Fernando de Noronha
© Elliot Walker – www.adventure-cornwall.co.uk
The beach buggy bounced its way along the bumpy dirt road and came to an abrupt halt in a semi-circle of deep sand. Beyond the palm and scrub trees the turquoise ocean rose and fell under the heavy breath of the swell. On reaching the brow of the beach, the full scale of the waves leapt into view. What had been a fun head-high barrel the day before was now a fear-inducing wave of Pipeline proportions. Sets rose from the flat blanket of the Atlantic like woken giants, sending thick curtains of water thundering along the shoreline.
After years of dreaming about this legendary place, I had finally arrived on the north shore of Fernando de Noronha. This little-known tropical gem is marooned a couple of hundred miles off the north-east coast of Brazil and is seen by many as Brazil’s Galapagos. The volcanic island is a mere speck in the vast ocean and acts as a wave magnet for all swells moving in from the north Atlantic. Just a few days after the west coast of Britain was bombarded by a deep winter swell that provided big wave fun for Cribbar surfers, Noronha was witnessing an extreme long-distance swell probably produced by the same storm systems.
Fernando de Noronha is lies just south of the equator so it’s a steamy board short temperature 365 days a year. The set up is similar to Hawaii as unhindered deepwater swells crash onto steep beaches, creating powerful, tubing waves. Some 70 per cent of the island is protected as a marine national park. While the conservation status prohibits access to some remote beaches, it also works in favour of surfers as visitor numbers are restricted so the surf breaks never get overwhelmingly crowded.
Noronha is at its best at Praia da Cacimba da Padre, which produces consistent world-class waves for three months of the year. Like Jeffrey’s Bay for the South Africans and Mundaka for the Europeans, Cacimba is the dream break for many Brazilian surfers. It is scenically tucked beneath the 323 metre tower of Morro do Pico, visible from across the island, and a pair of rocky outcrops known as the Dois Irmãos (the two brothers).
My first glimpse of the beach break was pure magic. Three peaks fired fast, hollow lefts and rights, carrying lithe, brown-skinned surfers at high speed towards the shore. Anyone who has ever wondered why Brazilians have infiltrated the top ranks of world surfing in recent years can blame waves like these. While few Brazilian surfers could ever dream of making the pilgrimage to Hawaii, this quality surf destination lies tantalisingly within the reach of those who can afford the short hop from the mainland.
Having stepped off a plane into the sticky mid-afternoon heat, following a series of flights from the UK, Cacimba’s liquid perfection soon charmed me into the water. As is usually the case when I arrive at a renowned surf destination, I had underestimated the difference in power from an average beach break at home. The waves packed an alarming punch and proceeded to catapult me from the lip before I could get a toe on the board. I ended up arse surfing a series of steep waves which enveloped me and pinned me to the sand. I’d emerge spluttering and cursing but even more fired up to tackle the challenging waves. Eventually I managed to reclaim a small piece of dignity by clawing my way ahead of a few sand dredging barrels and stepping relatively unscathed onto the beach.
Over a few caipirihnas that evening, one of the waiters at our restaurant told us that a big swell was on its way. Several pros had rocked up in town in anticipation of riding Brazil’s prize wave. It looked like my gentle introduction into Noronha surfing might have to wait for a few days.
The next morning, most of the north shore beaches were maxed out. A heaving swell had moved in and every second beach buggy was stuffed with boards as the island’s surfers zoned in on Cacimba da Padre. On arrival at the beach, the car park buzzed with news of a 12 foot swell.
Most people were content to sit and watch the awesome spectacle. Only the brave, the super experienced and the crazy approached the water to tackle the waves that were three or four times overhead on the sets. One-by-one the surfers pushed through the pounding shore-break and emerged at the line-up. For many it was a wasted paddle. With just the outer peak working, it was a test of skill and experience just to get on the wave. Those who made the drop smiled insanely until a hollow close-out swallowed them up.
Very few foreigners made it out that day but the Brazilians - brave, experienced, but above all mental - had it wired. When a big wave roared in, up to eight surfers would get to their feet. Some would run out of steam and drop off the back; the rest would jockey for position and push each other deeper and deeper until someone claimed the inside tack just before the wall of water arched over their head.
While the uninitiated were taken aback by the size of the waves, the fat owner of the rickety beach shack had seen it all. Although he had never surfed, he claimed to be on first name terms with pro surfers like Paulo Moura and Marcelo Nunes and was the font of all knowledge on the famous surf break. He was at the beach every day without fail. His main responsibility was to barbecue fresh fish, which he invariably burnt because he was too busy checking out the surf and the ladies.
Flipping the top off his umpteenth bottle of beer, he told us how his bar had been flooded last year when gigantic waves swamped the whole beach. He also laughed at visitors who underestimated the power of the waves at Cacimba. “During a big contest last year a board was broken in almost every heat. I think we counted 42 broken boards when the contest ended,” he said.
With such an exceptional wave it was only a matter of time before the contest organisers started bringing events to Fernando de Noronha. It has been a regular venue for Brazilian competitions for some time and the WQS now holds a leg of its tour here each February. Earlier this year Britain’s Russell Winter was in action at Cacimba da Padre, where he cruised through a few rounds and finished in the top third of the field of competitors.
The year before, British champion Alan Stokes sampled the tropical tube heaven. He told Wavelength: “When the sand banks are right at Cacimba it’s one of the sickest waves in the world. If it’s small it’s a racy, hollow shore break. If it’s big it’s a real board breaker. I broke two boards when I was out there. But it’s a fun wave, though. And it’s such a beautiful place to be, with the national park and everything.”
When the swell backed off after a few days, we jumped in the buggy to explore more of the island. With such rich marine life it’s hardly surprising that Noronha is a top snorkelling and diving destination. During our forays below the surface at Praia do Sancho and Praia do Leão, we encountered turtles, manta rays and many varieties of colourful fish. We even managed to swim with the island’s famous acrobatic dolphins. Baia dos Golfinhos (Dolphins Bay) is apparently the best place in the world to see them entertain tourists by swimming at the prow of their boats and performing corkscrew aerials. Sharks also patrol the waters off Noronha but surfers are safe in the knowledge that their natural food sources are readily available in this protected marine park.
The decrease in wave size also allowed me to get back in the surf without risking life and limb. We cruised the north shore sniffing out Noronha’s lesser known but equally meaty breaks. We found an uncrowded peak at Praia do Boldró, which peeled a fast left off a slab of rock. After fuelling up with grilled fish, rice and salad for little over £1 at the Boldró beach restaurant, we continued onto Praia Cachorro. The presence of a surf school lulled me into a false sense of security because the fast, hollow waves were far from easy. It says something about the standard of the locals that this challenging beach is the only feasible place to learn on the island.
After six days of sun-drenched adventure on Noronha, we spent our final evening sipping cold beers as the sun set between the Dos Irmãos. Beneath the imposing silhouette of the Morro do Pico, local surfers raced the small super-fast close out waves at Praia de Conceição. I started thinking this was pretty tame. But then I realised they were just biding their time until the Atlantic’s giants returned to their shores.
