- Baía do Sancho: reached by a steep stairway and metal ladder through a cliff crevice, it opens onto a sheltered cove with turtles and reef fish right off the sand. Go early, before the tour groups arrive.
- Baía dos Porcos and Morro Dois Irmãos: natural tide pools sit below two sharp rock spires, and snorkeling at low tide shows small reef fish in warm, calm water.
- Praia do Leão: a long, wide beach where green turtles nest, backed by dunes and pale rock. Come at dusk, when the light softens and the island is quiet.
- Mirante dos Golfinhos: a clifftop lookout over the bay where spinner dolphins rest and feed in the morning. You watch them from above with the national park ticket, with no boat needed.
- Praia do Atalaia: natural pools in the rock hold fish at low tide. Daily visitor numbers are limited
- Baía do Sancho: reached by a steep stairway and metal ladder through a cliff crevice, it opens onto a sheltered cove with turtles and reef fish right off the sand. Go early, before the tour groups arrive.
- Baía dos Porcos and Morro Dois Irmãos: natural tide pools sit below two sharp rock spires, and snorkeling at low tide shows small reef fish in warm, calm water.
- Praia do Leão: a long, wide beach where green turtles nest, backed by dunes and pale rock. Come at dusk, when the light softens and the island is quiet.
- Mirante dos Golfinhos: a clifftop lookout over the bay where spinner dolphins rest and feed in the morning. You watch them from above with the national park ticket, with no boat needed.
- Praia do Atalaia: natural pools in the rock hold fish at low tide. Daily visitor numbers are limited and guided, so you need to reserve ahead.
- Projeto Tamar visitor center: a research base for sea turtle conservation, with tanks, exhibits and clear explanations of the nesting cycle you may spot on the beaches.
- Forte de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios: a hilltop colonial fortress above the village, with stone walls, old cannons and views over the port and the Morro do Pico spire.
- Praia do Sueste and its mangrove: a calm bay where reef sharks and turtles swim in the shallows, next to what is regarded as the only oceanic island mangrove in the Atlantic.
- Buraco da Raquel: a small, quiet viewpoint and rock formation that most day-trippers pass without stopping. It makes a good, empty photo stop.
- Forte de São Pedro do Boldró: crumbling coastal fort walls on a headland, with views over rough water and one of the better places to watch the sun go down.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.