Pousada Toca Da Garoupa

Sr Paulo explained the situation clearly: the inn is still being renovated, with painting and construction underway. He and dona Eliete, the new owners for about a year, changed its name to Shalom Adonai. They’re wonderful hosts and make a real effort to please their guests. sra Ana looks after breakfast with care and dedication, and everything is thoughtfully prepared. Getting there can be a little difficult because the town has steep hills and stone roads. Still, the inn is close to Vila dos Remédios and the beaches of Cachorro, Meio, and Conceição. We walked to all of them, as well as to some good restaurants. For tours, the company picks you up at the inn. Given how expensive everything is in Fernando de Noronha, the value for money was well worth it.

I was surprised by the inn after reading some negative reviews on tripadvisor. The staff’s service and the breakfast both impressed me. The place was very clean and comfortable, and I got married in Noronha while staying there. I’d stay again and would definitely recommend it to friends. Thanks to Carlinhos and the owner, Antônio, for welcoming us and accommodating my requests for breakfast outside the usual hours and a late checkout. I can’t remember the name of the woman who made breakfast, but she was very attentive to what we asked for. There was a good selection of fruit and cold cuts, along with scrambled eggs, tapioca, omelets, cakes, breads, and more. The inn is reached by a roughly 250-meter dirt road. We had a few rainy days, but getting along the road was still fine, and the access didn’t detract from the quality of the place.

The inn is not in a condition to rent out its rooms. I’ll repeat that, because our stay was so bad: the rooms shouldn’t be rented in their current condition. We were traveling to Noronha for work, another architect and I. Our client had chosen and prepaid for the inn, but when we arrived nobody knew we were coming, and we had a long wait to check in. The reception, kitchen, and restaurant areas were shockingly poor. Our room brought more problems: it was dirty and smelled bad, with mold on the walls and unhealthy conditions overall. The shower mixer had been patched with electrical tape, the toilet flush kept failing, there were too few outlets and they didn’t work properly, and there was nowhere to set down a suitcase. We went out to work after lunch. It rained that afternoon, and when we came back, water was dripping through the PVC ceiling directly above the bed. The ceiling had a huge sag, and we were afraid it might collapse. We slept with our feet toward the headboard out of fear. At 3 a.m., I woke up with my feet soaked because new leaks had appeared. It was total chaos. We had to be forceful before anyone would listen, and we left for work without a resolution, anxious about the next night. After a whole day with no answers, we were ready to look for another inn or even sleep at the airport. Conditions were so poor that the staff and owner had to ask the inn across the road to let us sleep in a room that was at least dry and clean. That only happened after a lot of rudeness and unwillingness to help. We’re left very sad about the experience, and we want to warn others, especially the owner: please recognize the state of Toca da Garoupa and don’t offer rooms that aren’t fit to rent. The nightly rate could pay for a much better room elsewhere, on paved streets and closer to the center. There are plenty of options if you search. We didn’t choose this inn ourselves, so we couldn’t have the good stay we’d hoped for. What a shame. Keep your eyes open and look around a little more.

The location is great, though because the inn is on a dirt road, walking to the center can be difficult when it rains. Sr. Expedito is helpful with information about tours, beaches, and restaurants. It’s a simple place, but it has what a guest needs: a generous breakfast and a spacious room with a TV, electric shower, air conditioning, minibar, and Wi-Fi. The connection is weak, though it’s weak everywhere in Noronha. I really enjoyed my stay and would come back.