• Where: Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago about 350 km off Brazil's north-east coast (state of Pernambuco); Jericoacoara, on the coast of Ceará about 300 km west of Fortaleza
• Population: about 3,200 on Fernando de Noronha (2022 census); about 25,000 in the municipality of Jijoca de Jericoacoara, which includes Jeri
• Language: Portuguese; English is spoken at hotels and by some tour operators, much less elsewhere
• Currency: Brazilian real (R$ / BRL); cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for kiosks and small boats
• Best time to visit: Noronha is driest from August to January, with calm, clear water, and gets most of its rain from March to July; Jeri is dry, sunny and windy from July to December, and roughly February to May is the rainy season, when the lagoons fill. September to December works well for both
• Average temperature: about 25–30°C / 77–86°F on Noronha and 27–31°C / 81–88°F in Jeri, all year; sea around 26–28°C

Across the island on the Mar de Fora, the side that faces the open Atlantic, Praia do Leão is a long, wild sweep of sand named after the rock offshore that looks like a sea lion. It is one of the archipelago's main nesting beaches for green sea turtles, so it is more regulated than Sancho: it is inside the national park, there are no kiosks or facilities on the sand, and visitors have to leave by late afternoon so the turtles can come ashore undisturbed.

Our take: come by buggy — most visitors rent one, since a single short road links almost everything on the island — and stop at the viewpoint before you walk down. Bring water and snacks. Swimming rules here change with sea conditions and shark sightings, and swimming has been restricted at times, so ask the rangers at the checkpoint before you go in.

From Noronha we flew back to the mainland and on to Jericoacoara. The last stretch is the adventure: beyond Jijoca, only four-wheel-drive vehicles can cross the sand into the national park, so we rode into town by dune buggy. Jeri was a small fishing village until backpackers found it in the 1980s; today it is a relaxed beach town of pousadas and restaurants, but the streets are still sand and the pace is still slow.

Our days found a rhythm. Mornings meant Lagoa do Paraíso, a freshwater lagoon in Jijoca where hammocks are strung right over clear water. One low-tide afternoon we walked along the shore to Pedra Furada, the sea-carved rock arch east of the village; another, we drove out to Praia do Preá to see the Árvore da Preguiça, the "Tree of Laziness", bent almost flat by the trade winds. And every evening ended the same way: walking up the big dune at the edge of the village with everyone else to watch the sun sink into the sea.

Our take: check the tide table for Pedra Furada — the walk along the rocks only works at low tide, and in July the sun sets right through the arch. The sunset dune has lost much of its height to wind and footsteps, so stay on the paths and be gentle with it. Lagoa do Paraíso is at its fullest from about July to September, after the rains.

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• Tapioca — a griddled crêpe made from cassava starch, filled sweet (coconut, condensed milk) or savoury (cheese, carne de sol). Breakfast, beach snack and late-night food in both places.
• Moqueca — fish or shrimp stewed in a clay pot with coconut milk, tomato, peppers and dendê palm oil, served with rice, farofa and pirão.
• Fresh fish — the grilled catch of the day at Noronha's beach bars and Jeri's village restaurants. On Noronha, expect high prices: almost everything arrives by plane or boat.
• Açaí na tigela — frozen açaí with banana and granola, the after-beach snack all over Brazil.
• In Jeri, many restaurants put their tables out on the sand streets at night — wander, look at the menus and pick one.

Noronha has an unusual history. The Portuguese fortified it in the 18th century, it served for many years as a prison island, and from 1942 to 1988 it was a federal territory before becoming part of Pernambuco. Vila dos Remédios, with its colonial church and the ruins of the fort, is the island's historic heart, and islanders still fish from the harbour at Porto de Santo Antônio.

On the Ceará coast, the jangada — a simple raft-like sailboat with a big triangular sail — has carried fishermen out to sea for generations, and in Jeri you still see them pulled up on the beach or taking visitors out for short trips. Evenings belong to forró, the accordion-and-triangle dance music of the North-East, and capoeira groups often play on the beach as the sun goes down.

• Fernando de Noronha charges an environmental preservation fee (TPA) based on the length of your stay. In 2026 the one-day rate is R$105.79. The district directs visitors using a card issued outside Brazil to pay at the airport counter on arrival.
• The marine national park ticket is separate. Check the park authority for current prices, validity and access rules before booking.
• Visitor numbers on Noronha are controlled and beds are limited, so book flights and accommodation early, especially for August to January. Most flights to the island leave from Recife.
• Jericoacoara’s municipal sustainable tourism fee is R$41.50 per person for up to 10 days, according to the municipality’s 2026 guidance. Keep the receipt on your phone.
• To reach Jeri, fly into Jericoacoara airport (JJD) in Cruz, about 40 minutes away, or into Fortaleza, about 300 km and 4–6 hours by transfer. The last stretch is always by 4x4 or buggy.
• Travelers using US, Canadian or Australian passports need a visa for tourism in Brazil. See the Brazilian consulate’s e-visa instructions before you fly.
• Use reef-safe sunscreen, never touch or feed turtles and dolphins, and take nothing from the parks.
• Wind is part of Jeri's character: from July to December it draws kitesurfers from all over the world, and a light cover-up helps against blowing sand.