RECIFE
The capital of the Pernambuco State was originated on the harbor formed by the reefs barrier all long its coastline. The near city Olinda was the main urban center of the Pernambuco's captaincy, in the beginning of Brazil's colonization, still in the XVI century. However, this natural facility to house the embarkations, little by little, was attracting the population and the commerce to the place where Recife would grow up.
In 1630, Dutches disembarked in Pernambuco and governed by Maurício de Nassau, they took Olinda and the near thorp, the Ribeira do Mar dos Arrecifes. The Cidade Maurícia (Maurícia's City) originated there where improvements were promoted with the construction of buildings, palaces, bridges and gardens. In 1654, with the invaders expulsion, the city returned to the Portuguese administration, in 1710, and its name changes to Vila do Recife (Recife's Village), and it replaces Olinda as the capital of Pernambuco's Province, in 1823.
Recife has an important historic patrimony, represented by ancient buildings, mainly in the XVII to XIX centuries, such as big houses, wonderful baroque architecture churches, such as Capela Dourada (Dourada Chapel), and the fortresses which protected the city. The museums exhibits its luxurious culture and not only the local history. The Carnival on the city takes many people to the streets and keeps its popular roots on the frevo and maracatu blocks, which are regional folkloric manifestations.
The typical cookery of Pernambuco, where you can find specialties from the coastline and from the backland of the state, is one of the most significant of Brazil. Besides the dishes prepared with seafoods, such as fish stews, there's also ox, lamb, goat and chicken meats, always strongly flavored. Recife has different restaurants specialized on the regional cookery.
There are urban beaches and a blue sea which forms a wonderful scenery. Boa Viagem, is the most crowded, and has calm natural pools on the strip between the land and the reefs. The eventual presence of sharks on the open sea requires the swimmers’ attention, and they shouldn’t go ahead of the reef barrier.
It's the place where the city originated, near the harbor, Recife's center. It has centenarian buildings which after being recovered, have been utilized as bars and restaurants that put their tables on the sidewalk, theaters and stores. In some streets vehicles are not allowed. The access by car on some streets is prohibited. The quarter is one of main meeting points of the recifense night. On the city blocks which form the Recife Antigo (Ancient Recife), as it is also known, there are some important buildings such as Torre de Matakoff (Matakoff Tower), in the XIX century which was an astronomic observatory and the first synagogue of the Americas, that was risen up in the XVII century and which keeps some original walls and houses a small museum. The Forte do Brum (Brum Fort), in 1630, was built by Portugueses and Dutches and of which you can visit the Museu Militar (Military Museum).
Capela Dourada, one of the most beautiful of the country, was constructed between the XVIII and XIX centuries and has a rich altar in covered with gold cut and wonderful roof pictures. It's linked to a suite of buildings lifted up by a Franciscan, and also has the Convento (Convent) which shows off glazed tile panels with religious aspects, and the Museu Franciscano de Arte Sacra (Sacred Art Franciscan Museum), with a wonderful images and religious objects heap. It also should be detached Matriz de Santo Antônio (Santo Antônio Matrix), the Basílica de N.S. do Carmo (N.S. do Carmo Basilica) and the N.S. do Rosário dos Pretos, all of that from the XVIII century, among many other Recife's churches, that exhibits baroque style architecture and decoration.
The Museu do Homem do Nordeste (Northeastern Man Museum) rooms exposes a big heap with pieces which shows the pernambucana culture from the three main themes: sugar plantation circle, northeast lifestyle and religious and folkloric manifestations. The Oficina de Cerâmica Francisco Brennand (Francisco Brennand Ceramic Shop) exhibits expositions of one of the most important names of the Pernambuco contemporary sculpture. The Ricardo Brennand Institute, settled on a building of medieval style, has a heap which includes pieces of the Dutches command period in Recife, besides of white weapons and armors. You can also can visit the house where the sociologist Gilberto Freyre lived, which is now the base of Foundation with his name. The Forte das Cinco Pontas (Five Edges Fort), which really has only four edges, keeps the Museu da Cidade (City's Museum).
There are many options of specialized restaurants. Almost all are simple and offer an authentic food from the local people on Pernambuco. The fishes, the stewed shrimps and thin shell crab are some of the preferred dishes. But there's other specialties from the interior of the state, which are preferred on the coastline too. Among the delicacies, are the haggis (goat or lamb's little pieces strongly flavored and stewed by a long time inside a "bag" made with the animal entrails), mão-de-vaca (stewed ox's claw without the cask) and salted meat (sun dehydrated meat, which is after baked or fried).
The XIX century building, which has a cross format and where was a prison, was changed into Casa da Cultura (Culture's House) and each cell houses a crafts store of the region. There's a diversity of stone, tissue, ceramic pieces and other materials.
Recife has hotels with different levels of comfort, with options from great hotels and flats at the border of the beach to little economic inns. Most of the establishments is on the quarter Boa Viagem. The city offers receptive tourism agencies, car rental agencies and branches from the main banks.
Recife, capital of the Pernambuco State, is on the Northeastern region on the country. It’s 2220 km far from Brasilia, 2390 km far from Rio de Janeiro and 2640 far from São Paulo. The Aeroporto de Guararapes operates with flights from the main cities and capitals on the country. The road terminal receives buses coming from all Brazilian regions. The main earth means of access to Recife is the road BR-101.
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