Must see attractions in Recife

Francisco Brennand, born in 1927 into an Irish immigrant family and now considered Brazil’s greatest ceramicist, revitalized his family’s abandoned tile…

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…

Inaugurated in 2014, this bold museum highlights the culture of the sertão (the interior of Pernambuco state), especially as it relates to the godfather…

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…

The 18th-century baroque Concatedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos has been totally renovated and contains incredibly fine stonework and wood carvings…

This scenic museum in Várzea, 11km west of central Recife, contains a huge collection of European and Brazilian art, swords, armor and historical…

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…

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…

In a lovely historical house, this museum was the first gallery in Pernambuco and has three floors of changing exhibitions of interesting contemporary art…

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…

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…

The oldest synagogue in the Americas, Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel is now a Jewish cultural center and has interesting murals (in Portuguese and English)…

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…

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'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…

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…

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…

A well-run cultural center in the historic center hosting rotating high-quality exhibitions and films.

A small state-run museum dedicated to Luiz Gonzaga, the father of baião, a traditional music from the sertão (the interior of the Northeast). It has been…

Hosts changing exhibitions and films but the quality of offerings is inconsistent.