FERNANDO DE NORONHA
Life is so good on this ten-square-mile island, the centerpiece of a 21-island archipelago 215 miles off the coast of Brazil, that the government restricts access: No more than four daily commercial flights land on the island, allowing only about 500 tourists nightly, and Brazilians need a special permit to move here. That's because it's home to a national marine park and UNESCO World Heritage site that's considered one of the top ten dive sites in the world, thanks to 165-foot visibility. WHAT TO DO: Rising from a depth of more than 13,000 feet, the volcanic island serves as a drive-through for tuna, billfish, turtles, and sharks as they migrate to Africa. Noronha Divers drops clients in the middle of the action. Dives vary, from shallow 15-foot coral-and-fish swim-abouts to 90-minute, 330-foot-deep wall dives (two dives, including gear rental, from $123; noronhadivers.com.br). TIP: Adriana Schmidt, owner of travel agency Your Way (yourway.com.br), speaks fluent English and can help organize any island activity. WHERE TO STAY: Set in a 65,000-square-foot garden above the white sands of Sueste beach, the five-bungalow Maravilha matches the beauty of its natural setting. The spacious, minimalist rooms have private decks furnished with futons (doubles from $630; pousadamaravilha.com.br). WHEN TO GO: The diving is best September to October and January to February. GETTING THERE: Flights to Fernando de Noronha leave daily from Recife and Natal.
CHAPADA DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK
Where do you go to find solitude in a country of 186 million beach-loving libertines? Inland, of course. Two hundred and sixty-seven miles east of Salvador stands the mountainous Chapada Diamantina National Park, which had roughly 100,000 visitors in 2006. (Ipanema beach, meanwhile, saw a crowd of 1.2 million people last New Year's Eve.) Translated as "Diamond Highlands," the 588-square-mile park was the center of a diamond rush in the mid-19th century, with rivers so full of the precious stones that the first prospectors could pull handfuls from the riverbed. When the gems disappeared, so did the crowds, but a more permanent beauty remained: green mesas, swimming holes, and waterfalls in a region many compare to the Grand Canyon. WHAT TO DO: Hiking is the best way to explore Chapada Diamantina. Roy Funch, an American expat who helped the area achieve national-park status in 1985, offers day tours. His favorite trek is the three-hour hike to Sossego Waterfall, a 100-foot series of cascades ending in a soccer-field-size swimming hole ($90; fcd.org.br). WHERE TO STAY: Enjoy the sound of the rushing Lençóis River from a hammock on the private balcony of one of Canto das Águas' 44 rooms. Set just outside Chapada Diamantina, the upscale hotel can help organize anything from a 22-mile mountain-bike ride on an old miners' trail to bungee jumping from the mouth of a huge cave (doubles from $105; www.lencois.com.br). WHEN TO GO: To ensure cooler temperatures and higher water, avoid the dry season, September to October. GETTING THERE: A six-hour transit from the Salvador bus station will run you about $20.
ALTER DO CHÃO
Alter do Chão (pop. 5,000), on the clear-running, 1,238-mile Tapajós River, in the middle of the world's largest rainforest, has a mile-long white-powder beach that folks call the Caribbean of the Amazon. The Tapajós National Forest, just upstream, is home to pumas, anacondas, more than 340 species of birds, and 600-year-old piquiá trees. WHAT TO DO: Amazon Planet Adventures can organize five-day trips around the region that include searching for river dolphins, fishing for piranha, and hiking through the 2,000-square-mile Tapajós National Forest (five-day tours from $750 per person; amazonplanetadventur.com.br). The fourth annual Jungle Marathon (October 5–14, $3,000; junglemarathon.com) is a 200-kilometer multi-day adventure race that weaves through the jungle to the finish line at Alter do Chão. Competitors avoid jaguars and sleep in designated campsites surrounded by armed guards. WHERE TO STAY: The Beloalter Hotel overlooks Green Lake, near Alter do Chão (doubles from $80; beloalter.com.br). WHEN TO GO: Avoid the rainy season, January to June. GETTING THERE: TAM flights to nearby Santarém arrive daily.
—Thayer Walker
