Baia do Sancho
Best for. Confident travellers who want a genuinely world class cove with superb snorkelling and are happy to earn it by climbing down a steep staircase set into the cliff.
Best spot. The right hand side of the bay near the rocks and reef, where the clearest water and the turtles, rays and reef fish gather, best on a calm morning before the boat tours arrive.
Know this. This is a protected marine park, so there are no clubs, no vendors and no services on the sand, you pay island conservation fees, and the cliff ladder has timed access and is hard going for anyone unsteady on steep steps.
Baia do Sancho gets called the best beach in the world, and Fernando de Noronha visitors have voted it exactly that in the TripAdvisor awards more than once. For once the hype holds up. It is a perfect curve of golden sand shut inside tall green cliffs on the calm inner coast of the island, with water so clear that the snorkelling off the rocks feels more like an aquarium than a swim. The catch, and the reason it stays this good, is that you have to work for it.
Getting onto the sand is the adventure. Most people come down through a narrow crack in the cliff on a steep staircase and set of ladders, a descent that is genuinely thrilling and, just as usefully, keeps the numbers down and filters out the casual crowd. Access is timed, the steps are not for anyone unsteady on their feet, and if the ladder is not for you the boat tours drop you straight onto the water instead. There is no lifeguard, the sea is usually calm but read it anyway, and take the climb slowly with children kept close.
Once you are down, snorkel the right hand side near the rocks and reef, where the visibility is best and turtles, rays and reef fish work the coral just off the sand, with dolphins often cruising the bay beyond. Remember this is a protected marine park, which is the whole point. There are no clubs, no vendors and nothing to buy on the beach, you pay the island conservation fees to be here, and you take everything back out with you. Come early on a calm dry season morning, bring your own water, shade and a mask, and give it the half day it deserves.
A protected beach, no clubs
Sancho sits inside the marine park, so there is nothing to book on the sand and nothing built along it.
There is no beach club at Baia do Sancho, and there never will be, because the whole cove is protected inside the Fernando de Noronha marine park. No loungers, no bar, no vendors, just the sand, the cliffs and the water. That is exactly why it stays as good as it does. The serviced side of a Noronha trip lives elsewhere on the island, at the pousadas, the beach kiosks on the more developed beaches and the boat operators who run the snorkelling and diving tours. If you want help lining up that side of the day, tell us your dates and we will point you to the right operators and stays. Prices and availability are set by each and are to be confirmed.
Down the cliff or in by boat
Baia do Sancho is on the calm inner coast of Fernando de Noronha, reached from the marine park trail rather than by road to the sand. Most visitors drive or take a buggy or island transfer to the Sancho lookout in the park, then climb down the staircase and ladders set into a crack in the cliff to reach the beach. Access on the ladder is timed and one way at busy points, so allow time and take it slowly.
The gentler alternative is to arrive by boat, as the island snorkelling and dolphin tours bring you straight onto the water and let you swim ashore, which suits anyone who would rather not tackle the cliff. Either way you pay the island conservation fee and the marine park ticket to be here, and there is nothing to buy on the sand, so carry your own water, sun cover, mask and snacks, and take everything back out. There is no lifeguard, so read the sea and mind the climb.
Photo: Carlos Alberto do Amaral via GoogleNot ready to book?
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Sancho is a protected beach with no clubs. Tell us your dates and party size and we will help line up a boat tour or a serviced beach day elsewhere on Noronha.
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Common questions about Baia do Sancho
How do you get to Baia do Sancho?
You reach Baia do Sancho either by climbing down a steep staircase and ladders set into a crack in the cliff from the Sancho lookout in the marine park, or by arriving on one of the island boat tours and swimming ashore. The ladder access is timed and one way at busy points and is hard going for anyone unsteady, so the boat is the gentler option. You pay the island conservation and marine park fees to visit.
Is Baia do Sancho really the best beach in the world?
It has been voted the best beach in the world by Fernando de Noronha visitors in the TripAdvisor awards more than once, and it lives up to it for setting and water. It is a golden cove shut inside tall green cliffs with famously clear water and superb snorkelling. Whether it beats every other beach is a matter of taste, but few come close on natural drama and marine life.
Is the snorkelling good at Baia do Sancho?
It is some of the best in Brazil. The water is exceptionally clear on the calm inner coast, and the rocks and reef on the right hand side of the bay hold turtles, rays and reef fish just off the sand, with dolphins often out in the bay. Bring your own mask, go on a calm morning before the boat tours arrive, and take care around the coral.
Are there any facilities or clubs at Baia do Sancho?
No. The beach is inside a protected marine park, so there are no beach clubs, no vendors and no kiosks on the sand. You need to bring your own water, sun cover, mask and snacks, and carry your rubbish back out. The serviced side of a Noronha trip, the kiosks, pousadas and tour operators, lives on the more developed parts of the island.
When is the best time to visit Baia do Sancho?
The dry season from August to December brings the calmest, clearest water and the best snorkelling visibility, and a calm early morning is the best time of day before the boat tours arrive. The wetter first half of the year is greener on the cliffs but less reliable for underwater visibility and calm seas.
