Experience the best of Fernando de Noronha

Fernando de Noronha is a group of 21 islands about 350 kilometres off Brazil's north-east coast, part of the state of Pernambuco. The main island, roughly ten kilometres long, has green hills topped by the volcanic peak of Morro do Pico, and its main village, Vila dos Remédios, has an old fort and a baroque church. Most of the archipelago is a national marine park, and UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage site.

Baía do Sancho, a cove reached through a cleft in the cliffs, is often named among the best beaches in the world, and Baía dos Porcos is known for its tide pools. Spinner dolphins gather in the Baía dos Golfinhos in the morning, and sea turtles nest on the shores, watched over by a conservation project. Divers find clear water, wrecks and rays.

Seafood rules the table, from grilled fish and lobster to seafood stews, with tapioca and cuscuz at breakfast and cashew and passion-fruit juices. The islands served as a prison for generations before the park was created in 1988. Dry months from about August to January bring calm seas for diving, and rain falls mostly from February to July.