Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco, a major port located 835 km north of Salvador. Due to its exquisite architecture, this city is often compared to Venice. The city was founded in 1537 by the Portuguese and at first was called Pernambuco. In the middle of the 17th century, the city was named Mauritsstad, served as the capital of Dutch Brazil, and the headquarters of the Dutch West India Company was located here. See MATERNITYETCHIC for Brazil customs regulations and visa requirements.
How to get to Recife
Recife has a major international airport Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre, which receives flights from Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza and other major cities of the country, as well as from Buenos Aires, Lisbon (a / k TAP), Madrid, Paris and several other European capitals. Charter flights from many European cities, such as Helsinki or Amsterdam, also fly here.
Domestic flights within Brazil are operated by GOL, OceanAir, TAF, TAM, Air Trip, VARIG and WebJet.
Recife’s main bus station, Terminal Integrado de Passageiros (tel: +55 81 3452-1999), is located on the outskirts of the city. You can get there in 15 minutes by MetroRec train.
Transport in Recife
The most convenient way to travel is by buses, the network of routes of which is spread throughout the city.
Metro Recife – MetroRec – the third largest in Brazil. It links the city center with the immediate surroundings, including the main bus station. However, it does not capture all areas of the city that are interesting in terms of tourism. The Southern Line is currently under renovation and will lead to the airport and Shopping Center Recife.
Recife Hotels
Recife has a large number of fine hotels, elegant buildings, restaurants and cafes scattered along the coastline. Many hotels and hotels in Recife, most of them 3* and 4*, are waiting for their guests. However, it should be borne in mind that accommodation prices during the Brazilian summer period (December to March) may be higher than usual.
Recife beaches
In addition to a good beach directly in the city and nearby Boa Viagem, a chic coastline stretches for many kilometers near Recife with small resort towns: Porto de Galinhas, Cabo di Santo Agostinho and others that receive tourists all year round. On this coast on the Atlantic Ocean there is no rainy season, and the air temperature all year round is around +28…30° C.
Boa Viagem Beach is famous for its wonderful fine white sand. There are many shops and eateries along the entire coastline. But the best beach, nevertheless, is Porto de Galinhas (Porto de Galinhas, 60 km from Recife Airport), which every weekend and New Year’s holidays becomes, well, just very crowded. Open-air parties are held here, and the choice of hotels is very worthy: from cozy quiet guesthouses to luxurious five-star resort complexes. The nearby Maracaípe beach is also worth a visit. You can get to these two beaches from Recife by bus (1.5 hours) or taxi.
Excursions, activities and attractions in Recife
7 km from Recife is the city of Olinda – one of the best preserved colonial cities in Brazil, famous for its “old quarter”, which is under the protection of UNESCO. Recife itself, built at the mouth of the Capibaribi River, is separated by a narrow isthmus from Olinda.
