Recife Travel Guide

 
by boasnovas
 
  •   Pottery Brennand
    by boasnovas
  •   Recife
    by carlaveronica
  • Parque das Esculturas de Brennand
      Parque das Esculturas de Brennand
    by ThiagoRamos
  •   Recife
    by solopes
  • Olinda
      Olinda
    by realde14
 

Pro

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 You meet the real brazilian people 


Con

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 Robbers at the beach 


In a nutshell

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 A good place to start your brazilian journey 

 

Explore Recife

Things to Do  

Recife Antigo

Recife Antigo, Recife

 8 Reviews  A strong effort is being made in Recife's historical area, recuperating its most beautiful buildings. Before leaving Portugal, a friend told me that he didn't like Recife, because it was old, degraded, and dirty. But everything has a negative and a positive side: those old and degraded buildings... 

Boa Viagem

Boa Viagem, Recife

 6 Reviews  We stayed at Boa Viagem, and took there most of our swims. The beach is long but not spectacular. The long reef along the coast protects from surf and sharks, but risks to make the bath very monotonous, specially in low tide, when it becomes almost a pool. People throws everything to the sand, but... 

Beaches

Beaches, Recife

 10 Reviews  A good option to visit Recife is to take a boat tour along Capibaribe river. "Catamaran Tours" offers a few options of tours. "Rio Capibaribe e suas pontes" (Capibaribe River and its bridges), "Recife e seus bairros" (Recife and its neighborhoods), "Ilha de Santo Aleixo" (Santo Aleixo Island),... 

Olinda

Olinda, Recife

 5 Reviews  It is not Recife, but it so close and so connected, that it would be a "crime" if I skip this information. Olinda deserves its own page, and you just need to follow the link. 

Instituto Brennand

Instituto Brennand, Recife

 5 Reviews  The main building houses a collection of art, focused in the influence of Netherlands in Brazil. It's a rich and beautiful collection, but for someone who knows what Portugal meant to the history and art of Brazil, it gives the idea that the Portuguese-Dutch conflict subsists. Some of my friends... 

Pottery Brennand

Pottery Brennand, Recife

 3 Reviews  Most of the best work of Brennand is exposed in the garden. Clearly obsessed by erotic shapes, there's a touch of Dali in some of the "crazy" compositions. The Taj Mahal is the central volume, and the fountains and walls frame it very well. 

Casa da Cultura

Casa da Cultura, Recife

 2 Reviews  An old detention house, closed in 1973, was transformed under Brennand's supervision, in a shopping mall. The architecture was preserved, and the cells were occupied by dozens or small shops, selling local crafts. Even where interior walls were removed, to allow a little bigger shops, the look was... 

Carnaval

Carnaval, Recife

 3 Reviews  If you are in Recife on Carnival it worths to go to the carnival on the "Recife Antigo". This spot gathers all the IT companies of the city. During the Carnival the island become a place where you can enjoy all kind of music .. not only Samba, actually Samba is one of the things you might not hear.... 

Porto de Galinhas

Porto de Galinhas, Recife

 2 Reviews  Near to Recife is Porto de Galinhas, a resort-town. Porto de Galinhas means Port of Chickens in Portuguese. Why chickens? Well, back in the 1880s, after slavery was banned, the bad bad plantation owners of this region still imported Africans from West Africa. But of course, they could not go out... 

Hotels  

Mar Hotel Recife

 2 Reviews and 17 Opinions  Nice Swimmingpool, and good breakfast 

Recife Palace Hotel

 2 Reviews and 35 Opinions  My first sensation was... some disappointment: It is a business hotel near the beach, and not a... 

Restaurants  

Cicero and Suely: Eating in the Beach

Cicero and Suely: Eating in the Beach, Recife

 solopes Says:  If you are at the beach and want to stay, there's no reason to leave it to eat. Everywhere you see people cooking in the beach, preparing some dishes they will bring straight to your chair, in a small table. And if you don't want a formal meal, then the choice grows, because... 

Nightlife  

Jardins Bar: "In"

Jardins Bar: "In", Recife

 solopes Says:  We thought it had live music, but the promoted artist was... a disk-jockey. Somewhat frustrating, but it allowed to verify that it is a selected place, where, when we left, the ratio women-men should be 3 to 1. Maybe later, they got the draw... Casual 

Transportation  

"Seu" Roberto

"Seu" Roberto, Recife

 solopes Says:  A friend introduced me to a taxi driver that uses to work for him, and is a trusty person. "Seu" Roberto, more than an excellent professional was a friend, a guide, and a bodyguard. Always charging much less than the table in display at my hotel's lounge, he took us... 

Shopping  

The Beach: The Anti-Mall

The Beach: The Anti-Mall, Recife

 solopes Says:  A shopping mall is a concentrated series of shops, waiting for the costumers to pass by. "Boa Viagem" beach is just the opposite : a series of moving shops, passing by the costumers. One day, I decided to note everything they were selling. I quickly gave up, and decided to... 

Mercado S. José: Real Market

Mercado S. José: Real Market, Recife

 solopes Says:  More than 500 shops, with all kind of articles, from food and beverage to witchery will, for sure, have what you need. If you are not buying, a stroll along its corridors and stalls is something you shouldn't miss. Anything you need Not much, if you can be taken as a... 

Local Customs  

Fishing from the reef

Fishing from the reef, Recife

 solopes Says:  The open water is dangerous, and no swim is allowed past the reef, in Boa Viagem. In low tide, it's easy to walk on the reef, and some locals use to capture some fish from it. And, by what I saw, sometimes big catch! 

Dirty in the Beach

Dirty in the Beach, Recife

 solopes Says:  Brazilians are not very careful about the cleanliness of their beaches, but things may change. Too many people do each day cleaning of the garbage that locals throw to the sand, and they are trying to educate the new generations. In the Sunday I spent there, a passing boat... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Shark Attack

Shark Attack, Recife

 solopes Says:  It seems that Recife is the only sector of the coast where shark attacks do really happen. Swimming past the reefs is forbidden and you'd better respect the signals posted in the beach, indicating the dangerous areas. A long strip of the beach stands beside the reef, and... 

Tourist Traps  

Brazilian Venice

Brazilian Venice, Recife

 solopes Says:  Any city with much water is immediately called "Venice". Without searching, I know Portuguese Venice (Aveiro), American Venice (Los Angeles), Spanish Venice (Mogan) and now Recife. No comparison! Recife has several rivers and islands, lots of bridges, but... that's all. Two... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Sidetrip to Olinda

Sidetrip to Olinda, Recife

 deeper_blue Says:  You should make the effort to get to Olinda, it's a pretty laid back spot just 6km from Recife. It's full of galleries, museums and churches and perfect if you've had enough of Recife's gritty side. You can take a Pau Amarelo or Rio Doce bus from outside the Recife metro... 

Favorites  

North Eastern Brazil

North Eastern Brazil, Recife

 deeper_blue Says:  Recife pronounced He-seefay is on the Atlantic coast, south of Olinda and North of Salvador. This could well be your first stop if coming by boat to South America. The climate is quite muggy and I found it quite a chaotic introduction to Brazil. It has plenty of character... 

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Map of Recife