Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, is an important city located on the north-eastern coast of Brazil. Recife is an important cultural and business centre, having also a beautiful historic old city with colonial buildings and churches, and many amazing beaches, including the famous Praia da Boa Viagem.
REASONS TO GO
Wonderful beaches like Porto de Galinhas, Maracaípe and Serrambi
The traditional town of Olinda
The incredible gastronomy
ORIENTATION
The city can be approximately divided in four areas:
The Centro (downtown) has several neighbourhoods, spread over some islands and part of the mainland, and connected to each other by many bridges over the Capibaribe River. The Centro has most of the historic buildings in the city as well as the harbour;
Zona Sul (Southern Zone) is the most modern and touristy part of the city, with beautiful beaches and many hotels and restaurants;
Zona Oeste (Western Zone) is by the greenest part of the city with remnants of the Atlantic Forest and two important museums;
Zona Norte (Northern Zone) is essentially a residential area.
Olinda and Porto de Galinhas are part of Grande Recife, which is the Metropolitan Region of Recife. Olinda is worth visiting for its incredible natural surroundings, colonial architecture and carnival, while Porto de Galinhas is considered one of the best beaches in Brazil.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Recife has a hot and dry weather, with a light rainy season from March to September. Carnival takes place in February or March and is the most important event of the year.
HOW TO GET THERE
Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport has many direct scheduled flights several cities in the country and in the world.
TRAVELLING AROUND
The city has many buses connecting the most important attractions in the city. MetroRec is Recife's subway system but in only covers limited areas of the city. There are also many available taxis to take you anywhere around town.
INFO
http://www.recifeguide.com
