Recife

Recife, Pernambuco’s capital, is one of the biggest and most significant cities on Brazil’s northeastern coast. This thriving metropolis, built by Dutch invaders, is bursting with a vibrant culture, an intriguing old town (home to the Americas’ oldest synagogue), and some pleasant beaches.

Throughout the year, there are countless festivities, holidays, and other events. Thus, the New Year starts on the beach, at Praia de Boa Viagem, and in the historic district of Recife. Recife and Olinda’s carnival (whose ancient town center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982) starts several weeks in advance in December with endless balls and parades.

Carnival events begin in the city in December, as residents prepare for the formal Carnival, which begins the week before Ash Wednesday. Pre-Carnival gatherings are often comprised of percussion ensembles rehearsing in neighborhood clubs, city streets and squares, and even at Carnival balls. There are several rhythms from various civilizations. Carnival officially begins with the Galo da Madrugada, a celebration in Downtown Recife that attracts thousands of people from numerous Brazilian states and other countries.

Recife is home to several high-quality 3, 4, and 5-star international hotels, as well as pousadas (traditional bed and breakfasts) and apart-hotels totalling more than 11,500 rooms, which increases to more than 30,000 in the Recife metropolitan region.

Mercado de San José (Market of Saint Joseph) is a historic iron structure next to a bustling market. The state museum is located at Fort Cinco Pontes (Fort of Five Points) (Museu do Estado de Pernambuco). The rectangular Pátio de S Pedro is home to the Cathedral S Pedro (Cathedral of Saint Peter), which dates all the way back to 1782, as well as renovated colonial residences filled with restaurants, bistros, and pubs. The Praça da Repblica (Square of the Republic) is located in the Bairro Santo Antônio neighborhood, at the confluence of the Capibaribe and Beberibe rivers. It is home to the Teatro Santa Isabel (Theatre of Saint Isabel), with its neoclassical facade that is well worth seeing, the Law Courts, and the Palácio da Justiça (Palace of the Justice). Casa da Cultura (House of Culture) is a repurposed former jail that has been transformed into a cultural area and commercial mall.

Built between 1835 and 1855, the Malakoff Tower is a Tunisian-style structure that served as an observatory before becoming a cultural center and meeting place for the populace. Arsenal do Marinha Square is where it is situated. It was named after a similar monument on the Crimean peninsula that served as a defense center for Sebastopol.

Recife is home to the Dois Irmos Park Zoo, a 387-hectare Atlantic Forest reserve, and 14-hectare botanical gardens. Additionally, there are 800 wild animals, a Natural Science Museum, and a number of ecological paths. The metropolitan region also boasts a massive water park, Veneza, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Recife. It covers about one million square feet, contains ten million litres of water, and has several water slides for children.

UNDERSTAND

Recife is located on the Atlantic coast, at the confluence of the Capibaribe, Beberibe, and Jordo rivers, at the Americas’ easternmost point. Tropical climate with two distinct seasons: dry (September–March) and wet (April–August). With little variance, the average annual temperature is 26°C (78.8°F). The city, which is located barely two meters above sea level (in certain areas, it is much lower), is divided between rivers, canals, and islands. Recife is referred to as Veneza Brasileira due to the abundance of rivers in its landscape (Brazilian Venice). Recifenses are its 1.5 million residents (3.5 million in the Grande Recife). The economy is built on services. Despite a high rate of poverty, the local Human Development Index (HDI) in 2000 (0.810) was higher than the national average for Brazil (0.800). Recife is internationally renowned for its beaches, history, Carnaval, arts, and gastronomy.

TOURIST INFORMATION CENTERS

• Recife Antigo, Rua da Guia,  +55 81 3232-2942. daily 9AM to 9PM.
• Mercado de San José, Rua da Guia. Mon to Sat 7AM to 7PM.
• Praca de Boa Viagem, Rua da Guia,   +55 81 3182-8297. daily 8AM to 8PM.
• Airport,   +55 81 3322-4353. 24 hours a day.
• Rodoviária,   +55 81 3452-1704. daily 7AM to 7PM.
• Patió de São Pedro,   +55 81 3452-1704.

Recife has a tropical climate (as defined by the Köppen climatic classification), with year-round temperatures ranging from moderate to hot and a high relative humidity. These circumstances are alleviated, however, by the delightful trade breezes that sweep in from the ocean. The city has a tropical monsoon climate, according to the Köppen climate classification. January and February are the hottest months, with mean temperatures ranging from 30 °C (86 °F) to 22 °C (72 °F), with plenty of sunshine; July is the cloudiest month, with mean temperatures ranging from 27 °C (81 °F) to 21 °C (70 °F), and is the wettest, with an average of 388 millimetres (15.3 in) of rain. November is the driest and sunniest month, with maximum temperatures hovering around 30 °C (86 °F) with an average rainfall of 36 millimetres (1.4 in).

Recife weather is often warm due to the city’s closeness to the equator. Recife is crisscrossed with islands, rivers, canals, and bridges. Recife is surrounded by tropical woods, which are characterized by excessive rainfall, which results in poor soil quality as nutrients are washed away. Due to the trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean, there are no severe temperatures and a pleasant breeze.

GDP was R$46,445,339,000 in 2013, according to IBGE figures. Additionally, the GDP per capita was R$29,037.

Recife is one of the most important business centers in Brazil, owing to the presence of an international airport and two international ports. One is situated inside the town, while the other is located around 40 kilometers (25 miles) away at the port of Suape. The region’s primary industrial district is located just south of Recife and is home to the following industries: brewing and canning, shipbuilding, automotive, electronics, tube manufacturing, chocolate production, and textiles.

Recife has benefited from Northeastern Brazil’s wealth as a consequence of development fostered after 1960 by the government organization Sudene (Superintendência para o Desenvolvimento do Nordeste). While its retail and wholesale trades have expanded in response to the region’s population and income growth, the market area and sidewalks along the city’s bridges remain densely packed with merchants selling little products.

INDUSTRY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Recife features a technological district dubbed “Porto Digital” (Digital Port), which is home to over 90 enterprises and 3,000 high-tech jobs. It began operations in July 2000 and has subsequently garnered significant investment. It generates around R$10 billion (Brazilian Reais) in annual revenue and exports technology to the United States, India, Japan, and China, among other nations. Porto Digital’s primary business is software production. The Porto Digital cluster is mostly comprised of small and medium-sized businesses, although multinationals like as Accenture, Motorola, Samsung, Dell, and Sun Microsystems are also present. IBM and Microsoft established regional offices in Recife.

Porto Digital’s businesses have access to a ready pool of talent because to the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), which has one of the strongest computer science departments in Latin America. In 1996, the year Sun Microsystems Inc. (SUNW) developed the Java programming language, the school started educating programmers how to utilize it. Additionally, professors at the institution collaborated to develop Centro de Estudos e Sistemas Avançados do Recife (C.E.S.A.R), a business incubator that has been instrumental in the formation of more than 30 businesses.

HUB OF LOGISTICS

Recife is regarded one of the largest logistical centers in Brazil due to its ports, airport, and geographic position in the northeastern area of the country. The economic sector of logistics and communications employs 4% of the population in Recife, 12.3% in Jaboato dos Guararapes, and more than 9% throughout the Metropolitan Area. These figures could increase by the end of 2010 with the completion of Transnordestina (the main NE Trainline with a 1,800/1,118 km/mi extension that will cross three states and connect 34 municipalities in Pernambuco alone) products with Suape port (PE) and Pecem port (CE), at an estimated cost of approximately 4.5 R$.

Recife has long profited from its geographic centrality in the Northeast. Within a 200-mile (320-kilometer) radius of Recife, four state capitals, two international and three regional airports, five international ports, 12 million inhabitants, 51% of Northeast’s research centers, and 35% of the region’s GDP may be found. Similarly, there are seven state capitals within a 500-mile (800-kilometer) radius, five international and five regional airports, nine international ports, and two fluvial ports.

Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC), a new airport in Recife, is effective, convenient, and accessible to the city. There are direct scheduled flights to Buenos Aires, Frankfurt (Condor), Madrid (Iberia), Miami (American Airlines), Lisbon (TAP), Madrid, Oporto, and Paris, as well as to So Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Braslia, Campinas, Caruaru, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Fernando de Noronha, Fortaleza, Maceió, Natal, Joo Pessoa, Araca Regular charter flights are also available from other European cities like Milan, Helsinki, and Amsterdam.

Azul, Avianca Brasil, GOL, Noar, Pantanal, TAM, TRIP, VARIG, and WebJet are domestic airlines that offer regular scheduled flights to Recife.

From the airport

• MetroRec Subway has an Aeroporto stop on its southern line which will take you directly downtown.

• Bus 033 (Aeroporto) goes every 20 minutes to Boa Viagem (15 min) and to the city center (Av. Dantas Barreto, 30 min). You can also take the Aeroporto opcional which is a little bit faster. Stop in front of the airport building.

• Bus 161 (Brigadeiro Ivo Borges) and Bus 163 (Cajueiro Seco) also go to the city center. Stop on the other side of the street opposite the airport building.

• Taxis from the airport to Boa Viagem cost about R$10, to the city center R$20 to 25 and to Olinda R$ 40 (2011), airport taxis are more expensive.

• BR-101, also known as the Translitoranean, connects to the north with Natal and João Pessoa, and to the south with Maceió, Aracaju, and Salvador, as well as Vitória and Rio de Janeiro further down the coast.
• BR-232 runs east-west across most of Pernambuco, connecting Recife withGravatá, Caruaru and a number of other destinations.
• BR-408 connects Recife with Tracunhaém and with Campina Grande,Paraíba.

Terminal Integrado de Passageiros (TIP), Rod BR 232 – Coqueiral,  +55 81 3452-1999. Recife’s long-distance bus terminal is way out in the suburbs. TIP is connected to the city by the MetroRec subway at the Rodoviária station on the Centro 1 line, around 15 minutes from downtown. Bus companies have booths at the Central MetroRec station in town, so at least you do not have to trek out just to buy advance bus tickets.

Direct buses to all Northeast and many other capital cities:

• To Fortaleza by Guanabara, R$ 120-250, 12 hours.
• To Natal by Progresso, R$ 42-60, 4,5 hours.
• Hourly to João Pessoa

At the Port of Recife, cruise ships may dock. Other Brazilian states, nations in South America, the Caribbean, or even Europe may provide cruises. The Holland America Line ms Rotterdam and ms Prisendam, Oceania Cruises Insignia, SeaDream Yacht Club, Royal Caribbean International Splendour of the Sea, P&O Cruises Artemis, and Cunard Line Queen Elizabeth II are just a few examples of transatlantic cruise ships. There are further cruises that depart from Recife for the Fernando de Noronha archipelago.

The most practical mode of public transportation is the bus. The 119 bus routes that make up the Sistema Estrutural Integrado (Integrated Structural System), often known as SEI, are connected to the subway network at 13 different locations within the metropolitan region.

Taxi is the best bet. Look for registered taxi companies which charge standard rates. Ask for a car with air conditioning (especially in the summer).

• Coopetáxi,  +55 81 3224-8441
• Disk Táxi,  +55 81 3224-5410
• Ligue Táxi, +55 81 3228-6830
• RádioTáxi Recife,  +55 81 3222-6580
• Recife Táxi,  +55 81 3424-3020
• TeleTáxi,  +55 81 2121-4242

MetroRec , Recife’s subway system, is the third largest in Brazil, although it still covers only limited areas of the city. 13 of the 28 stations have connections to the SEI metro bus system and, depending on your destination, it may be possible to purchase a single combination subway/bus ticket. MetroRec has three basic lines:

• Two Central lines run together from downtown to the west, where they split after Coqueiral station and go to Jaboatão dos Guararapes and Camaragibe respectively. It does provide a useful link between the city center and the TIP Bus Station in the outskirts, at the penultimate stop on the Camaragibe (Centro 1) line.
• A new South line provides direct access to the airport and Shopping Center Recife on its way to Cajueiro Seco.

MARKET / SUPERMARKET

RESTAURANTS

ENTERTAINMENT

TRANSPORTATION

• Convento Franciscano de Santo Antônio (Franciscan Convent of Saint Anthony), Rua Imperador Pedro II, Santo Antônio, (Centro). Mon to Fri 8 to 11:30AM, 2 to 5PM, Sat 8 to 11:30AM. One of the city’s biggest attractions, a convent containing the ostentatious Capela Dourada (Golden Chapel), which certainly lives up to its name. Built in 1588, it is one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Brazil. Altar with gold-covered engravings, beautiful paintings on the ceiling and impressive amount of Portuguese-style tiled panels. This is one of the main sights in Recife. The interior of Jacaranda and ceder wood is completely covered with gold. You will find similar churches full of splendour only in Salvador da Bahia or Ouro Preto.

The convent also houses the Museu Franciscano de Arte Sagrada(Franciscan Museum of Sacred Art). R$2. 

• Madre de Deus (Mother of God), Rua Madre de Deus, Recife Antigo (Centro) (next-door to the Paço Alfândega Shopping Mall),  +55 81 3224-5587. Tue-Fri 8AM-noon and 2PM-5PM, Sat-Sun 9AM-noon. 

• Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Our Lady of Carmel Basilica and Convent), Avenida Dantas Barreto – Santo Antônio (Centro). Mon-Fri 7AM-7PM, Sat 7AM-noon, Sun 8AM-noon and 6PM-9PM. Built between 1710-1767, where the Boa Vista Palace built by the Dutch governor of Northeastern Brazil once stood. A religious art collection can also be visited. Baroque in style; altar with gold engravings and crowns of gold and precious stones. One of the rooms is covered with Portuguese tiles. 

• Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao dos Militares (Our Lady of the Conception of the Military), Rua Nova, 309, Santo Antônio (Centro),  +55 81 3224-3106. Built in 1726. The 1781 ceiling paintings depict the Guararapes Battle against the Dutch. Leaders from the Praieira Revolution and the Paraguay War are buried in the church. The church also houses the Museu de Arte Sacra Padre Roberto Barbalho (Father Roberto Barbalho Museum of Sacred Art). 

• Nossa Senhora do Pilar, Praça Monsenhor João Castilho Barbosa, (Centro),  +55 31 3551-4736. Constructed in 1680. 

• Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Homens Pretos (Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black Men), Rua Estreita do Rosário, Santo Antônio (Centro). Mon-Fri 9AM-1:30PM and 2:30PM-6PM, Sat 8AM-noon. Erected by African-Brazilian slaves in the 17th century. Main wooden altar engraved in gold; lateral altars display images from the 18th century. 

• Santa Cruz (Holy Cross), Pátio de Santa Cruz, Boa Vista (Centro). Built between 1725 and 1732. Parts of the movie Lisbela e o Prisioneiro (2003) were shot in the square in front of the church.

• Santíssimo Sacramento – Matriz de Santo Antônio (Holy Sacrament – Saint Anthony Mother Church), Praça da Independência – Santo Antônio (Centro). Daily 7AM-noon and 2PM-6PM. Built between 1753 and 1790, the church is in manueline/baroque style. Interior decorated with enormous crystal chandelier and images of Saint Anthony and Saint Sebastian. 

• São Pedro dos Clérigos (Saint Peter of Clerics Cathedral), Pátio de São José – Centro. Built between 1728 and 1782, the cathedral is in the charming Saint Peter Square, surrounded by colorful colonial buildings. It is a replica of the Santa Maria Maggiore Sanctuary in Rome. Rosewood altar; pulpit engraved in gold; wooden ceiling sculpted with images of Saint Peter, the twelve apostles and the evangelists. Blend of baroque art, 16th century mannerism, as well as rococo and neoclassic elements. 

• Benfica Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Benfica), Rua Benfica, 157, Madalena (Zona Norte),  +55 81 3227-0657. Mon-Fri, 9AM-noon and 2PM-5PM. The center specializes in the “Armorial” Movement and also holds a significant portion of the pieces from the old Fine Arts School. 
• Joaquim Nabuco House, Rua da Imperatriz, 147 – Santo Antônio (Centro). House were 19th century politician, abolitionist and author Joaquim Nabuco was born. 
• Joaquim Nabuco Palace (Assembléia Legislativa do Estado de Pernambuco), Rua da União, 439 – Boa Vista (Centro),  +55 81 3217-2211. Seat of the Pernambuco State Legislature, built in 1874. A historical documents collection can be visited in the annex building. 

• Justice Palace (Palácio da Justiça), Praça da República – Santo Antônio (Centro),  +55 81 3419-3311. Seat of the Pernambuco State Judiciary, built in 1930. 

• Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue (Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel), Rua do Bom Jesus – Recife Antigo. Built in and used by some of the thousands of Sephardic Jews who immigrated here during the brief period Dutch domination between 1630 and 1657. The oldest synagogue in the Americas. 

• Malakoff Tower Cultural Obseratory (Torre Malakoff), Rua do Observatório, Recife Antigo (Centro),  +55 81 3424-8704. Tue-Fri 10AM-8PM, Sat 2PM-8PM, Sun 2PM-7PM. Built in 1853. Beautiful tower in the port front. Functions as an astronomic observatory and arts and science center. 

• Parque Theater (Teatro do Parque), Rua do Hospício, 81 – Boa Vista (Centro),  +55 81 3423-6044. Constructed in 1915, Parque Theater is one of the three oldest, historic theaters in Recife. Modern and traditional plays from Spanish and Portuguese playwrights of the 17th-21st centuries are performed at the theater. Next door is the Cineteatro do Parque, Recife’s oldest cinemas. Because Recife’s municipal government, tickets are subsidized and cost only pennies! 

• Pernambucan School (Ginásio Pernambucano), Rua da Aurora, 703, Boa Vista, (Centro) (next door to the State Assembly and Manuel Bandeira’s House). Built in the second quarter of the 19th century, it is one of Brazil’s oldest secondary schools. The school’s Louis Jacques Brunet Natural History Museum was one of the first in Latin America. Father Carapuceiro, Barbosa Lima Sobrinho, Epitácio Pessoa and Ariano Suassuna were either teachers or students here. The school was visited by Emperor Dom Pedro II. 

• Portuguese Reading Room (Gabinete Português de Leitura), Rua do Imperador, 290 – Santo Antônio (Centro),  +55 81 3224-2593. Mon-Fri 8AM-noon and 1PM-5PM. Built in 1850. 
• Princesses’ Field Palace (Palácio do Campo das Princesas), Praça da República – Santo Antônio (Centro),  +55 81 3425-2124. The state governor’s Palace, built in 1841. The name of the building derives from the fact that the daughters of Emperor Dom Pedro II used to play in the palace’s gardens. 

• Pernambucan Academy of Letters (Academia Pernambucana de Letras), Av. Rui Barbosa, 1586, Graças (Zona Norte). Constructed in 1870. 

• Santa Isabel Theater (Teatro Santa Isabel), Praça da República – Santo Antônio (Centro). One of Brazil’s finest theaters. Built in 1850. 

• Parque 13 de Maio (May 13th Park), Praça Dr.Adolfo Cirne – Boa Vista. The largest green area in central Recife, with playground equipment, a petting zoo, and illuminated fountains. 24-hour security. Free. 
• Parque Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers Park), Praça Farias Neves, no number – Dois Irmãos,  +55 81 3183-5539, e-mail: zoodoisirmaos@gmail.com. Tue-Sun 8AM-4PM. A zoo and botanical garden park, with 387 hectares of Atlantic Forest and 14 hectares of botanical gardens. The zoo has around 800 types of animals. The grounds also hold the Natural Science Museum and a number of ecological trails.R$2. 
• Parque da Jaqueira (Jaqueira Park), Av. Rui Barbosa – Jaqueira. This park is popular for jogging. It also has bicycle trails, plus live music on Sundays.Free. 

• Abolition Museum(Museu da Abolição), Rua Benfica, 1150 – Madalena (Zona Norte),  +55 81 3228-3248. Museum that covers the period of slavery and the abolitionist movement in XIX century Brazil. Former plantation house. Former residence of Counsellor Joao Alfredo, leader of Brazil’s abolitionist movement in the 19th century. 

• Casa Manuel Bandeira/Espaço Pasárgada, Rua da União, 26 – Boa Vista (Centro) (next door to Joaquim Nabuco Palace and Pernambucan School),  +55 81 3231-3994. Mon-Fri 8AM-6PM. House were the acclaimed poet Manuel Bandeira spent his childhood. 

• Casa-Museu Gilberto Freyre, Rua Jorge Tasso Neto – Apipucos (Zona Norte),  +55 81 3441-1733. Mon-Fri 9AM-4:30PM. Beautiful house where once lived Brazil’s greatest sociologist, Gilberto Freyre. 

• Military Museum Brum Fortress (Museu Militar Forte do Brum), Praça da Comunidade Luso-Brasileira – Recife Antigo (Centro),  +55 81 3224-7559.  

• Museum of the Archeological, Historic and Geographic Insitute of Pernambuco (Museu do Instituto Arqueológico, Histórico e Geográfico de Pernambuco), Rua do Hospício , 130 – Boa Vista (Centro),  +55 81 3222-4952. Mon-Fri 1PM-5PM, Sat 8AM-noon.  

• Museum of Archeology of the Catholic University of Pernambuco(Museu de Arqueologia da Universidade Católica de Pernambuco), Rua do Príncipe, 526, Bl G, 1° Andar – Boa vista (Centro),  +55 81 3216-4192. Archeological museum focused on indigenous artifacts. Located at the Catholic University of Pernambuco.

• Museum of Natural History Louis Jacques Viget (Museu de História Natural Louis Jacques Brunet), Rua da Aurora – Boa Vista (Centro),  +55 81 3303-5315. Created in 1861, it is one of the first natural history museums in Latin America. Located at Ginásio Pernambucano. Collection spans archeology, botany, geology and zoology. 

• Museum of the Northeastern Man (Museu do Homem do Nordeste), Avenida 17 de Agosto, 2187, Casa Forte (Zona Norte) (take the),  +55 81 3441-5500. Tue to Fri 8:30AM to 5PM, Sat, Sun 1 to 5PM, closed Jan1, Carnaval, Mar6, Good Friday, Jun24, Dec25. Part of the Fundação Joaquim Nabuco. This fantastic museum depicts the various folk arts, traditions, and history of Northeast Brazil. The displays are divided among three sections, focusing on sugar, folk arts, and anthropology. It’s located in the suburbs, but well worth the ride out. 

• Museum of the State of Pernambuco (Museu do Estado de Pernambuco), Avenida Rui Barbosa, 960 – Graças (Zona Norte). Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat-Sun 2PM-5PM.  

• Recife City Museum (Museu da Cidade do Recife), Forte das Cinco Pontas – São José (Centro),  +55 81 3224-8492. Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM, Sat-Sun 1PM-5PM. Located inside the 17th-century Cinco Pontas Fortress.

• Ricardo Brennand Institute, Alameda Antônio Brennand – Várzea (Zona Oeste),  +55 81 2121-0352. Tue-Sun 1PM-5PM. Holds a very impressive collection of Brazilian and European historical artifacts from the 15th to 19th centuries. Special attention given to the period of Dutch occupation in Recife and Northeastern Brazil. 

• Train Museum (Museu do Trêm), Praça Visconde de Mauá – São José (Centro) (in the central station, Estação Central),  +55 81 3224-4620. Mon-Thu 1PM-6PM, Fri 8AM-noon. The Train Museum is in the old Central Train Station, which now also serves as the central station for MetroREC, Recife’s subway system. 

• Value Museum (Museu de Valores), Rua da Aurora, 1259 – Santo Amaro (Centro),  0800-992-345. Mon-Fri 9AM-4PM. Museum of by the local representation of the Central Bank of Brazil. Holds more than 7,000 historic coins from Brazil and abroad, historic maps and artifacts found during excavations at Fort Orange, in nearby Itamaracá Island. 

• Aluísio Magalhães Modern Art Museum (Museu de Arte Moderna Aluísio Magalhães – MAMAM), Rua da Aurora, 265 – Boa Vista,  +55 81 3232-2188. Tue-Sun noon-6PM. 

• Casa do Carnaval, Pátio de São Pedro, 52 – São José (Centro),  +55 81 3224-1103. Mon-Fri 9AM-5:30PM.  

• MAMAM at the Courtyard (MAMAM no Pátio), Pátio de São Pedro, 17 – São José (Centro),  +55 81 3232-2844. Unit of the Aloísio Magalhães Modern Art Museum (MAMAM) at the São Pedro Courtyard. Experimental space for visual arts and critical reflection concerning contemporary development in these arts. Short term exhibitions, performance art, workshops, debates. 

• Museu de Arte Popular, Pátio de São Pedro, 11 – São José (Centro).  

• Museu de Arte Sacra Padre Roberto Barbalho, Rua Nova, 309 – Santo Antônio (Centro),  +55 81 3224-3106. Located at Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao dos Militares Church, the museum contains religious artifacts. 

• Museu Franciscano de Arte Sacra, Rua Imperador Pedro II – Santo Antônio (Centro) (at Santo Antônio de São Francisco Convent).  

• Museu Murillo La Greca, Rua Leonardo Bezerra Cavalcanti, 366 – Parnamirim (Zona Norte),  +55 81 3232-4276. Mon-Fri, 9AM-5PM. More than 1,400 drawings and 160 paintings by paintor Murillo La Greca. 

• Museu-Oficina Francisco Brennand, Propriedade Santos Cosme e Damião – Cordeiro (Zona Oeste) (near Avenida Caxangá and Rua Gastão Vidigal). Great ceramic art in a bucolic area of the city surrounded by forest. 

• Parque das Escultura (take a canoe ride from Praça do Marco Zero, in Recife Antigo (Centro). Alternatively, drive through Brasília Teimosa (Zona Sul)). A sculpture park on the reefs of the port of Recife. Contains more than 90 sculptures by Francisco Brennand, including a 30 meter high tower. 

• Pernambuco Image and Sound Museum (Museu da Imagem e do Som de Pernambuco – MISPE), Rua da Aurora – Boa Vista,  +55 81 3231-2716. Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM, Sat-Sun 1PM-5PM. Holds more than 6,000 pieces, including movies, records, photographs, postcards and the like. Uses modern audivisual techniques to document Pernambuco’s culture. 

• Maracatu Rehearsals (ensaios de maracatu). Some of the most traditional maracatu groups include: Leão Coroado (since 1863), Estrela Brilhante do Recife (since 1909), Porto Rico (since 1916), Cambinda Estrela do Recife (since 1935), and Elefante, among others.

• Catamaran Rides in the Capibaribe River (Catamaran Tours, Cais das Cinco Pontas), Avenida Sul, São José (Centro),  +55 81 3424-2845, +55 81 9973-4077. 4PM and 8PM daily. Tour lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.RS30. 

• Agenda de Eventos do Recife. Daily, 4PM and 8PM. Tour last 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

• Scuba diving. Recife is known as Brazil’s shipwreck capital: more than 100 ships have sunk in the coast around the city, 15 of which are accessible to tourists. Together with the natural coral reefs, they make the coast of Recife a great spot for scuba diving.

• Volleyball and footvolley at Boa Viagem beach. The latter was first developed into a sport in the sands of Recife, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s.
• Panorama flight (NVO Táxi Aéreo, Aeroclube de Pernambuco),  +55 81 3325-0191. R$150 to 300. 

Recife is the third largest theater production center in Brazil, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The most traditional theater is Teatro Santa Isabel, while the most modern is the one at Convention Center of the Federal University of Pernambuco.

• Santa Isabel Theater. Praça da República, Santo Antônio (Centro).
• Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Theater. UFPE Campus, Cidade Universitária (Zona Oeste). 
• Valdemar de Oliveira Theater,  +55 81 3222-1284. Praça Oswaldo Cruz, 412, Boa Vista (Centro). 
• Teatro Barreto Júnior, Rua Estudante Jeremias Bastos, 121 (Zona Sul), +55 81 3326-4177. Pina,
• Teatro Apolo, Rua do Apolo, 121,  +55 81 3224-1114. Recife Antigo (Centro), 
• Teatro SESC Casa Amarela (Teatro Capiba),  +55 81 3441-8900. Rua Professor José dos Anjos, 1109, Casa Amarela (Zona Norte), 
• Teatro SESC Santo Amaro,  +55 81 3216-1616. Rua Marques do Pombal, Santo Amaro (Centro), 
• Teatro Hermilo Borba Filho, Rua do Apolo, 121,  +55 81 3424-5429. Recife Antigo (Centro), 
• Teatro Armazém 14,  +55 81 3424-5613. Rua Alfredo Lisboa, Cais do Porto, Recife Antigo (Centro), 

Smaller Theaters:

• Teatro Clênio Vanderley,  +55 81 3224-2850. Rua Floriano Peixoto São José (Centro), at Casa da Cultura, 
• Teatro da Ribalta, Rua das Pernambucanas, 65,   +55 81 3231-4884. Graças (Zona Norte), 
• Teatro Joaquim Cardozo, Rua Benfica, 157,   +55 81 3227-0657. Madalena (Centro),
• Teatro Maurício de Nassau, Rua Vigário Tenório, 135/143,   +55 81 3224-8790. Recife Antigo (Centro) 

• Multiplex Shopping Tacaruna, Shopping Center Tacaruna, Avenida Agamenon Magalhães, 153, Santo Amaro, Centro/Zona Norte,   +55 81 3207-3001.  
• Cine Rosa e Silva, Executive Trade Center, Avenida Rosa e Silva, 1460, Aflitos, Zona Norte,   +55 81 3243-8255.  
• Cineteatro José Carlos Cavalvante Borges (Cine FUNDAJ), Rua Henrique Dias, 609,   +55 81 3421-3266. Derby (Zona Norte). 

Recife’s soccer teams compete in events like the Brazil Cup, Pernambucan Championship, A-Series (First Division) Brazilian Championship, and Copa Libertadores da América.

Clube Nautico Capibaribe (home: Aflitos Stadium), Sport Clube do Recife (home: Ilha do Retiro Stadium), and Santa Cruz Futebol Clube are the three most established groups (home: Arruda Stadium). The A-Series Brazilian Championship is presently being played by Nautico and Sport. In the C-Series is Santa Cruz.

Internationally renowned soccer players like Juninho Pernambucano, Rivaldo, Ricardo Rocha, and Vavá call Recife home.

The city of Recife is home to some of Brazil’s top roller hockey teams: Clube Portugues do Recife, Clube Nautico Capibaribe , Sport Clube do Recife and Associacão Amigos do Minho do Recife. Both Clube Portugues and Sport have been national champions.

A diverse range of culinary influences, including African and indigenous ones, may be found in Pernambuco. In Recife, the national cuisine Feijoada—a stew of beans, pork, and beef—is not particularly well-liked. It is typically eaten with rice and farofa. On the other hand, several components that are popular in Recife are uncommon in the South of Brazil, such as manioc flour (the primary component of tapioca), cuscuz, and yuca (corn flour). pumpkin, goat, lamb, or jerked beef. Seafood is tasty and unusual. The cuisine of the region is unique in several ways, such as Carne de Sol and buchada, a delicacy made from billy goat guts.

• Recife is the birthplace of two traditional and delicious cakes Bolo de Roloand Bolo Sousa Leão.
• Do try the snacks on offer from beach vendors—little chicken and beef kebabs, oysters, prawns, and grilled cheese. Just be aware that some of the vendors may have been carrying them around for hours–if it doesn’t look fresh, it probably isn’t.
• A must try is Caldinho: a soup served all over the place (restaurants, dedicated carts and people with flasks selling it on the beach). Comes in a variety of flavors from black bean to shrimp. The person selling it will say “completa” when you order it. This simply means “complete”, and if you say yes at this point you get a few added extras, such as a small boiled egg put into the cup of hot soup.

Recife is the gastronomic capital of the Northeast. There are more high-quality restaurants here than in any other city in Brazil north of Rio de Janeiro.

Budget

• Chica Pitanga, Rua Petrolina, 19 – Boa Viagem,  +55 91 3465-2224. Mon-Fri 11:30AM-3:30PM and 6-10PM, Sat 11:30AM-4PM and 6-10PM, Sun 11:30AM-4PM. Per-kilo restaurant with regional foods. 

• Creperia Anjo Solto (Galeria Joana D’Arc, shop 14). Wed-Thu 7PM-4AM, Fri-Sat 9PM-4AM, Sun 7PM-1AM. Crepes both savory and sweet, plus drinks. Note the very late hours.

• Papaya Verde, Rua Padre Bernardino Pessoa, 287 – Boa Viagem,  +55 81 3325-2242. Daily 11:30AM-3PM. Self-service Middle Eastern food.

Mid-range

• Bargaço, Avenida Boa Viagem, 670, Boa Viagem,  +55 81 3465-1847. Sun to Thu noon to midnight, Fri to Sat noon to 1AM. Bargaço is considered the best fish and seafood restaurant in Recife. A typical speciality of the restaurant is the moqueca, pieces of fish or shrimp stewed with vegetables and coconut milk. 

• Boi Preto Grill, Av. Boa Viagem 97 – Pina,  +55 81 3466-6334.  

• Buraco da Otília, Rua da Aurora, 1231,  +55 81 3231-1528. A traditional restaurant. Specialty is galinha a cabidela (chicken boiled in its own blood) which is a very common dish in Recife.

• Carne-de-Sol do Cunha, Rua Rigueira Costa, 80 – Rosarinho (Zona Norte),  +55 81 3241-6512. A local favorite. It offers traditional Pernambucan food, such as buchada, as well as other regional dishes. Large portions for the price. 

• Parraxaxá, Rua Baltazar Pereira, 32 – Boa Viagem,  +55 81 3463-7874. This Northeast-themed restaurant offers all the traditional regional cuisine. The staff are dressed as either police or outlaws. With its festive decor, the restaurant is a fun way to enjoy a meal.Famous for it´s “Pernambuco Breakfast” (Café da manhã pernambucano). Some young people go there for breakfast after a night out. 

• Pomodoro Café, Rua Capitão Rebelinho, 418 – Pina,  +55 81 3326-6602. Italian cuisine. 

• Porcão, Avenida Engenheiro Domingos Ferreira, 4215, Boa Viagem, +55 81 3465-3999. Sun, Tue to Thu noon to 0:30am; Fri to Sat: noon until the last client leaves, Mon closed. Porcão is referred to as the best churrasco restaurant in Recife. It has branches in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Belo Horizonte and Miami and offers pick up service from major hotels in Recife 

• Quina do Futuro, Rua Xavier Marques, 134 – Aflitos (at the corner with Rua do Futuro),  +55 81 3241-9589. Japanese cuisine. 

• Recanto do Picuí, Praca do Derby, 253,  +55 81 3423-5188. The specialty of Recanto do Picuí is jerked beef, Recife style. 

• Tio Pepe, Rua Almirante Tamandaré 170 – Boa Viagem,  +55 81 3341-7153. Tue-Sat 11:30AM-11:30PM, Sun 11:30AM-4PM.  

Splurge

• Assucar, Rua da Alfândega, 35 – Recife Antigo (Paço Alfândega Shopping Mall, 4th floor),  +55 81 3419-7582. Gorgeous views of the Capibaribe River. The menu is filled with classic and contemporary northeastern cuisine. 

• Leite, Praça Joaquim Nabuco, 147, Santo Antônio,  +55 81 3224-7977. Sun – Fri: 11:30AM-4PM. Open since 1882, it is Recife’s most traditional Portuguese restaurant. The restaurant was named after its founder, Armando Manoel Leite da França, a Portuguese immigrant, who established a small kiosk in 1882. Leite has a large menu ranging from decadent entrees to delicious deserts. The restaurant mainly serves Portuguese dishes. Try the giant shrimp grilled on butter or a regional dessert called carola, banana topped with cheese and baked with sugar and cinnamon. 

• Mingus, Rua Atlantico 102 – Boa Viagem. This modern restaurant offers patrons a variety of dishes and regional wines. Mingus delights its diners with fine cuisine along with relaxing jazz harmonies. 

• Ponte Nova, Rua Bruno Veloso, 528 – Boa Viagem,  +55 81 3327-7226. Ponte Nova serves contemporary, French-influenced, regional cuisine. Adding to its reputation as one of the best restaurants in town, Chef Joca Pontes was voted 2007’s best chef by Veja Magazine. This restaurant will surely impress those who dine here. 

Would you like to spend the entire day lounging on the beach with an umbrella? In fact, you can! The seats are free, as is the person who moves the umbrella. They only ask that you purchase your meals and beverages from them in exchange.

They all have menus with them, and the food is immediately served and freshly prepared on the sand. Test out the seafood. Local fishermen typically catch the fish earlier on the same day.

Aside from your own vendor, there will be several other sellers of different goods making their way up and down the beach. Even though the dealer will take the time to show you what is available, learning the language for these things is not required.

• Prawns (Camarao) – Be careful of the prawns– smell them before purchase. A free sample is available with the word prova. They might have been walked up and down the beach for hours in the hot sun. A quick sniff is enough to tell you if they are fresh or not. If you decide to eat them, here is a quick tip: hold the tail of the prawn, tear off and discard the head and leg sections, hold the very tip of the tail, pop the rest in your mouth and bite off the tip leaving it in your fingers. Yes, you can eat the shell; peel it if you wish, but you will not see the locals doing this.
• Oysters (Ostra) – Vendors will be carrying a bucket full of ice and live oysters. They are prepared for you one at a time. Served with a squeeze of lime, salt and cumin powder.
• Crab – They do not come prepared, so unless you know which bits to eat and which bits to discard, steer clear!
• Grilled cheese (Queijo de Coalho) – No warnings here–just go ahead and enjoy. It’s a real treat.
• Kebabs (Espetinhos) – Grilled chicken or beef. Cooked fresh right in front of you.
• Ice-cream – The prices are a lot more expensive than just off the beach. But you don’t have to get out of your chair. In that heat, you will appreciate that.
• Caldinho – you will notice guys walking up and down the beach with flasks. These are full of different flavors of a soup called caldinho. Try prawn one with hot pepper sauce.
• Ovos de codorna – Small boiled quail eggs ready to peel salt and eat.
• Nuts – A variety of nuts is available, cashew being the most obvious because it is grown right there in northeastern Brazil. Also, peanuts in 2 varieties: roasted or boiled.

• Casa de Cultura, Rue Floriano Peixoto, Santo Antonio (opposite the old Central Train Station (now Train Museum)). mon to Sat 9AM to 7PM, Sun 9AM to 2PM. Once the city prison, it is now a warren of small shops (one in each cell) selling regional arts and crafts. 

• Domingo na Rua, Rua Bom Jesus. Sun 2 to 10PM. Sunday market 

• Mercado de São José (São José Market), 1871 project of architect J. Louis Liethier and engineer Louis Léger Vauthier. Iron structure was inspired in the Grenelle Market in Paris, France. Historically, the market played an important role as a meeting place for street magicians, musicians, acrobats and the like. You can still find traditional handicrafts, regional food, medicinal herbs and Cordel Literature.

• Paço Alfândega, Rua de Alfandega 35, Recife Antigo. Mon to Sat 10AM to 10PM, Sun noon-8PM. A visit to Paço Alfândega is highly recommended. Paço Alfândega (Customs’ Palace in Portuguese) is a comfortable, modern shopping mall set in the renovated structure of a colonial customs house building from the early 1700s, during which Recife was the largest port in the Americas. There is a permanent historic exhibition on the history of Recife and the customs building. The mall also houses one of Recife’s main nightclubs and some good restaurants. You can have a good view of the Capibaribe River and its bridges from the main terrace. Next door, you can visit the wonderful Livraria Cultura bookstore. 

• Plaza Casa Forte, Rua Dr. João Santos Filho, 255 – Casa Forte,  +55 81 3265-8100. Mon-Sat 10AM-10PM, Sun 12-8PM. Western-style shopping mall.
• Shopping Boa Vista, Rua do Giriquiti, 48 – Boa Vista,  +55 81 3423-5666. Mon-Sat 9AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-7PM.  
• Shopping Center Guararapes, Av. Barreto de Menezes, 800 – Piedade,  +55 81 2122-2211. Mon-Sat 9AM-10PM, Sun 12-8PM.  
• Shopping Center Recife, R. Pe. Carapuceiro, 777 – Boa Viagem,  +55 81 3464-6000. Mon-Sat 10AM-10PM, Sun 12-9PM. Among the largest shopping malls in Brazil. 
• Shopping Center Tacaruna, Av. Gov. Agamenon Magalhães 153 – Santo Amaro,  +55 81 3412-6000. Mon-Sat 9AM-10PM, Sun 12-8PM.  

• Recife’s Carnaval is one of the country’s busiest. Very different from its carioca counterpart, in Recife street shows and parades play contagious rhythms like frevo and maracatu, attracting more than 1.6 million people to celebrate and dance on the streets every year. Apart from frevo and maracatu, two other cultural manifestations that are typical of Pernambucan Carnaval include bumba-meu-boi and caboclinho. Recife’s Carnaval is known for being multicultural, as people from different cultures, ages and likes gather around to be part of one of the biggest carnavals of the world.

• Abril Pro Rock. Every April. Two-day rock music festival.

• Festival de São João. June. Yearly celebration of nordestino culture, with loads of traditional music and food. 

Recife is home to a sizable number of bars, the most of which—if not all—serve both food and beverages. Prices for a 600 ml bottle of cerveja, a lager-style beer, range from R$2.50 to R$4.

There are some excellent bars at the less upscale end of the market. There isn’t much signage to let you know that it’s a bar. In essence, you are looking at a bar if you notice some plastic patio chairs on the street. These locations often have the largest crowds and the most enjoyable atmosphere. In locations like these, be wary of the ice since it could not have been prepared with bottled water. If you plan to eat at these bars, it also helps to be healthy physically.

• There are huts selling food, beer, and the like about every half kilometer in the center of Boa Viagem beach.

• Warning: It might not be safe to walk to and from all these nightspots. Ask around, and take a cab to escape muggings.

There are bars of varying quality up and down the streets of Recife. A few good picks include the following:

• Bar Central, Rua Mamede Simões 144 – Boa Vista,  +55 81 3222-7622. Mon-Fri 12-2AM, Sat 8PM-2AM, Sun closed. A lively and fun place more upmarket than most. The bar attracts a diverse crowd, ranging from writers to musician. Bar Central is also queer-friendly and very famous with indie kids. 

• Biruta, Rua Bem-Te-Vi, 15 – Pina (Zona Sul), +55 81 3326-5151. A lovely bar on the north end of the beach that gets a great sea breeze all evening. Get there early to get a table with a view. 

• Downtown Pub, Rua Vigário Tenório, 105 – Recife Antigo,  +55 81 3424-6317, e-mail: downtown@downtownpub.com.br. This British pub-inspired bar puts on live music shows and is self-entitled “House of Rock”. If you like “Heavy Metal”, watch out, there might be a concert over there. 

• Entre Amigos, Rua Marquês de Valença, 30 – Boa Viagem, +55 81 3312-1000. A bar restaurant with 2 names and 3 seating areas, one of which has air conditioning. Situated in downtown Boa Viagem and a 5 minute walk from the beach. A great place to watch the football or soak up the lively atmosphere of the very busy bar, it has a great buffet for lunch or you can eat à la carte. 

• Guaiamum Gigante, Rua Dr. José de Góes, Parnamirim,  +55 81 3441-1509. This bar-restaurant seats up to 600 people. Although it may not be too pleasing to the eyes, Guaiamum Gigante serves great portions of delicious seafood for a relatively low price. This is a nice place to go on Sundays! 

• Depois Dancing Bar, Rua Rio Branco, 66 – Recife Antigo.  
• Metrópole, Rua das Ninfas, 125 – Boa Vista,  +55 81 3423-0123. GLS danceclub. 
• OverPoint, Rua da Alfândega, 35 – Recife Antigo, +55 81 3305-5777. 
• Sala de Reboco, Rua Gregório Júnior, 264 – Cordeiro,  +55 81 3228-7052. Specializing in forró. 

Recife’s reputation for safety is not one of the best. Robberies on streets and buses are fairly common. Do not be alarmed — odds are you will have a fabulous time here — but be aware of your surroundings and take the usual big city precautions.

• While entering or leaving Olinda at dusk or dawn, you have an elevated risk of being ambushed. Taxis are recommended.
• Beware of the unlicensed guides. Make sure you have the travel itinerary planned out and a price (including meals, fuel, etc.) agreed upon before starting out.
• Watch out for shark warnings before entering the water at the Boa Viagem beach.
• If you are carrying notes of 50 or 100 reais, be sure to tell the taxi driver before you get in because he might not have change. Some taxi drivers might not know how to get to where you are going, so make sure that you have the address written down. If you are a woman traveling alone, sit in the back as some drivers may try to take advantage of the situation.
• Avoid Recife’s downtown on Sundays. Streets are deserted all day long and are very unsafe. Consider taking a tour to a neighboring city or beach instead.

• Hospital Santa Joana, R. Joaqum Nabuco 200, Gracas,  +55 81 3421-3666. 
• Real Hospital Portugues, Av. Cons. Aguiar 147, Boa Viagem,   +55 81 3416-1800.  
• Unicordis, Av. Cons. Aguiar 1980, Boa Viagem,   +55 81 3326-5237.equipped for cardiac emergencies 
• Unicordis, Av. Cons. Rosa de Silva 258, Aflitos,   +55 81 3421-1000.