Home » Rio Grande do Norte Travel Guide » The History of Fernando de Noronha: Geography and Heritage

The Fernando de Noronha Archipelago consists of 21 islands, islets and rocky outcrops of volcanic origin, situated in the Equatorial South Atlantic.

The main island, which is also called Fernando de Noronha, is the only inhabited one and accounts for around 91 per cent of the total area of the archipelago.

Located approximately 350 km from Cabo de São Roque, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, and 545 km from Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, the archipelago has a total area of approximately 26 km², with the main island covering around 17 km².

The geological formation of the archipelago is the result of volcanic activity that took place around 12 million years ago. The base of this volcanic structure lies at a depth of approximately 4,000 metres on the ocean floor.

In addition to the main island, the islands of Rata, Sela Gineta, Cabeluda, São José and the islets of Leão and Viúva are also worth mentioning.

Video about the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago

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1. Tourist Information

Planning a trip to Fernando de Noronha can be a dream come true for many Brazilians. With a population of around 3,140 inhabitants, the archipelago is known for its sustainable tourism, which promotes a harmonious coexistence between people and nature.

To make the most of the area’s natural beauty and rich history, a minimum stay of 5 days is recommended. The activities on offer cater to a wide range of visitors, providing unique experiences.

The main activities in Fernando de Noronha include:

• Scuba diving: Regarded as one of the world’s best destinations for the sport, with crystal-clear waters and a wealth of marine life.
• Snorkelling: Ideal for observing the diversity of marine life at places such as Praia do Porto and Praia da Conceição.
• Dolphin watching: In particular, the spinner dolphins, which can be seen on boat trips.
• Surfing: The archipelago’s beaches offer good conditions for the sport.
• Nature trails: Walks that lead to breathtaking scenery and unique vantage points, such as the Atalaia trail.

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2. Geography

The Fernando de Noronha Archipelago comprises 21 islands, islets and rocks of volcanic origin, covering a total area of approximately 26 km².

The main island, also known as Fernando de Noronha, is the only inhabited island and accounts for around 91 per cent of the archipelago’s total area.

The other islands form part of the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park, established in 1988, and are uninhabited, with access restricted and controlled by ICMBio (the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation).

2.1 Fernando de Noronha Island

The main island covers an area of around 17 km², is approximately 10 km long and 3.5 km at its widest point. Its circumference is around 60 km.

• Morro do Pico: 323 m
• Morro do Espinhaço: 223 m
• Morro do Francês: 195 m
• Alto da Bandeira: 160 m
• Morro do Curral: 126 m
• Morro de Santo Antônio: 105 m

The island is home to historic sites such as Vila dos Remédios, Vila da Quixaba and the ruins of colonial forts. The infrastructure includes an airport, a hospital, schools, power stations and a water treatment plant.

The island is divided into two conservation areas:

• APA (Environmental Protection Area): approximately 8 km²
• Marine National Park: approximately 112.7 km², including the marine area

2.2 Secondary Islands

They are all situated within the Marine National Park and are protected by law, with restricted access to ensure environmental conservation.

• Rata Island: the second largest, covering around 6.8 km², and important for seabirds.
• Ilha do Meio: between Ilha Rata and Rochedo Sela Gineta.
• Ilha Rasa: low-lying with a flat summit.
• São José Island: connected to the main island by a sandbar, home to the Fort of São José do Morro.
• Cuscuz Island: a small islet near Morro de São José.
• Lucena Island: a part of Rata Island.
• Chapéu do Nordeste Island: rocky, near Morro de São José.
• Ilha Cabeluda: at the mouth of Baía do Sueste, with dense vegetation.
• Chapéu do Sueste Island: situated near Sueste Bay, with a distinctive shape.
• Ilha dos Ovos: opposite Enseada do Abreu, a seabird colony.
• Trinta-Réis Island: a small island home to the birds of the same name.
• Rochedo Sela Gineta: between the islands of Rasa and Meio.
• Rochedo Dois Irmãos: near Cacimba do Padre Beach, a picture-postcard spot.
• Rochedo da Ilha do Frade: it resembles a seated friar.
• Rock formation near Ilha dos Ovos: a small rock formation.
• Rock formation near Ponta das Caracas: near Baía do Sueste.
• Rochedo do Morro do Leão: shaped like a sea lion.
• Rochedo do Morro da Viuvinha: seabird colony.
• Rochedos das Pedras Secas: three rocks in the open sea, an excellent diving spot.

Fernando de Noronha shares with the Rocas Atoll the title of UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, awarded in 2001 to these two Brazilian oceanic islands.

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3. History of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago

As well as the beaches, bays and stunning natural beauty, the Fernando de Noronha archipelago also has other surprises in store for tourists.

With 500 years of history, the archipelago is not only a Natural Heritage Site but also a true Historical Heritage Site that is well worth visiting and, above all, preserving.

In this section, find out a little more about the history of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, from its discovery to the present day.

3.1 Historical Periods

PERIODS OF ABANDONMENT, TEMPORARY OCCUPATION AND RAID (1500–1736)

• 1500 – Appears on a nautical chart by the Spanish cartographer Juan de La Cosa.
• 1502 – It appears on the Cantino Map, by the Portuguese cartographer Alberto Cantino, under the name “Quaresma”.
• 1503 – Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci during the expedition led by Gonçalo Coelho.
• 1504 – Granted as a Hereditary Captaincy to Fernão de Loronha.
• 1505 – Rescue of the shipwrecked survivors by a ship from Normandy, commanded by Binot Paulmier de Gonneville.
• 1534 – Visit by Ulrich Schmidel, a German traveller.
• 1556 – Boarded by Frenchmen from Rio accompanied by André Thevet.
• 1558 – Visited by Jean de Léry.
• 1577 – Visit by the English explorer Francis Drake.
• 1612 – French delegation led by Claude d’Abbeville and Daniel de la Touche.
• 1619 – Visit by Pedro de Castro, a Portuguese.
• 1626 – The Dutch stopped to take on supplies.
• 1629 – 1654 – Dutch occupation, by Cornelis Jol (“Wooden Leg”).
• 1631 – An island leased to Michel de Pavw, known as “Pavônia”.
• 1654 – End of the Dutch occupation.
• 1700 – Transferred to the Government of Pernambuco, without being actually occupied.
• 1736 – Occupation by the French East India Company, which named it “Isle Dauphine”.

PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (1737–2003)

• 1737 – Recaptured by Pernambuco; establishment of the penal colony and fortified system.
• 1739 – Compulsory deportation of “Gypsies” deemed to be vagrants.
• 1745 – The passage of the Spaniards Juan and Ulloa.
• 1760 – Visit reported by Ekeberg, aboard a Swedish ship.
• 1816 – French artistic mission; Debret paints Morro do Pico.
• 1817 – Uprising in Pernambuco; destruction of buildings by João de Barros Falcão.
• 1819 – Deportation of Indians from the villages of Cimbres and Escada.
• 1824 – The news of Independence reached us late.
• 1823–1827 – Administration of the Ministry of War.
• 1832 – Visit by Charles Darwin.
• 1844 – Exile of the farroupilhas.
• 1877–1891 – Administered by the Ministry of Justice.
• 1890 – Deportation of capoeira practitioners deemed to be troublemakers.
• 1893 – Establishment of South American Cables Ltda.
• 1914 – Cable concession granted to the French company.
• 1925 – The arrival of the company Italcable.
• 1927 – Establishment of the Compagnie Générale Aéropostale.
• 1930–1931 – Operations involving German and French aircraft.
• 1934 – Construction of the first airstrip.
• 1938 – Transfer to the Union; establishment of a political prison.
• 1942 – Establishment of the American base during the Second World War; second airstrip.
• 1942 – Creation of the Federal Territory of Fernando de Noronha.
  • 1942 – 1981 – Administered by the Army.
  • 1981 – 1986 – By the Air Force.
  • 1986 – 1987 – By the EMFA.
  • 1987 – 1988 – At MINTER.
• 1946 – Detachment from the FAB for air traffic control and meteorology.
• 1957–1965 – American missile surveillance at Boldró.
• 1988 – Establishment of the Marine National Park; reintegration into Pernambuco.
• 2001 – Designated by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site.
• 2003 – Commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery.

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3.2 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

3.2.1 Discovery and Early References

The settlement of Fernando de Noronha dates back to the early 16th century. Due to its strategic position in the South Atlantic, the archipelago was one of the first lands sighted in the New World. It appears on a nautical chart from 1500, drawn up by the Spanish cartographer Juan de La Cosa, and on another from 1502, drawn up by the Portuguese Alberto Cantino, where it is referred to as “Quaresma“.

The official discovery of the island took place on 10 August 1503, during a Portuguese expedition led by Gonçalo Coelho and financed by the Lisbon merchant Fernão de Loronha.

The navigator Amerigo Vespucci, a member of the expedition, recorded the island as “São Lourenço“, in honour of the saint of the day.

In 1504, King D. Manuel I granted the island to Fernão de Loronha as a hereditary captaincy, the first of its kind in Brazil. However, Loronha never actually took possession of the territory.

3.2.2 Alien Invasions

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the archipelago was the target of foreign invasions. In the 17th century, the Dutch temporarily occupied the island, naming it “Pavonia“. In the 18th century, in 1736, the French attempted to colonise it, renaming it “Île Delphine”.

In response, the Portuguese government sent an expedition in 1737, led by João Lobo de Lacerda, which drove out the French and began construction of a defensive system comprising ten fortifications, including the Fortress of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios.

3.2.3 Prison and Environmental Changes

Following the definitive Portuguese occupation, the archipelago was transformed into a general prison, housing prisoners sentenced to long terms. These prisoners were responsible for building the fortifications and the road network linking the towns and forts.

To prevent escape routes and hiding places, the original vegetation was gradually cleared, altering the island’s climate and landscape.

Today, remnants of the native vegetation can be found in places such as Ponta da Sapata, the slopes of Morro do Pico and the viewpoints at Sancho, Baía dos Golfinhos and Praia do Leão.

3.2.4 Scientific Interest

The archipelago has always attracted the interest of scientists and naturalists.

On 20 February 1832, the naturalist Charles Darwin visited Fernando de Noronha during the expedition of the ship HMS Beagle. In his diary, Darwin described the island as a dense forest and recognised the volcanic origin of the archipelago’s rocks.

3.2.5 Military Service

In 1938, the archipelago was ceded to the Union for the establishment of a political prison.

During the Second World War, in 1942, the Federal Territory of Fernando de Noronha was established, with the establishment of a military base in partnership with the United States, which used the island as a strategic base for operations in the South Atlantic.

From 1942 to 1988, the island was administered under military control: first by the Army (until 1981), then by the Air Force (until 1986) and, subsequently, by the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMFA) (until 1987).

In 1988, following the enactment of the new Constitution, Fernando de Noronha was reintegrated into the State of Pernambuco, becoming a State District.

3.2.6 Environmental Recognition and World Heritage

Also in 1988, the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park was established, with the aim of preserving its rich marine biodiversity and terrestrial biodiversity. In 2001, UNESCO recognised the archipelago, together with the Rocas Atoll, as a World Natural Heritage Site, highlighting its ecological importance and the need for conservation.

3.2.7 Vila dos Remédios

Although discovered in 1503 and granted as a Hereditary Captaincy in 1504, the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago remained uninhabited for over two centuries, with only occasional visits from sailors of various nationalities.

In the 17th century, the Dutch remained there for 25 years.

There is almost nothing left to mark that period, except for a section of the walls of the present-day Fortaleza dos Remédios (where they built a redoubt in 1629) and the sites of the agricultural experiments.

Accounts from that time refer to “warehouses”, “residential houses”, “goods depots ”, “cattle pens”, “vegetable gardens”, and a small “Reformed Calvinist Congregation”, amongst other evidence of construction consistent with such a long-term occupation.

In addition, the “Elizabeth Gardens”, where crops were experimented with, particularly indigo. The site of this Dutch “Vila” was precisely where the VILA DOS REMÉDIOS was established in the following century, following the definitive occupation by Portugal through the Capitania de Pernambuco.

Vila dos Remédios was the location chosen by both the Dutch and the Portuguese-Brazilians as the main urban centre in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago.

The strategic advantages of this location were clear: it lay close to a stream known as Riacho Mulungu and other springs; it offered easy access to Enseada do Cachorro, which occasionally served as an anchorage; the source of drinking water that later became the Bica do Cachorro; and direct access to the new fortress (Remédios).

3.2.8 Urban Development of Vila dos Remédios

The Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Fortress was a landmark in the urban layout of Vila dos Remédios in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, with its planned structure, comprising two courtyards (two spatial units).

In the upper sphere was the administration, the civil authority, and in the lower sphere, the church, the religious authority.

The entire area of the Nossa Senhora dos Remédios fortress was paved with stone and the buildings erected there were always on a grand scale.

It is worth noting that one of the town’s main functions, when it was first established, was to support the prison system that was also set up at that time. Strategically, the town was not meant to be visible from the sea.

VILA DOS REMÉDIOS in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago has emerged as the island’s main urban centre.

From the 18th century onwards, it housed the administration, with its public buildings, the prison quarters and workshops for prisoners, the church, the parade ground or armoury, the residential houses, the storehouse, the school, the hospital and the warehouses for storing agricultural produce and goods from the mainland.

It also led to the creation of the road network stretching across the whole island, using the ‘cabeça de nego’ model, with constant attention paid to the drainage of rainwater and soil conservation – a practice adopted in the courtyards and streets that define the village.

For more than two hundred years, this core structure has been in use and preserved in its original form, with only minor alterations and additions.

In 1938, when the archipelago was handed over to the Union, the village was, architecturally speaking, extremely well maintained. Major alterations and disfigurements were felt, for the most part, from 1942 onwards, following the occupation during the Second World War.

Part of the old urban landscape was thus lost, and prefabricated construction began to gain influence, owing to its practicality in times of emergency, and went on to become a benchmark in this technology.

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4. Urban Heritage of Fernando de Noronha

4.1 Vila do Trinta

Built following the military occupation of 1942, around the Army barracks (the 30th Battalion of Caçadores), its name derives from the “30” painted on the roof of the barracks. Surrounding it was the “Vila dos Sargentos”, dating from 1975.

The former barracks now house the island’s supermarket and a range of other services. Next to it stands the building of the former “Power Station”, dating from 1942, and the houses that have been added over time. The building is now known as the “Community Centre”.

Next to the village, a large building serves as a fishmonger’s and bakery, which was one of the island’s supply centres during the military era, known as “Armazém Reembolsável”. Opposite stood the houses where the officers lived.

4.2 Vila da Floresta Velha / School (1964)

The site was occupied from 1964 onwards, and houses were built for Army officers, as well as the building housing the Escola Arquipélago (formerly known as the “Unidade Integrada de Ensino”).

Behind this urban centre lies the island’s cemetery, which dates from 1843 and was extended in 1883. It once contained a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which has since been destroyed. Nearby are houses built on the foundations of wartime barracks.

Opposite this housing estate, the Vila para Cabos was built, comprising prefabricated houses, and later one of the island’s Evangelical churches was established there.

4.3 Vila da Floresta Nova (from 1987)

It is a village of wooden houses, typical of Paraná, built from 1987 onwards, during the tenure of the Ministry of the Interior and the island’s first Civil Governor. In this area, at the top of the hill, stands the Golfinho Radio and TV Centre, a precast concrete structure.

4.4 Flamboyant Park (Woodland)

A public square, planted with trees and featuring leisure facilities, was established during the military era and has been extended and landscaped at various times. In its immediate vicinity stood the building that housed the island’s second school, which was demolished during the Air Force administration.

4.5 Precast Houses on Rua São Miguel

A row of prefabricated houses in Vila de Cabos dating from the military period, on the former Rua do Sol, now Rua São Miguel. Opposite this housing estate, there are a few distinctive houses, including the one that served as the Mothers’ Club. There are also the Soldiers’ Estates (“Vila Fruta-Pão”).

On the left-hand side of Rua São Miguel, traces remain of the old houses that were demolished to widen the street during the military regime.

4.6 Vila dos Três Paus

A small urban settlement situated off the main road, it is a circular settlement that emerged this century, probably to house prisoners and their families. During the military occupation, a leisure centre operated there: the “Boite Três Paus”.

4.7 Port

Used as a port since its discovery, the cove of Sto. Antônio has always been a place where ships arriving in or departing from the archipelago would load and unload their cargo. A wooden and iron jetty was built during the Second World War to allow ships to moor and cannons to be unloaded.

From 1987 onwards, a permanent jetty was built using stones obtained from the blasting of Morro Boa Vista, which has not yet been fully completed. A number of tourist facilities serve this site, where fishing and diving boats are moored.

4.8 Air France

A site where the French settled in 1927 to support aviation. It comprised three buildings used as accommodation for technicians and for storing equipment. Today, having been restored, the remaining house has become the “Air France Cultural Centre”, home to the Association of Artists and Artisans of Noronha.

4.9 Alameda do Boldró

The area where the Americans set up base in 1957, at the Guided Missile Observation Post. On this avenue are the Tubarão Thermal Power Station, the Piraúna Power Station, the Hotel Esmeralda, the headquarters of the TAMAR Project, the headquarters of IBAMA and several residents’ homes.

A little further on, overlooking the sea, is the Bar Mirante do Boldró. Down below, right by the sea, another bar caters for beachgoers.

4.10 Basinha

Near the Fort of São Pedro do Boldró stands the Hotel, which accommodates the archipelago’s administrative staff whilst they are on duty on the island. These are wooden houses, similar to those used in Floresta Nova, with capacity for 16 people.

Opposite the hotel, other houses built from the same material provide accommodation for staff on duty who need to live on the island, such as doctors, teachers and personnel working in electricity and water treatment, amongst others.

4.11 Vila da Quixaba

One of the island’s earliest settlements grew up around the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and the “Convicts’ Quarters”, a beautiful mansion that was destroyed by an explosion during the Second World War. In addition to the chapel and the large building, 28 houses served as accommodation for prisoners under an open prison regime.

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was built in three phases. Erected by convicts, it collapsed, was rebuilt, and then collapsed again during a stormy night.

The chapel’s present façade dates from the second half of the 18th century and is the third version of the building. It is a small stone structure with a central doorway and a solid altar, featuring details which, following an assessment carried out in late 1999, led to its complete restoration.

The entire building and its surroundings were also restored, preserving the memory of the former Vila da Quixaba and encouraging the launch of a heritage education programme and archaeological research in the area, with a view to identifying the former priests’ rest home and the former ” Prison Quarters”.

The work carried out in 1999 led to the installation of a ceramic information panel, illustrated with photographs, providing a comprehensive overview of the Vila da Quixaba site and the various stages of its restoration.

4.12 Casa Grande of the Southwest

This building stands on the old south-eastern road and is probably the oldest house built on the island. It served as a summer residence for the prison commanders and, on two occasions, housed the beriberi hospital, owing to the climate and the abundance of citrus fruits in the vicinity. Nearby is the Pedreira Dam, created by the blasting of Morro Boa Vista to obtain stone for the construction of the harbour jetty.

4.13 Old Cold Store

On the way to Atalaia Beach stands this large building, dating from the time of the American presence during the Second World War. Now disused, it is a building of considerable size, which could be included in the building regeneration programme.

4.14 Air Force Transit Hotel

A large building, situated on the hill of Sto. Antônio, was constructed in three distinct phases and served various purposes. It once housed the Naval Meteorological Station, which was still standing in 1934, when it was depicted by Percy Lau.

On the site of its ruins, the house of the Army Military Governor was built in the 1960s. It was later demolished to make way for the current building, which also served as a government residence until the Archipelago was reintegrated into Pernambuco, when the area was donated to the Ministry of Aeronautics, serving as a Transit Hotel for officials visiting Fernando de Noronha.

4.15 Chapel of St Peter of the Fishermen

A small chapel situated in the upper part of the Air France area; it does not hold regular services, being used only on the occasion of the Feast of St Peter, when the “Buscada Marítima” sets out in honour of the patron saint of fishermen. The area offers an excellent viewpoint.

4.16 Built Heritage of Vila dos Remédios

4.16.1 Church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios

The Church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is the main Catholic church in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. Construction began in 1737 and the main structure was completed in 1772, the date which is displayed on its façade; the ornamentation and movable cultural artefacts were added from then onwards, with work concluding in 1784.

This devotion inspired the naming of the main fort built in the area and of the entire town. The Virgem dos Remédios has been the patron saint of the common prison since 1768. In 1789, this church was ecclesiastically attached to the Parish of São Frei Pedro Gonçalves as an extension of it, a status that remains to this day.

In 1891, its first major restoration took place, followed by further restoration work in 1915 and 1919. In 1981, this church was listed by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage, making it the second monument in the archipelago to receive this distinction. The most recent and most faithful restoration took place in 1988, funded by the federal government, and the inauguration was presided over by the Archbishop Emeritus of Olinda and Recife, Dom Hélder Câmara.

In 1997, the church was refurbished with a new coat of paint and night-time lighting, making it stand out against the night-time skyline. In 1998, the church underwent further refurbishment with a new coat of paint, restoring it to its original colours.

4.16.2 São Miguel Palace

The administrative headquarters of the Fernando de Noronha State District was built in 1947–48 on the ruins of the former “Prison Administration”. This was a large colonial mansion situated in the centre of the parade ground in Vila dos Remédios, featuring pointed-arch windows, a single storey and a grand entrance staircase.

The palace was built by the island’s own inhabitants, under the supervision of the former communist political prisoner Mariano Lucena. Its construction and architectural alterations were intended to house the seat of government of the Federal Military Territory. At certain times, the ground floor also served as the residence of the Governor.

Inside, traces of the previous stone structure remain, built by the prison labour force. Opened in 1948, it features mid-century furniture and two large paintings by the Pernambuco-born artist Wash Rodrigues, who was brought to Noronha to carry out this work.

There is also a stained-glass window depicting a life-size image of Archangel Saint Michael, created by the stained-glass artist Aurora Lima, a pupil of the German artist Henri Moser, and restored in the year 2000 by followers of Moser’s school.

4.16.3 Former Agricultural Products Warehouse

A building that is the largest of its kind in Noronha’s civil architecture, as evidenced by imagery from many different periods, in which the building is depicted serving various purposes. It is now a subject of interest as a landmark in the restoration of the island’s built environment.

Among its various functions, it served as the residence of the Prison Governor, a storehouse for agricultural produce, a warehouse, a bakery, a joinery workshop, barracks for soldiers during the Second World War and, once again, as a residence for the island’s inhabitants. Eventually, having been abandoned, it began to fall into disrepair; it is known for certain that it was still standing and roofed in 1972.

The damage to the building is already significant and must be addressed to prevent the total loss of this outstanding example of the island’s civil architecture. The main proposal for its regeneration is to transform it into a contemporary cultural space, given its excellent location and architectural proportions.

In 2003, it was registered in the National Register of Archaeological Sites – CNSA, maintained by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage.

4.16.4 Former Grain Store

A large building, situated at the far end of the square opposite the Igreja dos Remédios, was used for storing grain and, later, as the “prison garage”. Left to fall into disrepair, it gradually deteriorated, and in 1990 part of it was restored to house the Cachorro Beach Tourist Terminal, to support the cruise ship services that began that year; today it is home to the famous “Bar do Cachorro”.

4.16.5 Former Village of Convicts

The only remaining building from the prison system that operated on Fernando de Noronha for over 200 years, the “Aldeia dos Sentenciados” is a remarkable, large-scale structure with clearly defined interior spaces, designed to house single prisoners.

Located in Vila dos Remédios, on the former Praça d’Armas, close to the Palácio São Miguel, it was also known – in the last century, following the authorisation to send female prisoners to the archipelago – as the “Women’s Prison”, as it housed convicted women.

Inside, there were communal cells, areas for confined prisoners, a bakery, a canteen, a kitchen, administrative offices and ‘open-air’ inner courtyards. In front of this building, prisoners of good behaviour, who lived with their families, were required to attend the morning roll call every day. Next to it lie the ruins of the Clube Atlântico, built on the remains of the old Cabo Francês chalet. During the Second World War, the building housed soldiers. Later, after being abandoned, it came to serve as a makeshift residence, a situation that persists to this day.

4.16.6 Elizabeth Garden

This area, which has been used as a site for acclimatising plants since the 17th century, was also the “Horta da Vila”, designed to supply Vila dos Remédios with agricultural produce. It also features bridges, terraces suitable for farming and stone-paved roads, as well as lush vegetation.

It is also a key facility in Noronha, serving as a ship repair dock, making use of the abundant materials found in these areas of ongoing reforestation. Rediscovered in 1997, during the survey to identify the elements that would guide the implementation of the “Ecotourism Trails Project”, it is a pleasant spot that now attracts a steady stream of tourists.

4.16.7 Secular Paths

Originally established in the 18th century, Vila dos Remédios necessitated the construction of access routes across the island, linking it to other settled areas and creating a stone-paved road network built using prison labour. Of particular note are the Estrada do Pico, the Estrada do Porto, the Rua da Estrela and the Estrada da Ponte. All these roads appear on the map by José Fernandes Portugal, drawn in 1798.

These access routes have gradually deteriorated through use and, above all, with the introduction of motor vehicles on the island. Large sections lacking stone paving are suffering from deterioration, and are at risk due to the fragility of the entire system.

4.16.8 Bica da Praia do Cachorro

A centuries-old spout, used for freshwater bathing by those who visit Praia do Cachorro for leisure. It is situated next to the Reduto de Sant’Anna, built in the 18th century. It is now partially in ruins, and the bronze dog’s head that gave it its name—a beautiful work of art—is no longer there. There are records of this area dating back to the beginning of the last century, and the fountain is still in use today.

4.16.9 Old School

The earliest attempts at education in Noronha were improvised. The church sacristy was used as a base for the school. Towards the end of the last century, a number of simple buildings, originally constructed as homes, were converted into schools for boys and girls.

In this century, in Praça d’Armas, opposite the “Prison Administration”, a building was constructed to serve as a school, with two classrooms (one for girls and one for boys) and the headteacher’s office. A sun terrace completed the beautiful building, with the coat of arms of the Republic at the top. During the Second World War, this building was used as the headquarters of Radio PTI, with spaces added to the sun terrace to serve this purpose and an aerial installed at the rear.

To provide access to the solarium, a staircase was also installed at the rear of the building. Left to decay, the building had deteriorated almost completely, but was saved by Banco Real – which had been established on the island since 1975 (in a room at the Palácio São Miguel – which converted it to house a bank branch. As it was not possible to restore the solarium, it was fitted with a channel-tile roof, similar to that used on the neighbouring church. Inside the branch, a retrospective display illustrates, through images, the different aspects of this building over time.

Frequently asked questions about the history of Fernando de Noronha

When was Fernando de Noronha discovered?

The official discovery took place on 10 August 1503, during a Portuguese expedition led by Gonçalo Coelho, with Amerigo Vespucci on board. The island had already appeared on earlier maps, such as those by Juan de La Cosa (1500) and Alberto Cantino (1502), who referred to it as ‘Quaresma’.

Why does Fernando de Noronha belong to Pernambuco and not to Rio Grande do Norte, even though it is closer?

The archipelago has historically been administered from Pernambuco since the colonial period, including when it was the Hereditary Captaincy of Fernão de Loronha. Although it is geographically closer to Rio Grande do Norte (350 km, compared with 545 km from Recife), its administrative link with Pernambuco has been maintained throughout history and was reaffirmed in the 1988 Constitution.

When was Fernando de Noronha designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

In 2001, UNESCO recognised Fernando de Noronha, together with the Rocas Atoll, as a World Natural Heritage Site, in recognition of its exceptional marine biodiversity.

What is Vila dos Remédios?

It is the archipelago’s main historic town centre, which has developed since the 18th century and is home to the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, São Miguel Palace and other buildings dating from the colonial period and the prison that operated on the island for over 200 years.

Was Fernando de Noronha ever used as a prison?

Yes. Following the definitive Portuguese occupation, the archipelago served as a general prison for over two centuries, and then, from 1938 onwards, also as a political prison, housing prisoners such as the Farroupilhas (1844) and the Capoeiristas (1890).

History, Geography and Tourism of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago

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