About Recife

In the State of Pernambuco, the old and the new, the sophisticated and the rustic, the sea coast and the interior, all live together in peaceful and surprising harmony.

The state capital, Recife, is known as the "Venice of Brazil" as it is crisscrossed by the Capibaribe and Beberibe rivers and their many canals and waterways, spanned by bridges. Modern avenues contrast with alleyways and old buildings dating back to colonial times.

Pernambuco is also a land of sunshine and beaches. Its pale green waters are calm and protected by a line of offshore reefs, from which the city gets its name. You can count on blue skies and a gentle breeze at beaches such as Boa Viagem, Pina, Piedade, Candeias, Pontas de Pedra, Catuama and Casa Caiada.

The town of Olinda, just 7 km from downtown Recife, with its centuries-old churches and mansions, is one of Brazil's loveliest remnants from colonial times, designated by UNESCO as a natural and cultural heritage for humanity. Olinda is also the site of Brazil's largest annual street Carnival.

TA place to visit is Itamaracá Island, where several beaches border the ruins of Vila Velha and Fort Orange, built by the Dutch in 1631.

The Guararapes Historic Park is also well worth a visit. Nova Jerusalém, (177km from Recife) where during Easter week, its inhabitants act the Passion of Christ play in an open-air theatre to an audience that may be as big as 12,000 persons. In this area we also find the sculpture park with gigantic figures sculpted off the stone that is found in the site.

Tour continues to Caruaru, a city declared by UNESCO as a world heritage for clay sculptures.