In recent years Pernambuco has become a major tourist center thanks to the coastal cities, such as Ipojuca, and its famous district Puerto de Gallinas, with its 3 miles of beaches, Pontal Maracaipe and Muro Alto beaches, which form the well-known natural pools on the sea shore. Coral reefs enclose a variety of sea fauna making it an ideal destination for diving or navigating its turquoise waters. Out of the pools you can find strong and consistent swell with tides that vary each day about two meters.

The Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 545 kilometers away from the capital of Pernambuco, Recife, also belong to this state. It consists of 21 tropical islands of which only one inhabited is Fernando, and the rest represent a virgin area you can explore with your boat and anchor in their coast, since the archipelago has been declared a National Marine Park and World Heritage Site (so you cannot disembark in them without permission). It’s considered as one of the best diving locations in whole Brazil (along with Atol das Rocas and Abrolhos).

It is possible that the islands are not well prepared for tourism, in fact, they have few inns to stay in (with no hot water and some other inconveniences) but many tourists, fond of the nature, see their appeal as a vacation spot and come back every year for all the natural wonders it has to offer. It’s no wonder that the writer and humanist Thomas More, had the island Fernando Noronha as an inspiration when he invented the term “Utopia”.

Finally, note that the state capital, Recife, has its own port (Suape), one of the most modern in South America, open all year, and not restricted because of the tides.