Recife & Fernando de Noronha Recife he Brazilian entrance gate, Recife is the cultural and leisure heart of the Northeast, and the main theatrical, gastronomic and medical center of the region. Recife’s street Carnaval is considered one of the best and most joyous in Brazil. It starts on a Saturday with a Galo da Madrugada group parade and continues under the heat and hot February sun for three days, at the rhythm of frevo and maracatu (typical Brazilian dances). Events Carnival Recife’s Carnival is internationally known and admired, attracting thousands of people every year. The party starts a week before the official date, with electric trios “shaking” the Boa Viagem district. On Friday, people take to the streets to enjoy themselves to the sound of frevo and to dance with maracatu, ciranda, caboclinhos, afoxé, reggae and manguebeat (cultural movement created in Recife during the 90s) groups. There are still many other entertainment poles spread out around the city, featuring local and national artists. One of the highlights is Saturday when more than one million people follow the Galo da Madrugada group. From Sunday to Monday, there is the Night of the Silent Drums, on the Pátio do Terço, where Maracatus honor slaves that died in prisons. Attractions Recife This was where Recife first started, the city”s initial settlement and, at present, its historical center. This important neighborhood displays several remodeled centenary constructions that have been used as bars, restaurants, theaters, museums, art galleries, shopping centers, as well as other architectonic complexes of priceless value. The first synagogue of the Americas is located on the blocks that form Old Recife, as it is also known. Built in the 17th century, Kahal Zur Istrael maintains some of its original characteristics, like flooring and walls, and it is a cultural center and small museum. Malakoff Tower was erected in the 19th century to serve as an astronomic observatory. At the Brum Fort, from 1630, there is the Military Museum, where one can find high quality bars, night clubs and restaurants, which is transforming the place into a night life pole. Churches Our Lady of Carmo Basílica and Convent It was built at the end of the 18th century. Its baroque style has an altar with gold engravings and crowns of gold and precious stones. One of the rooms is covered with Portuguese titles. Golden Chapel This is one of the most beautiful baroque style churches in the country. Built between the 18th and 19th century, it displays an altar with gold covered engravings and beautiful paintings on the ceiling. It is integrated to a complex of buildings erected by the Franciscans, and it also has a convent, with religious tiled panels and the Franciscan Museum of Sacred Art, with a collection of images and sacred objects. Saint Peter of Clerics Cathedral Built in 1782, it is a replica of the Great Santa Maria Sanctuary in Rome. Its altar is made of rosewood and the pulpit is engraved in gold. The main chapel”s wooden ceiling is sculpted with Saint Peters weapons and the image of the Twelve Apostles and the 4 evangelists.. Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black Men The church was erected by slaves in the 18th century, with its main wooden altar engraved in gold. The lateral altars display images from the 18th century. Holy Sacrament (Saint Anthony Mother Church) It is a baroque style church, from 1790, also known as Saint Anthony Mother Church, who is its patron. The interior is decorated with an enormous crystal chandelier and images of Saint Anthony and Saint Sebastian. Beaches Boa Viagem, do Pina, Candeias and Piedade
Recife”s beaches are urbanized and on the avenue along the coast one can find bars, restaurants and hotels. Boa Viagem Beach, the most popular, has natural pools of blue water, formed on the strip between the sand and the reefs. Bathing is recommended only in places protected by the reefs; surfing is prohibited in that area. Museums Northeastern Man Museum The broad collection describes Pernambuco culture starting from three main themes: the sugar-cane production cycle, the northeastern man”s life style and the folkloric and religious manifestations. Ricardo Brennand Institute Set up in a building that reproduces a medieval style, it has a collection of pieces from the Dutch domination period in Recife, as well as daggers and armors. Francisco Brennand Ceramic Shop Francisco Brennand, one of the most important names in contemporary sculptures in Brazil, displays his ceramic works in enormous open sheds, between monuments and gardens. It is set in an old brick factory that belonged to the sculptor’s family. Gilberto Freyre Foundation The farm house, from the 18th century, was Gilberto Freyre”s old residence. Artworks, arts and crafts, book collections and objects that belonged to the Pernambuco writer and sociologist are displayed there. Recife City Museum Set up in a room in Cinco Pontas Fort, it shows pictures, reproductions of old paintings and objects that describe Recife since the period of Dutch rule. Scuba diving San Martin Arreiro It sank 12 meters deep as it was leaving Port of Recife. Pirapama Two years after it collided with Vapor Bahia, it sank in 1889 six miles from Recife Port, to a depth of 23 meters. Vapor 48 It was an unknown shipwreck that sank 48 meters deep. It is richly inhabited by several sea species. Servermar X It was intentionally sunk 27 meters deep for scuba diving tourism. Alfama de Lisboa Am almost totally destroyed Portuguese galleon. It sunk 10 meters deep and it is possible to find porcelain pieces stuck to corals. Lupus It was intentionally sunk 37 meters deep for scuba diving tourism. B 18 This is a B18 aircraft that fell into the sea after an unsuccessful takeoff. There are still some bigger pieces of its structure.
Vapor Bahia In March 1887 it collided with the Pirapama , sinking 12 miles from Itamaracá Island. It is 26 meters deep in one of the best scuba diving points in the country. Guararapes This cargo ship collided with a coral bank near Olinda, totally loaded, sinking only 8 meters deep.
Vapor Flórida (Tow ship) It was an English steamer that sank during a storm in 1910. Several crew members died. It is located 12 miles from Recife Port and is 31 meters deep.
Marte Tow ship intentionally sunk for scuba diving tourism. It is 32 meters deep.
Shopping
Arts and Crafts (ceramic, sisal, leather, wood, straw, bilro lace)
Pernambuco Culture House
Recife”s old Detention House was remodeled in 1975 and transformed into a regional culture center. Set up in old cells, one will find the Frevo Museum, arts and crafts stores, snack bars and tourist information stands. It is located on Rua Floriano Peixoto, in the Santo Antonio district.
São José Market It is located on Praça D. Vital, in the São José district.
Boa Viagem Arts and Crafts Fair
It is located on Praça da Nossa Senhora de Boa Viagem. The fair is one of the oldest in the country, having, at present, 212 stands.
Olinda
They say that the name “Olinda” originates from the words of a Portuguese Nobleman, Duarte Coelho, Pernambuco’s High Commissioner, when he searched for a place to establish a settlement. Upon finding a hill with a magnificent sea view and a natural harbor protected by reefs, he said: “ Oh, beautiful place to build a village”. (“Oh, beautiful”, translated from the Portuguese: “Oh, linda”, thus the name “Olinda”. Truth or legend, what matters is that the city is really quite beautiful. From its foundation on, the village prospered in trade and became wealthy. However, the Dutch invaded it in 1630. After setting the city on fire, they abandoned it and moved to Recife, then just a seaport. Only after the invaders were driven out in 1654 did the village’s reconstruction begin. Much was preserved from that time: part of the original urban layout, old baroque churches and houses. Together, they comprise an important architectural collection, making Olinda part of Humanity’s Cultural Heritage. They also set the scenario of one of the most original carnivals of the country in street games, music and dance.
Events
Street carnival
During the Carnival, one of the most vivacious feasts in the country takes place. Olinda citizens and tourists perambulate the narrow slanting streets dancing to the music of “frevo” and “maracatu” bands. The traditional mockery blocks and the famous giant dolls participate throughout the fun. On these days, Olinda becomes a vast stage for popular cultural manifestation.
Holy Week
It represents the end of lent, a forty-day period after carnival. Beautiful processions take place throughout the city.
Iemanjá Feast (December)
Female Orixa (Goddess) that personifies the sea. She is the mother of all Orixás, the Mistress of the Earth and Heavens. The Blue Walk, as the procession is called, is a cortege that conducts the figure of Iemanjá on an allegoric vehicle accompanied by the “Holy sons” and a large crowd leading the “Pot of Offerings”, which is deposited into the sea.
Christmas (December)
Our Lord of Bonfim Church (1758) and the Palace of Governors, where the “Palace Christmas” takes place with a Christmas presentation, pastoral events, folkloric dances and choirs, are the top visiting places of the Christmas festivities.
Christmas Serenade (December)
A group of singers and musicians accompanied by a large crowd walk through the streets of the High City playing Christmas carols and praises to Olinda. The serenade begins at the Sé Cathedral with a large number of guest choirs led by Olinda’s Martyr Saint Peter Choir.
Revolinda (December)
New Year’s celebration on the beaches, mostly concentrated on the Bairro Novo and Casa Caiada beaches. Great fireworks and much animation to celebrate the New Year.
Attractions
Churches
Olinda holds churches rich in ornaments and carvings, as well as simple churches. Majority were built in the 16th and 17th centuries and display baroque (16th-17th Century European style) architecture and statues. Some deserve highlight such as the São bento Monastery with a gold plated altar, and the São Francisco Convent, which integrates a group of temples. The Sé Cathedral, on a location of privileged view, is the oldest of the city and one of the first to be built in Brazil.
Art Studios
Plastic artists have setup their studios throughout the city. Visitors are welcome. They are free to enter and admire the paintings, sculptures and ceramic works.
Sacra Art Museum
The building holds the rich religious art of Pernambuco State. Built before the arrival of the first bishop in 1976, it was rebuilt in the 19th century. The Palace also has two antiquate blocks, and twelve windows on the upper floor, built later on, with wooden balconies in 18th century style. The permanent collection was given by the Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife, and later on refined. Today, it gathers religious pieces of the 16th century, including important specimens of the contemporaneous popular art. The museum currently develops an active program with courses, lectures and exhibitions that accompany the liturgical period and religious calendar. On the ground floor, an exhibition of photographic panels documenting the history, evolution and landscape of Olinda. Bairro Novo Beach With a 2.7 km extension, the beautiful and bustling beach of Bairro Novo is the most visited by tourists and with the best structure. Olinda has only 11 km of coastal area distributed into seven beaches, some of which are inaccessible for sea bathing due to the topography of the area yet highly attractive for contemplative leisure. Rua do Amparo This street is the cultural pole of the city’s historical sector with restaurants, inns, museums and art studios. Shopping Ribeira Market It is a building from the late 17th century with shops where one can buy local craftwork such as the typical “machê” paper (paper-pulp) masks. It holds sculpting, engraving and painting workshops as well. Fernando de Noronha With many paradisiacal beaches, very rich flora and fauna and incomparable landscapes, Fernando de Noronha is on the top of the list among the most visited and admired locations sought by tourists from Brazil and from all over the world. The archipelago's good environmental conditions have called the attention of environmentalists from the whole planet, so much so that the islands were granted the title of World Heritage of Humanity, granted by Unesco, in 2002. The Archipelago was visited for the first time around the year 1503, by Americo Vespuccio. It was invaded by French and Dutchmen, until the Portuguese, at last, took possession of it. Many historical sites show traces of these last colonizers: Vila dos Remédios, Vila da Quixaba, Parque de Sant'Ana and the ruins of the São Pedro do Boldró, Sto. Antônio, and N.Sª da Conceição Fortresses. With 21 islands, Fernando de Noronha stands over an area of 26 km². The main island, with that same name, is the only inhabited one, and the largest of all - it has 17 km². Part of it is occupied by the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park, considered since 1988 an Environmental Protection Area (APA), with some 8 km². The purpose of that park is to protect the local fauna, flora and remaining natural resources. The park includes also all secondary islands. Its total area extends over 112,7 km², including its perimeter, with 60 km. It offers five predefined trails that may be visited after previous authorization given by Ibama (the Brazilian Environmental Protection Agency). The Archipelago hosts a population of approximately 2,100 people. Tourism is developed in a sustainable manner, offering the opportunity for a balanced encounter between men and nature in one of the most important ecological sanctuaries in the world. Noronha offer good infrastructure to service tourists: bank agency, police station, post office, tourism information office, hospital, Internet access, military police forces, a port, weather information, hotels and inns. In some inns, visitors have the chance to cohabit with local inhabitants, who have turned their humble houses into familiar or charming inns. Flora The predominant vegetation in Fernando de Noronha is composed of species typical of the Brazilian Northeastern arid vegetation, which loose their foliage during the dry season. In general, the local vegetation includes higher trees and bushes on the flatter surfaces. Between March and July, the island's vegetation is more exuberant, however during this period the possibility of heavy rains is considerably greater. Fauna In Fernando de Noronha there is a wide number of natural pools that allow for direct contact with the rich and exotic local sea fauna. The islands' waters are full of fish, sponges, algae, shellfish and coral reefs, among which the most abundant one in the archipelago, Montastrea cavernosa. At the Baía dos Golfinhos (the “Dolphins Bay”) belvedere, “rotator” dolphins can be observed in their natural environment. One of the most beautiful scenes in the island can bee observed every day during sunrise, when groups of dolphins enter the bay, into an area of calm and protected areas. Sea turtles may also be seen from November onwards, as they group on the water surface, when adult males compete for female partners, thus stating that specie's period of reproduction in the archipelago. The National Center for the Conservation and Care of Sea Turtles - better known as the TAMAR/IBAMA Project - since 1984 employs every effort to protect female turtles, eggs and reproduction locations and is constantly evaluating their population. These animals are protected according to the Decree that has established a prohibition on the capture, fishing and molesting of all species of turtles in Brazilian waters. The archipelago also hosts endemic species, animals brought about by man and, also, some migratory species. Visitors should not forget that they must pay for an environmental preservation fee to the local administration - related to the number of days they spend on the island. Accommodation There are some 70 small inns, ranked according to the level of comfort they offer. Many are inside old local inhabitant's houses, adapted to receive guests. They offer apartments equipped with refrigerators, TV and air-conditioner. Attractions Diving in Fernando de Noronha The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha is one of the best places in the world for diving. The island's crystalline waters, with visibility of up to 50 meters host many species of fish, skate fish, sharks, turtles, eels, barracudas, dolphins, sponges and algae, including also rocky formations, coral reefs and shipwrecks. Even those who do have any experience in diving can experiment the thrilling sensation of observing the local sea fauna in their natural habitat. At seashore on the beaches of Atalaia and Sancho Bay and at the natural aquariums formed by rocks at Porcos Bay, it is possible to see a wide range of colored fish. Diving fees vary according to the time of the year. Divers must also pay for a special fee established by the government protection agency, IBAMA. Diving operators installed on the island supply transportation and all necessary equipment. For accredited divers, local operators offer a wide range of courses, but anticipated booking is recommended. Main diving points Shipwrecks At 64 meters deep, the Ipiranga war ship is considered the most preserved shipwreck in Brazil. The Greek ship "Eliane Estatatus" is under Sto. Antônio Bay, near the local port, at an 8-meter depth. Since it is quite close to the seashore, visitors can swim to visit it. The Dois Irmãos Slab It is close to the Dois Irmãos cliff, in front of Porcos Bay. Diving there goes between 8 and 15 meters deep. Cabeço do Sapata Cliff Huge rocky wall that reaches 40 meters deep into the ocean. Iuais Slab with 23-meter depth. Pedras Secas Cliff Set of rocks that extend from sea surface down to a 15-meter depth. The location offers an excellent visibility. Frade Island A depth of 20 meters. It is located in front of Atalaia beach. Meio Island Grouts and caverns at a depth of 15 meters. The Northern Point of Land Huge cliff where diving reaches a depth of 42 meters. Surfing 2-meter high waves with peaks up to five meters high, such as at Cacimba, Boldró, Ruro and Abrás Slabs, are sought by surfers from all over the world, especially from November thru April. Some stages of the National Surf Championship are held on Fernando de Noronha. Beaches The most sensational thing about Fernando de Noronha is that all the island's beaches are very pretty and very well preserved. Local seawaters are of greenish blue tone and are incredibly transparent. Some of them include also some rocky formations. Below you will find a list with main beaches. In the outside sea Leão (“Lion”) Beach It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil. It has a rock in the shape of a sea lions, hence the beach's peculiar name. Right in front of that beach visitors see the Viuvinha rock, a small island covered with birds nests. When waves hit against some of its rocky formations, it produces a jet of water. This beach is also the main egg-laying point used by sea turtles and, therefore, the beach is closed during some months of the year, from late afternoon to the next early morning, between January and June. Sueste Bay It offers a peculiar characteristic in terms of oceanic islands: it has a marsh area. The sea there is quite free of larger waves. On the left side of the beach visitors find the ruins of the São Joaquim de Sueste Fortress. Atalaia Local coral reefs form natural aquariums with rich sea life. Access to the beach is limited to a small number of people each day. It is necessary that visitors ask for a special permit at the Visitors Center in the National Park. Buraco da Raquel (Cliffy Cavity) It offers natural pools along rocky formations. This is a place for pure and deep contemplation. Bathing is not allowed. In the inside sea Santo Antônio Bay The bay forms a natural port, where small ships can anchor, including those used for sightseeing tours. The bay also includes a shipwreck that attracts many divers. Cachorro Beach It is located close to the Remédios Fortress. It has coral reefs and waves are low and pleasant. Conceição Beach This beach is very popular among surfers during high tide. During low tide, seawaters are calm and proper for bathing. Being a long beach, it is good for those who appreciate long walks along the seashore. Boldró Beach It also offers good waves for surfing during high tide. At the sea cliff visitors find the ruins of the São Pedro do Boldró Fortress, which are used as a belvedere. Padre Cliff This is one of the largest beaches in the island, being around 1-km long. During summer it offers excellent waves for surfing of up to 5 meters high. It is surrounded by native forest. Porcos Bay This beach has quite too many rocks and a narrow stretch of sand. Natural aquariums with colored fish its great attraction. But diving here is not allowed. In front of it, tourists can visit two huge rock slabs called "Dois Irmãos" (Two Brothers). The highest one holds the ruins of the São João Batista Fortress, offering a beautiful view of the turquoise-blue waters marked by dark cliffs. This peculiar scenario has led some to consider Porcos Bay as the most beautiful beach in Brazil. Access to the beach is available through trails. Sancho Bay In terms of beauty, it rivals the neighboring beach of Porcos Bay. It is excellent for the practice of free diving, since it offers good visibility and diversity of marine fauna at a shallow depth. From its sea cliffs, visitors face one of the most beautiful views in Fernando de Noronha. This beach is also an egg-laying point for sea turtles, and so there are restrictions to access it from January to June, from late afternoon to the following early morning. Boat tours This is the favorite tourists' attraction. Boats sail along the Inside Sea, offering an incredible view of beaches from the main island of Fernando de Noronha and also from the small islands surrounding it. On a lucky day, visitors may see dolphins swimming close to the boat. At Sancho Bay boats halt so visitors can go on a free diving spree. Buggy tours Hoodless buggies are the most used vehicles in Fernando de Noronha. They are used as taxis or for tours around the island. Drivers, usually local inhabitants, may act as tour guides and may take visitors to the most beautiful places and to those least known corners as well. Dolphins observation “Rotator” dolphins may be seen from the belvedere looking over "Baía do Golfinhos" (Dolphins Bay). There, they feed and reproduce. The best hour for observations is during the first hours of the day. |