Recife

Erected by African-Brazilian slaves in the 17th century. Main wooden altar engraved in gold; lateral altars display images from the 18th century.

Built between 1725 and 1732. Parts of the movie Lisbela e o Prisioneiro (2003) were shot in the square in front of the church.

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.

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.

The beach of Boa Viagem takes its name from a small 18th century church dedicated to Our Lady of Good Voyage, the patron saint of travelers and sailors.

Museum that covers the period of slavery and the abolitionist movement in 19th-century Brazil. Former plantation house. Former residence of Counsellor João Alfredo, leader of Brazil's abolitionist movement in the 19th century.

House were the acclaimed poet Manuel Bandeira spent his childhood.

Beautiful house where once lived Brazil's greatest sociologist, Gilberto Freyre.

Military museum in a fort, displaying military equipment from colonial times up to WWII.

The oldest museum in Brazil, established in 1866. It has extensive collections about the history of Pernambuco from prehistoric to colonial times.

Archeological museum focused on indigenous artifacts. Located at the Catholic University of Pernambuco.

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.

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 in the suburbs, but well worth the ride out.

Objects from the history of the state on display, from a Dutch bronze cannon to Afro-Brazilian art.

Inside the 17th-century Five Pointed Fort, the former Fort Frederik Hendrik. Presenting the history of the city.

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.

The Train Museum is in the old Central Train Station, which now also serves as the central station for MetroREC, Recife's subway system.

Modern art from the 1920s until the present day on display in seven rooms of a 19th century mansion. There is also a library with literature about modern art.

The "house of Carnaval" is a documentation center for the yearly event, with books, photographs and the like (some of it available in digital format).

The museum contains religious artifacts.

Founded in 1974, it's a museum of religious items such as vestments, statues and chandeliers.

More than 1,400 drawings and 160 paintings by paintor Murillo La Greca.

Great ceramic art in a bucolic area of the city surrounded by forest.

A sculpture park on the reefs of the port of Recife. Contains more than 90 sculptures by Francisco Brennand, including a 30-m-high tower.

Holds more than 6,000 pieces, including movies, records, photographs, postcards and the like. Uses modern audivisual techniques to document Pernambuco's culture.

The center specializes in the "Armorial" Movement and also holds a significant portion of the pieces from the old Fine Arts School.

House where 19th-century politician, abolitionist and author Joaquim Nabuco was born.

Seat of the Pernambuco State Legislature, built in 1874. A historical documents collection can be visited in the annex building.

Seat of the Pernambuco State Judiciary, built in 1930.

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.

Built in 1853. Beautiful tower in the port front. Functions as an astronomic observatory and arts and science center.

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!

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.

Built in 1850, this is a cultural center with a large library and an event venue.

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.

Constructed in 1870, this is the headquarters of a prominent literary society.

One of Brazil's finest theaters. Built in 1850.

The largest green area in central Recife, with playground equipment, a petting zoo, and illuminated fountains. 24-hour security.

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.

This park is popular for jogging. It also has bicycle trails, plus live music on Sundays.

Tour lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Daily, 16:00 and 20:00. Tour last 1 hour and 15 minutes.

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.

Recife's Carnaval is one of the country's busiest. The Galo da Madrugada parade known for the huge rooster statue which is paraded around, takes place on Saturday morning of the Carnaval and is the largest in the world with 2.5 million participants in 2013. The Carnaval in Recife different from its carioca counterpart, here 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.

Two-day rock music festival established in 1993, described as one of the largest independent rock festivals in Brazil. The last event took place in April 2024. Because of a lack of funds it will not be held in 2025.

Music festival taking place around the city for much of the month of June. Yearly celebration of nordestino culture, with loads of traditional music and food.