Parque Nacional Marinho de Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha
Covering around 70% of the main island and all the surrounding sea, Parque Nacional Marinho de Fernando de Noronha contains most of the archipelago's must…
Must-see attractions in Pernambuco
Fernando de Noronha
The most stunning stretch of sand on an island of magnificent beaches, Baía do Sancho is a protected cove of brilliant turquoise waters backed by forest…
Oficina Cerâmica Francisco Brennand
Recife
Francisco Brennand, born in 1927 into an Irish immigrant family and now considered Brazil’s greatest ceramicist, revitalized his family’s abandoned tile…
Porto de Galinhas
A major factor in Porto Galinhas' popularity is the collection of amazing tidal pools full of tropical fish that appear in the coral reefs around 100m in…
Pernambuco
Eight kilometers north of Tamandaré, fashionable and ultrarelaxed Praia dos Carneiros is one of Northeast Brazil's loveliest strands. It has wonderful…
Recife
This strikingly red museum is a small and modern house of worship for frevo, the quintessential dance of the Recife Carnaval that is easily identified by…
Recife
Inaugurated in 2014, this bold museum highlights the culture of the sertão (the interior of Pernambuco state), especially as it relates to the godfather…
Fernando de Noronha
The wildest of Noronha's big three, broad and rugged Praia do Leão is perhaps the one place that best encapsulates Noronha's impressive isolation. It's a…
Fernando de Noronha
Diminutive Baía dos Porcos is the smallest of Noronha's signature beaches and has just 30m of golden sands divided by dark volcanic rocks facing…
Recife
Built between 1696 and 1724, this gem of Brazilian baroque, part of the Convento de Santo Antônio, owes its name to the huge quantities of gold (said to…
Fernando de Noronha
Easily the best preserved of the island’s Portuguese forts, Forte dos Remédios is well worth a visit and has great views from its hilltop above Vila dos…
Concatedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos
Recife
The 18th-century baroque Concatedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos has been totally renovated and contains incredibly fine stonework and wood carvings…
Pernambuco
The Museu do Mamulengo has a unique and surprisingly interesting collection of more than 1000 pieces devoted to the traveling puppet shows called…
Recife
This scenic museum in Várzea, 11km west of central Recife, contains a huge collection of European and Brazilian art, swords, armor and historical…
Pernambuco
This enormous market is the largest in the Northeast and has become a popular tourist attraction. It’s busiest on Saturday. Among the thousands of stalls…
Porto de Galinhas
This lovely long beach just to the south of Porto de Galinhas is backed by swathes of coconut palms and has excellent surf – it sometimes hosts national…
Recife
This traffic-free square, lined with bars, restaurants and colorful 19th-century houses, is one of Santo Antônio's more peaceful spots and a good place to…
Pernambuco
The imposing Igreja da Sé was originally built in 1537. Burnt in 1631, it has been reconstructed four times since, most recently from 1974 to 1984 in a…
Recife
Surrounded by many elegant colonial buildings, this square is at the heart of Recife Antigo. Colorful Rua do Bom Jesus, to the south of the square, was…
Pernambuco
This small upstairs gallery displays a collection of the giant puppets used in Olinda's Carnaval. Unlike some more commercial galleries in Recife, almost…
Museu de Arte Moderna Aloisio Magalhães
Recife
In a lovely historical house, this museum was the first gallery in Pernambuco and has three floors of changing exhibitions of interesting contemporary art…
Pernambuco
The huge Mosteiro de São Bento, originally built in 1582, has some exceptional woodcarving in its impressive church. Sunday morning Mass (10am) is…
Pernambuco
This is a large structure containing the 16th-century Igreja NS das Neves and two later chapels, with rich baroque detailing and lovely azulejos …
Recife
The Marco Zero, a small 'Km 0' marker in the middle of the broad waterside Praça Rio Branco, marks the place where the Portuguese founded Recife in 1537…
Embaixada dos Bonecos Gigantes
Recife
Displays some of the giant fibreglass puppets that feature in the Olinda Carnaval. There's a host of national and international sports and musical stars…
Recife
The oldest synagogue in the Americas, Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel is now a Jewish cultural center and has interesting murals (in Portuguese and English)…
Recife
A striking example of formal baroque architecture, the Madre Deus church serves as a nice contrast to the nearby Paço Alfândega mall. The facade has been…
Pernambuco
Inside the municipal cultural center there are two worthwhile museums. The Museu do Forró holds every bit of memorabilia on Luiz Gonzaga, the father of…
Recife
Though the government could have (and should have) done so much more, the Memorial Chico Science pays brief homage to the work of former Nação Zumbi…
Recife
Recife's City Museum is housed in the Forte das Cinco Pontas (Five-Pointed Fort), originally built by the Dutch in 1630 and later reconstructed by the…
Pernambuco
Head down Rua Saldanha Marinho to look at the restored 1613 Igreja NS do Amparo, which was partially destroyed by the Dutch before being rebuilt in 1644…
Pernambuco
Housed in an 18th-century Inquisition jail, MAC has occasionally interesting temporary exhibits in addition to a somewhat lackluster permanent collection…
Pernambuco
Located in a classic house that was formerly inhabited by the local clergy, this museum houses a small collection of colonial-period furniture and…
Pernambuco
Praça do Carmo is overlooked by Igreja NS do Carmo (1580), which has been restored in part, although the faded frescoes beside and above the altar on the…
Pernambuco
The Museu Casa do Mestre Vitalino contains tools, personal effects, and copies of some of the famous pieces from Mestre Vitalino (1909–63), Caruaru's…
Recife
This 19th-century customs house has been converted into a glitzy shopping mall; it's worth dropping in for a coffee or a bite in its food court to check…
Recife
Praça da República contains a formal park with tall trees and a pretty fountain, and includes the Palácio do Campo das Princesas, seat of the Pernambuco…
Pernambuco
This colonial church built in the 18th century was closed in 2015 due to risk of collapse and – much to the chagrin of locals – has yet to reopen.
Igreja NS do Rosário dos Homens Pretos de Olinda
Pernambuco
This church was built by an African brotherhood in the 17th century. Frescoes painted by slaves were revealed here during a recent restoration.
Recife
A well-run cultural center in the historic center hosting rotating high-quality exhibitions and films.
