Fernando de Noronha

A special municipality of the state of Pernambuco, Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago consisting of twenty-one islands and islets located 354 km (220 mi) off the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean, something to be considered on Brazil tours.

The islands of Fernando de Noronha are the visible parts of a range of submerged mountains that were originally discovered by Italian merchant and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci in 1503.  The area was controlled by both the Dutch and the French before the Portuguese established dominion in 1737. Late in the 18th century, a prison was built that would later become a political prison from 1938-1945 while Fernando de Noronha also served as a US army base. By 1988 approximately 70% of the area was declared a maritime national park to preserve both land and sea ecosystems.