Ecolove in Brazilian paradise islands

What do you want as a wedding gift? They asked when we gave them the news and the date. Hanz And I came up with an idea the night before: tell our friends and family to surprise us with a honeymoon trip; that was all we wanted. It seems crazy, but we are both adventurous, we have traveled together around the world and we thought that this time it would be fun to discover a destination chosen by other people who know us and appreciate us. Of course, it could have gone very wrong, but in fact, and fortunately, it was one of the best and most romantic experiences we have lived together. We want to tell you the story that begins our life adventure as a couple.

“On the wedding day when we received the gifts we learned that we would go to Brazil, flying to Recife, coastal city and capital of Pernambuco, where a private vehicle would take us directly to Olinda; there we would sleep one night and the next day we would depart to the paradisiacal islands of Fernando de Noronha. That was all we knew! With a little nerves and a lot of adrenaline, we launched without knowing what was waiting for us.

Have you heard about Fernando de Noronha? Well, the only thing we knew was it was an island in Brazil, but we had no idea what this place was about. It turns out that it is actually a volcanic archipelago with 21 islands and islets, a protected National Marine Park and declared a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO. I wonder how we managed to not known this before, but even more interesting was what we discovered when we got there.

Oh linda! (Oh Pretty!)

But let’s start from the beginning, the beginning was Olinda. “Oh, ¡linda situação para se construir uma vila!” (Oh nice situation to build a town!) Exclaimed the first one to arrive in this region and gave its name to this beautiful colonial town, Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The fatigue of the trip was quickly forgotten and replaced by excitement and curiosity as our transfer led us through the steep streets between colorful houses and secular churches. With eyes wide open, between looks and smiles, Hanz and I finally arrived at our hotel in the historic center, a rigorously preserved 19th century mansion with an intimate, cozy and elegant atmosphere that welcomed us with a cocktail and a special suite with a terrace from where we could see the city roofs and in the background, the ocean’s blue.

Guardar

That night we went for a walk in the town. Not knowing where we were going, we were guided through the streets until we reached a steep path with stairs that brought us closer to what seemed to be the lights of an inn. We stopped near its terraces to breathe and observe from the top and a few minutes later, when they took us to a table, we understood that we were in one of the favorite restaurants of the visitors and locals. Dinner was wonderful, with seafood and delicacies from the region, but the atmosphere was even better; unwittingly we were surrendering to the enjoyment of being together in a place completely unknown to us, newly married, and with a thousand adventures ahead.

The next day was to fly to the islands, but first we spent the entire morning touring the town, which we already loved and which we did not want to miss in the daylight. Our guide Erika took us through an interesting historical city tour, passing through its streets and slopes of irregular stones, adorned with colorful houses and visiting the secular churches, along the Rua do Amparo, with its artisans workshops, the Largo da Misericordia and Alto da Sé, with their viewpoints of infinite horizon, from where we obtained the most beautiful view of the cities of Recife and Olinda.

Now, the islands

We fly to Fernando de Noronha who welcomes us with the contrast of its aqua blue and deep black colors of the volcanic rocks that make up the archipelago. It is a dazzling vision from the sky, which becomes palpable when we put our feet on the green earth as we arrive at the wonderful pousada that would accommodate us for the rest of the trip.

The first thing was the massage waiting for us after settling in our bungalow; nothing better than an hour in the Spa to prepare the body and mind for this new paradise destination. These days in the magical islands were planned so that Hanz and I could enjoy freely, according to the dictates of our hearts in love. We had a buggie vehicle available to go out creating our own adventures, in addition to the services and dedicated attention of the accommodation staff. Gil, our personal guide, listened carefully to all the proposals and interests to organize each day the activities we wanted to carry out. Upon learning that we are both involved in projects of ecology, environmentalism and biology, Gil hurried to tell us what the National Marine Park that hosted us is really about.

The reality behind paradise

It turns out that Noronha is truly an ecological sanctuary since 2001 and more than 30 years ago it was declared an Environmental Preservation Area. Its particular geography and the species that inhabit it have placed the focus on its care and conservation from the beginning. It is not surprising that our friends and family have chosen this destination for us; pleasantly surprised we devoted part of the days to visit and get to know the projects carried out in these islands. We discovered on time the Tamar project for the sea turtle preservation, where we could accompany the opening and release process in which the small ones go from the nest to the sea. This is fascinating and only happens between March and June every year!

No to plastic

Gil also explained that the materials used in the construction of the island seek to be increasingly environmentally sustainable, that there is a recycling initiative in growth for two years to optimize the practices of waste selection and that starting this year, a little before our arrival, the Noronha Zero Plastic project is being implemented. This prohibits the entry, use and sale of disposable plastics on the island, so that commercial establishments, hotels, bars, restaurants, inns, coffee shops, street vendors and kiosks are subject to fines if they do not comply with the decree. We also learned that since January, the community of 2,600 inhabitants receives information to better adapt to the process, with pedagogical work, environmental education and awareness of tourists, residents and businessmen. The more than 100 thousand visitors will also have to adapt, since you can not enter or consume plastic bottles, straws, disposable cups, polystyrene products or similar.

Yes to pleasure

Among activities that motivate and stimulate the mind and heart, we also dedicate ourselves to the pleasure of the senses and for that there is much in Fernando de Noronha. The eyes are the first, with each scenario better than the previous one, wherever you look it’s a postcard. I can not even begin to describe the sunsets, the colors of the jungle or the underwater world. Each rock, each plant, each island seems set with the aim of creating a perfect composition, a masterpiece of nature.

But the body and its touch are also stimulated by the minute, with the walks along rocky and steep paths that lead us to deserted beaches like Praia do Sancho, one of the most beautiful in the world; or the immersions in the emerald blue water where we could dive and greet the marine fish and the dolphins!

And let’s not forget the taste, because every dinner, every meal, every awakening brought us new flavors, with exotic products and typical Brazilian recipes designed to trigger sensations of deep enjoyment and pleasure. Such was our farewell dinner on the last day in a romantic restaurant where we said thanks and goodbye to this eco-love adventure, completely our style, absolutely designed for Hanz and me.

¡We’ll be back, Fernando de Noronha!!!