Pernambuco is a state in Northeast Brazil.
Regions
Sertão Triunfo |
São Francisco Valley Petrolina |
Agreste Caruaru, Gravatá, Bonito and Nova Jerusalém |
Grande Recife Recife, Olinda and Igarassu, and the beaches of Itamaracá Island, Porto de Galinhas, Cabo de Santo Agostinho |
Zona da Mata historical sugarcane plantations, São Benedito do Sul waterfalls |
Cities
Pernambuco's main touristic attractions are in Recife (state capital), Olinda, Porto de Galinhas and Fernando de Noronha. A plethora of other cities and towns are also of touristic interest.
- Recife, the vibrant state capital.
- Bonito
- Cabo de Santo Agostinho, beautiful beaches, sugar plantations, and buildings of historic interest
- Caruaru, famous for forro and celebrations of the festival for São João (St. John).
- Garanhuns
- Goiana, beautiful beaches and colonial churches
- Gravatá
- Igarassu, home to Brazil's oldest church (1535), a beautiful Franciscan Monastery (1588), and an impressive Art Collection (1705)
- Itamaracá Island, famous for its beaches, nautical sports and the Orange Fortress
- Lagoa do Carro, famous for its tapestry art
- Nova Jerusalém, in Brejo da Madre de Deus, home to the world's largest Passion of Christ
- Olinda, beautiful colonial town, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Petrolina
- Porto de Galinhas, beautiful beach town near Recife
- São Benedito do Sul, with pleasant waterfalls
- Serra Talhada
- Serrita, were the Missa do Vaqueiro is celebrated in honor of the traditional northeastern cowboys
- Tamandaré
- Tracunhaém, one of Brazil's most important ceramic art production centers
- Triunfo
Other destinations
- Fernando de Noronha. An archipelago.
- Vale do Catimbau National Park - Brazil's second largest archeological site, with over 2000 caves including 28 sites with cave paintings up to 6000 years old, and many canyons.
Understand
Besides having some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil, Pernambuco also has a rich history (including Olinda, one of the oldest cities in Brazil, plus Portuguese, Dutch and Jewish heritage in Recife, etc.) and a strong popular culture found in its folklore, food and handicrafts. The official tourism site of Pernambuco has some detailed information (in Portuguese only) on the state.
Talk
Get in
By road
BR 101 is a main Brazilian Federal road who connects Recife with São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador on the south leg; and Natal, Joao Pessoa on the north leg. The state also has BR232 and BR 408 which connects with another state cities and Campina Grande (BR408).
By air
Recife has a large international airport with daily non-stop flights to Lisbon, Madrid, Miami, almost all Brazilian state capitals; and also has seasonal charters from Frankfurt, Milan, Paris and Buenos Aires. Caruaru, Petrolina and Fernando de Noronha have regional airports.
By sea
You can arrive in cruise ships at the Port of Recife [1] or at the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago. The cruises come from Europe (usually Lisbon and Malaga) or from the Americas (usually Miami, Buenos Aires and Santos).
By river
You can arrive in Petrolina via the São Francisco River. The navigable part of the river covers the states of Minas Gerais, Bahia and Pernambuco.
Get around
See
Itineraries
Do
Events
- Carnaval in Recife, Olinda, Bezerros, Triunfo
- São João celebrations in Caruaru, Recife, Gravatá, Carpina
- Paixão de Cristo (Christ's Passion) in Nova Jerusalém, during Easter break
- Missa do Vaqueiro (Cowboy Mass), in Serrita
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Pernambuco has the highest murder rate of any Brazilian state, a whopping 50.7 per 100,000. Be cautious in many areas of the state.
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