Fernando de NoronhaComplete guide · PE
Noronha --:--
Practical information

Useful tips and phone numbers for Fernando de Noronha

What to pack, park rules, children, accessibility, money, internet and the contacts you hope you won't need.

Photo: Adelano Lázaro · CC BY-SA 4.0
Useful phone numbers

Emergency and service contacts

Area code 81. Numbers verified in September 2026; confirm with your pousada if in doubt.

  • Emergency — Military Police190
    Call
  • Emergency — SAMU (ambulance)192
    Call
  • Emergency — Fire Department193
    Call
  • Hospital São Lucas (Floresta Nova, Bosque Flamboyant)(81) 3619-0923
    Call
  • Civil Police Station(81) 3619-1179
    Call
  • Fernando de Noronha Airport (FEN)(81) 3619-1311
    Call
  • District Administration (Palácio São Miguel)(81) 3619-0355
    Call
  • ICMBio / Marine National Park(81) 3619-1172
    Call
Packing

What to pack (and what you won't find on the island)

  • Sun protection: sunscreen (preferably biodegradable), hat, sunglasses and UV shirts. They save your shoulders and back when snorkeling.
  • Your own snorkel and mask: you will use them every day and avoid renting on every tour.
  • Long-sleeve UV shirt and a hat with a strap: they protect better than sunscreen, which washes off in the water; and it is very windy.
  • Dry bag for your phone on the boat and binoculars for dolphins and birds.
  • Footwear: sandals that can get wet (Crocs-style) for beach and boat, sneakers for trails. Heels don't work on the cobbled streets.
  • Medium-sized backpack for water, snacks, towel, camera and sunscreen.
  • Reusable bottle: disposables are banned; the PICs refill it.
  • Insect repellent: the late-afternoon mosquitoes show no mercy. Bring the strongest you can find.
  • Medication you take regularly, painkillers, antihistamines and bandages.
  • Snacks and toiletries: everything costs twice as much on the island and may be out of stock.
  • Cash for the bus, cash discounts and empty ATMs.
  • Drone: only with prior authorization from ICMBio; without it, confiscation and a fine.

What you don't need to bring

  • White clothes: the island's reddish soil stains and won't come out.
  • High heels and dress shoes.
  • Lots of changes of clothes: there are laundromats and everything dries fast.
  • Fins for the natural pools: they are not allowed.

Quick tips from the locals

  • Tours paid in cash usually come with a discount.
  • The dive shops at the Porto are cheaper than those in the Vila.
  • Noronha tips groups on social media help you put together group tours.
  • Ask at the market when deliveries arrive and buy water and fruit that day.
  • Most short trails don't require a guide; the long ones do.
  • Buses rarely accept cards and stop running at night.
  • Book the Festival do Zé Maria and your dives before you travel.
National Park rules

What is prohibited (and the fines hurt)

Collecting anything

Shells, coral, stones, sand or plants. Fines from R$ 5 mil to R$ 10 mil and confiscation at the airport.

Touching or feeding animals

Turtles, sharks, dolphins and fish. Swimming after dolphins is also an offense.

Sunscreen and fins at Atalaia

The pool is shallow and the chemicals harm the coral. Wear a UV shirt.

Leaving the trails, camping, lighting fires

The trails are marked and patrolled. No camping anywhere on the island.

Single-use plastics

Banned throughout the archipelago since 2018: bags, cups, straws and small bottles.

Exotic animals and drones

Dogs, cats and other animals are not allowed in the park. Drones only with an ICMBio license.

Families

Noronha with children and babies

The island is safe and children love it: dolphins, turtles, natural pools and boats. What requires planning is the sun, the lack of shade and the logistics.

  • Easy beaches: Porto de Santo Antônio, Conceição, Sueste (with a life vest) and Boldró at low tide.
  • Avoid: the Sancho staircase with small children (200 steps and a narrow crevice), Praia do Leão (current) and the long trails.
  • Fees: guides report a TPA exemption for children under 5 (confirm when paying), and the Park exempts under-12s from the park ticket. Children from age 2 pay for airfare.
  • Boats: children are accepted with a life vest; morning trips have calmer seas.
  • Babies: bring diapers, formula, baby food and medicine for the whole trip; you can find them on the island, but they are pricier and there is little variety. Choose a pousada with air conditioning and a dark room for naps, have dinner early (7pm) and ask whether they have a high chair.
  • Getting around with a baby: a car with a car seat is ideal; a buggy is open and hot.
  • Stroller: not very useful; a baby carrier or carrying backpack is better.

Complete guide: Noronha with kids and babies

Accessibility

Infrastructure is still limited, but improving. Sueste has the most accessible facilities in the park, with a ramp and boardwalk down to the sand; Conceição and the Porto are flat and close to the parking area. The Boldró viewpoint and the Vila have uneven surfaces. The Sancho and Dois Irmãos viewpoints are reached via a wooden boardwalk, with some stretches of stairs.

Some agencies offer amphibious wheelchairs and adapted tours; arrange this before you travel. Taxis and buggies are not adapted.

Foreign visitors

Quick guide for visitors from outside Brazil

WhatsAppIt is how all businesses communicate: tours, restaurants and taxis. Have the app working with your number.
PaymentsCards are accepted in most places. Pix requires a Brazilian bank account. Bring cash for buses and small expenses.
FeesThe TPA can only be paid with a foreign card at the airport counter. Park ticket for foreigners: R$ 384,00. Keep your passport handy.
ATMsSantander (Vila dos Remédios) and Bradesco (Vila do Trinta).
TippingRestaurants usually add 10% to the bill. Guides and boatmen appreciate a tip, but it is not mandatory.
LanguagePortuguese. English at agencies and larger pousadas; less so in shops. An offline translator helps.
SIM card and eSIMInstall a data eSIM before you fly or buy a Brazilian SIM card on the mainland.
DocumentsValid passport and a visa when required for Brazil.
Power and time zone220 V. UTC−2, one hour ahead of Brasília.

Download before you travel

All of this should work without internet:

  • Offline map of Fernando de Noronha
  • TPA receipt and park QR code
  • Tour and restaurant vouchers
  • Tide table for your travel dates
  • Contacts for the pousada, agencies, taxi and insurance
  • Filled-in emergency card (included in the Bonus Kit of the Premium Guide)
Fun facts

Seven things that surprise you on arrival

  1. The clock is one hour ahead of Brasília.
  2. There is only one gas station, with a liter costing between R$ 8,50 and R$ 9,80.
  3. Power is 220 V, largely generated from diesel; use it sparingly.
  4. Water comes from desalination and cisterns: short showers help.
  5. Trash goes back to the mainland by ship. Take yours back from the beaches.
  6. There is no Uber: tourists use taxis with fixed fares per ride, buses, or rent a buggy or car from registered rental companies.
  7. The number of visitors is limited per day, hence the TPA and the checks on arrival.

Official links

Ready to plan your trip?

Start with the itineraries or the fee calculator.

See ready-made itinerariesCalculate the fees