value for money as camps are priced in Namibian dollars, a currency tied to the South African Rand, rather than the U.S. dollar like many southern African safari destinations, which means your wonderful 5-star trip can be taken at a 2-star price.
Photo credit: Schalz
8. Tobago
This Caribbean island is home to the world’s oldest legally protected rainforest. The Main Ridge Forest Reserve contains a diverse mix of wildlife, including a whopping half of the island’s aviary population (birdwatchers, have your binoculars ready). While many parts of the island (including endangered reefs) have sustained significant damage from hurricanes, the Forest Reserve’s World Heritage Status keeps it well protected.
Photo credit: Jose Letelier Hernandez
9. Extreme Adventures in Bariloche, Argentina
If you are one who loves some extreme sports with their eco-travel, then Bariloche might be the perfect destination for you. Bariloche can boast of an incredibly vast ecosystem- from snowy Andean mountains to thick green forests and glimmering lakes- and this means the fun is almost never-ending! You can have a refreshing time kayaking across crystal blue waters in a guided kayaking tour. If you are partial to a wilder side of adventure traveling then don’t fret – Bariloche’s winds are perfect for paragliding and you´ll never be disappointed with the breathtaking view and stunning mountain ranges seen from far above. Bariloche’s gorgeous landscape will definitely keep you mesmerized wherever you go and if you decide to go trekking for a change then there is no shortage of mountain paths and vistas for you to admire.
Photo credit: Nick Thorne
10. The Lake District National Park
Home to 12 of England’s largest lakes, this sprawling parkland contains a diverse sampling of British flora and fauna. For human visitors, there’s a hiking, boating, and nature exploration, as well as free guided bike and walking tours. In 2006, representatives from various protection agencies joined forces to found the Lake District National Park Partnership, which oversees maintenance and preservation of the park’s 80,000 acres of land. They are currently seeking a bid for World Heritage Status, which would ensure even more protection. The Park also offers many opportunities for volunteer work so that visitors can be sure they’re leaving its forests as beautiful as they found them.
Ningaloo Reef is home to the world’s largest fringing reef and can easily be accessed within a few feet from the coast. This is the only place in the world where a large coral reef can be accessed so easily. Because of its incredible biodiversity, it is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Ningaloo Reef is home to more than 200 species of hard corals and 50 species of soft corals with over 520 species of fish. The reefs are easily accessible because it is the close distance from the shore. It is a popular destination for divers and snorkellers.
Coral reefs around the world are under increasing stress due to a combination of local and global factors.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometers. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps and it is the only living structure that can be seen from space.
This reef provides home for an astounding variety of marine life, plants and animals – from ancient sea turtles, reef fish and 134 species of sharks and rays, to 400 different hard and soft corals and a plethora of seaweeds. The Reef is far more than an economic resource.
Coral bleaching
Coral reefs need clean, clear water to survive. When sediment and other pollutants enter the water, they smother coral reefs, speed the growth of damaging algae, and lower water quality. Pollution can also make corals more susceptible to disease, impede coral growth and reproduction, and cause changes in food structures on the reef.
Small-scale bleaching is a common sight on the reef, but in the 1998 year that saw widespread bleaching, 42% of the reef turned white.
Farm pollution
Sediment and chemical runoff from farms is a major threat to inshore coral reefs and seagrass meadows in our Great Barrier Reef.
Nutrients from fertilizer pollution in the Reef’s waters also fuels massive outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which devour our coral reefs. Reducing fertilizer use will not only save money but will also reduce polluted runoff.
Fishing
Coral reef fish are a significant food source for over a billion people worldwide. Traps set too close to reefs and marine debris, such as ghost traps, lost nets, monofilament, and lines, can damage coral reefs, which take a long time to recover.
Overfishing cause reducing the numbers of grazing fish that keep corals clean of algal overgrowth.
On many of the cays, there are spectacular and globally important breeding colonies of seabirds and marine turtles, and Raine Island is the world’s largest green turtle breeding area.
Ningaloo Reef
This incredible, pristine wilderness offers the most affordable reef experience you are likely to find anywhere in the world. Ningaloo Reef is actually in fairly good health compare to the Great Barrier Reef.
There are many ways to enjoy the Ningaloo Reef and use ECO certified tour operators to ensure your trip is one that contributes to the protection of the reef in the long-term.
With easy access from Exmouth, the Turquoise Bay Drift Snorkel offers some of the best snorkeling just meters from the beach. The shallow edges of the reef provide perfect snorkeling conditions for people of all ages and mobility.
Three of the world’s seven marine turtle species, nest on mainland beaches and islands of Ningaloo Reef during the summer months from November to March. Here you may catch sight of loggerhead, green, hawksbill and flatback turtles as they embark on their epic annual journey. The loggerhead turtle is the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world.
Volunteers are required between December and January each year to monitor nesting beaches for turtle activity!
The bottom line
The Great Barrier Reef is very accessible if staying in Cairns or Port Douglas.
Compared to the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo is quite remote. Located off the coast of Western Australia, Ningaloo Reef requires a flight to Perth and a flight to Exmouth.
The diving and snorkeling sites of the Ningaloo are right along the coast with the Navy Pier, near the town of Exmouth, named as one of the best shore dives in the world.
The Ningaloo Reef is perhaps most famed for its whale sharks which feed there from March to June.
Ningaloo Reef facilitates intimate wildlife encounters – swimming with whale sharks and observing nesting turtles – and for accessibility and affordability it can’t be beaten
On the other hand, the Great Barrier Reef offers the diversity of indulgent five-star escapes, world-class dive sites, sailing trips, and budget island camping adventures, but you’ll have to pay more and your trip will end up more expensive. When Ningaloo Reef offers the joy of spending a night on the reef or some truly remote paradise.
Photo credit: Flickr / Rennett Stowe
Photo credit: Chris McLennan
