The Northeast

Introducing The Northeast

Year-round warmth, physical beauty and sensual culture rich in folkloric traditions make Brazil’s Northeast a true tropical paradise.

More than 2000km of fertile coastline is studded with idyllic white-sand beaches, pockets of lush rainforest, sand dunes and coral reefs. A spectrum of natural environments creates the perfect backdrop for a wide variety of outdoor activities.

The Portuguese settled these lands first, so they breathe history. The colonial centers of Salvador, Olinda and São Luís are packed with beautifully restored and satisfyingly decaying architecture.

This is arguably Brazil’s most fascinating and culturally rich region. Lively festivals, myriad music and dance styles and exotic cuisine loaded with seafood draw crowds. Magical beach villages with beautiful scenery and hip party scenes also delight.

Life is simple and slow-paced in the Northeast’s agricultural interior and coastal fishing villages. People here face massive social problems, including poverty caused by underemployment and a decaying education system, housing shortages and an absence of basic services such as sanitation, which causes high infant mortality rates. Inland people often live in extreme poverty, especially in the more northerly states. Though many leave the region seeking better opportunities, Northeasterners are extremely proud of their land’s beautiful human and physical geography.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009