Best Western Manibu Recife Hotel

Kahal Zur Israel www.kahalzurisrael.com

Bonecos Gigantes www.bonecosgigantesdepe.com.br

Gastronomy Click here and find out more about Recife's gastronomy.

Restaurants & night life Boa Viagem, the most touristic area of Recife, has become a gastronomic center with a wide variety. This diversity ranges from the regional food to disco houses. As the majority of the restaurants are concentrated in Capitão Rebelinho Street, it is now most known as Alameda Rebelinho. www.alamedarebelinho.com.br

The Workshop of Francisco Brennand Is at the same time a workshop and a museum. Surrounded by gardens they come together in as permanent exposition - murals, panels, and sculptures - about 2000 medium and large works. The modelling is first class and the works are generally decorated with intense colours. The firing is carried out in a high temperature oil-fired oven - 1400 Cº, always vitrified. The clays used in the confection of the parts are produced on site with clays of diverse origins - Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba and Pernambuco. Visit www.brennand.com.br

The Ricardo Brennand Institute was created by the Pernambucan collector Ricardo Brennand, who has been acquiring works of art of the most diverse origins and times for fifty years, from medieval Europe of the XV century, Colonial Brazil from the Dutch invasions, XVII century, to XIX century Brazilian works. These works of art are in groups - Brazilian and foreign - with prominence for the largest private collection of Dutch painter Frans Post, Armour, Tapestries, and Decorative Arts. Visit www.institutoricardobrennand

Bairro de Apipucos (Apipucos District) Its name, derived etymologically from Tupi -ape-puca - (a forked road), comes of the form of the road that existed at that place and until today is part of the district. The area was the land of São Pantaleão do Monteiro the Engenho (mill) (Saint Pantheon of the Hunter). In 1577 part of this land it was divided, becoming the Engenho Apipucos. It suffered from the Dutch invasion, having its chapel pillaged and destroyed in 1645. The Engenho Apipucos survived until the XIX century, when they had mansions and other small towns started to appear, the Apipucos Hotel having been constructed in that region, by Delmiro Gouveia. Also it was the site of battles during the Praieira Revolution. In the XX century it was more intensely populated and urbanized, with the appearance of the Macaxeira factory (mandioc), and Othon Lynch Heifer de Mello Cotton crops,. The cotton lands were later divided creating the Macaxeira District. In the Square of Apipucos, we find one of the best conserved architectural complexes, with its church and dam which forms a great lake, forming a portrayal of the characteristic small town landscape located in the agricultural zone of Recife during the XIX century.

Bairro de Poço da Panela (Well of the Pan District) Nobody could imagine that a metropolis with more than 3,5 million inhabitants (in the metropolitan region) still keeps certain hidden places similar to a small interior town: Bairro de Poço da Panela. This old district, located in the Northern Zone of Recife is completely off the tourist itineraries, and still conserves that rural atmosphere from when its inhabitants went to bathe themselves in the Capibaribe River, which runs near here, just beyond its limits, or when the laundrywomen still carried out their crafts in these same waters. Nobody dares to do this nowadays, as the river is highly polluted, even though it has not lost its beauty. Bairro de Poço da Panela owned the most famous baths in Pernambuco, as the travellers of the time recount, and witnessed the many abolitionist struggles of its most illustrious inhabitant, José Mariano Carneiro da Cunha. Today, the aristocratic district, cut by the famous Estrada Real do Poço (RoyalRoad of the Well), a Historic site, with its squares and cobbled streets, its well conserved large secular houses, maintains the atmosphere of XIX-century Recife, being the home of cultural foundations and the church of Nossa Senhora da Saúde (1772). There the construction of tower blocks is forbidden, and an interesting detail that attracts ones attention are the well-taken care of gardens and the gardens full of fruit trees, such as mangoes, sapotizeiros, oitizeiros, cashew, and jaqueiras, amonst many others. Even its Carnival it is “saudosista’, as it comes from the Pára-quedista Real lyric tradition, attraction admires to the original sound of Frevo-groups.

Casa Forte Where the first public garden created by the landscape gardener Robert Burle Marx exists in Recife.

Cachaça Carvalheira (The traditional local Brandy) Elected by former-president Fernando Enrique to be the official drink for the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Brazil, cachaça is the most consumed drink distilled in the country. Most versatile of the distilled drinks it has 400 variations, being able to be consumed pure, to be mixed with tropical fruit juices or lemon, as in the world-wide known “caipirinha”. It was for love to this typically Brazilian drink that the entrepreneurs Eduardo Carvalheira and Fernando Remígio created, in 1995, the Cachaça Carvalheira, produced, aged and bottled in Pernambuco. The difference is in the fact that it is aged in oak barrels, in a similar process to that of rum. During a visit, the tourist will be able to learn more than the history of the cachaças of Pernambuco, through sampling a series of ten of bottles of various types, ages and brands. The Pernambucan culture also is praised in the plant, not only through the store, nicknamed the “Cold Hole”, where one can see parts of ships and old locomotives, equipment plates and deactivated plants, but also through the store installed in the interior of the plant, in which Carvalheira products and regional artisan works are sold. As well as all these attractions, the visitors will be able to follow the process of preparating the barrels of white oak, the storage process, aging, quality control, bottling and finally the tasting of the Cachaça.
OBSERVATION.: The administration of the Cachaça Carvalheira asks that, if possible, tourists book before programming visits.
Visit www.carvalheira.com.br

Igarassu is guardian to a historical relic: the church Dos Santos Cosme e Damião, constructed in 1535 (the oldest of Brazil). The baroque architecture of the city is one of the most representative in the northeast. It was in Sítio dos Marcos (Marco de Pedra), (the Small farm of Landmarks) (Landmark of Rock), that the captainships of Pernambuco and Itamaracá were defined, and, in 1516, Cristóvão Jacques constructed the Pernambucan Trading Post. On this site, on 9 of March, 1535, Duarte Coelho disembarked to take over the captainship, thus beginning the process of Portuguese settlment in Brazil.

Itamaracá Island One of the great tourist treasures of Pernambuco, thanks to its historical value and hidden leisure spots. The island was the first north-eastern maritime port and where, in the XVII century, there were battles between the Portuguese and the Dutch. They are 16km of calm, warm water beaches and on the beach of Fortinho, a great mangrove swamp can be found. Located on the island, one of the biggest forts in the northeast, the Orange fort was constructed in 1631 with mud block walls by the Dutch, and reconstructed in 1754 in rock by the Portuguese, it still it preserves its original architecture. Also in Itamaracá, the tourist will be able to see the Old Village, which conserves its colonial mansions and the complex of the church of Our Lady da Conceição, from the XVII century, as well as having a privileged view for the Santa Cruz channel of, Coroa do Avião and Igarassu.

Bezerros Bezerros Located in the Pernambucan hinterland, 107km from the capital, Bezerros is known as " The Land of the Papangus" , due to its famous Masked Carnival. The old village, the Ecological Park in the Black Mountain Sierra and the gastronomical region of the town of Encruzilhada de São João are other attractions inthe city. The manufacture of cakes, candies and cookies is something else the city has to offer. But its great prominence comes from its rich and diversified artisan works: wood carvings, Carnival masks, musical literature, work with wood, ceramics, and wax. The Pernambuco Artisan Centre is located here, a true artistic complex which has permanent expositions of local artists, as well as possessing an area for products from different regions of the State and its master craftsmen.

Catamaran in Recife Recife along the convergence of the waters of the Capibaribe river is an excellent chance that the Tours Catamaran offers the tourist who arrives in the Brazilian Venice. The company offers four trips: " Luzes da Cidade ", "Acender das Luzes". "Recife de Dentro para Fora" e "Encontro das Águas" ("Light of the Lights" , " Lights of the City" , " Recife inside and outside" e " The Meeting of the Waters". But all have the same starting point: old Recife. "Acender das Luzes” starts from the wharf of the Cinco Pontas (Five Points), in the district of St José. There could not be a better place to start this gorgeous trip. Embarkation onto the Catamaran is made from a pleasant restaurant with coconut palms and view of the meeting of waters of the sea with the river. From there, it leaves bordering Old Recife in order to show its historical and artistic beauties, such as the secular building, the colonial mansion and the cupolas of the churches in “rua da Aurora”. During the trip the tourist will see the sumptuous Courthouse, the Palace of the Campo das Princesas , the House of Culture and the bridges. Ah! , the bridges… They are an attraction apart. There is the Maurício de Nassau, constructed in 1917, the site of the first bridge in Brazil (Recife Bridge, 1644), and the Seis de Março Bridge (Sixth of March) or Old Bridge, made of English iron and listed as a Historic site. The return Is via Marco Zero, another tourist spot in the city. But the outstandin is reserved for the Monumental Park of Sculptures, by Francisco Brennand. There are 80 sculptures installed on the reefs. Another option is "Luzes da Cidade" , that is, the nocturnal version of " "Acender das Luzes".
Tour times: 20h. as "Recife de Dentro para Fora" makes the most complete trip. The Catamaran passes by 14 bridges, showing the tourist 15 districts, from St. José to. Casa Forte . For the romantic, the best option is " Encontro das Águas ". On this trip, the visitor will be aboard an exquisitea Catamaran. The upper deck superior boasts sofas and live music, as well as supper offered to the passengers.
Catamaran Tours (81) 3424-2845/34248930. The trips are made with a minimum of 10 people.
Visit www.catamarantours.com.br

Caruaru Recognized by UNESCO - Alto do Moura is the biggest Centre for Figurative Arts of the Americas,and is a community of artists. 7km from the centre Caruaru, this town concentrates more than 1,000 craftsmen who mould the day-by-day north-eastern man, carrying our culture to the most distant points of our planet. There, each residence is transformed into an ateliê, involving all the local community, from the simplest assistant who moulds the adobe transforming it into art. Today, artists and craftsmen see their works trespassing the borders of the country, portraying a land, its culture, its people, its people. House/Museum Vitalino Master: Located on Vitalino Mestre Street, it was the residence of the great ceramist and his family. It was transformed into a museum in 1971. The complex consists of the original construction, in undecorated bricks, that date from 1959, showing personal and family items, and portrays the simple life of the great MASTER. Schedule for visits: Monday to Saturday: 8h to 12h and 14h to 17h, Sunday: 9h to 17h. House/Museum Mestre Galdino: Also located in Alto do Moura, more precisely in Rua São Sebastião , it is composed of parts for the ceramist and popular poet Galdino. Showing the original works of poetry, photographs, and texts on the life and workmanship of the artist. Schedule for Visits: Tuesday to Saturday: 8h to 17h. Sunday: 9h to 13h

Olinda Visit the Convent of Saint Tereza, the Varadouro Market, Praça do Jacaré (Square of the Alligator), St. Bento College, Praça do Carmo (Carmo Square), Sítio de Seu Reis (Kings’ farm), Praça da Preguiça (Laziness Square) and St.Peter’s church. There are diverse gastronomical options in Olinda. Coconut and Ciranda Workshops and, with music workshops. Also there are Carnival workshops, an exposition of dolls, costumes to take photos of and regional CDs. Another good option is the Moorish balcony, a XVII century construction, that shelters a restaurant and a local artisan store. The traditional Olindenses ‘(people from Olinda) large houses, It has been named as a Historic site of the Humanity and can be glimpsed with the walk along Bernardo Vieira de Melo street, where also one can find the Mercado da Ribeira (Ribeira Market), Santeiro Elias, Landmark of the 1º “Shout of Republic”, Ateliê of diverse artists, the house of Alceu Valença and the Palace of the Governors, and the municipal seat of government. At the end of St. Bento street is the the Monastery of St Bento which houses a gorgeous and exquisite altar, constructed of solid gold, which was displayed in New York, in 2002, in the Guggenhein museum. As well as contemplating the monastery, on Mondays the you may attend the Gregorian chant of the monks, twhich it starts at 17h40. In the Eufrásio Barbosa Market, you can see the "National Seed Project". A work to revitalize the cultural tradition of freestyle maracatu and rescue the manifestations of afro-Brazilians. This project was made possible by the artistic and cultural formation of young peolple and children, originating the Maracatu Mirim e a Batucada Jovem (Maracatu Mirim and Batucada Youth) and consists of the Maracatu Community of the Nation of Pernambuco.

Recife Antigo Old Recife the district which gave birth to the city, Old Recife appeared towards the end of the first half of the XVI century. The point of origin of the population was the port, constructed to export Brazil wood and the products of the agro-sugar activity of Olinda, then the Pernambucan capital. The in the present day has some restored historical buildings, others being renovated and, at least, three consolidated leisure areas. The resident population, if compared with those of other times, is insignificant: with but 700 inhabitants, giving to the district the heading of the least populated in the city. But, the city hall, as well as the state government, is carrying out grand tourist-cultural programmes for old Recife.