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Recife Travel Guide - Brazil Exceptional Atmosphere

Recife Travel Guide - Brazil Exceptional Atmosphere

Recife is the capital of Pernambuco, it is one of the largest important cities on the northeastern coast of Brazil. This lively capital, originally founded by Dutch colonizers, is brimming with a vibrant culture, an interesting old town (which includes the oldest synagogue in the Americas) and some nice beaches and LOTS of sharks

Recife stands out as a major tourist attraction of the Northeast, both for its beaches and for its historic sites, dating back to both the Portuguese and the Dutch colonization of the region. The beach of Porto de Galinhas, 60 kilometers (37 mi) south of the city, has been repeatedly awarded the title of best beach in Brazil and has drawn many tourists. The Historic Centre of Olinda, 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) north of the city, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982, and both cities' Brazilian Carnival are among the world's most famous.

Recife is on the Atlantic coast, at the mouth of the Capibaribe, Beberibe and Jordão Rivers, close to the eastern most point of the Americas. The climate is tropical, with two main seasons: dry (September-March) and rainy (April-August). Average annual temperature is 78.8°F, with limited variation. Many tourists stay along the beach in Boa Viagem, 10 km (7 mi) south of the center. The area of Boa Vista just across the Ponte Velha from the train station has a number of budget and mid-range hotels.

Celebrations, holidays and other events are numerous throughout the year. The New Year begins at the beach, Praia de Boa Viagem and in Old Recife. The carnival of Recife and Olinda (which has its historic town centre considered a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1982) begins many weeks ahead in December with innumerable balls and parades.

In the city, the carnival festivities begin in December, as locals begin preparing for the official Carnival, which starts the week before Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in the Christian liturgical calendar. The pre-Carnival parties usually consist of percussion groups practising in local clubs, city streets and squares, and even Carnival balls. There is a variety of rhythms from different cultures. Carnival officially starts with the Galo da Madrugada, a party in Downtown Recife that attracts many people from several states of Brazil, and other parts of the world.

The Mercado de São José (Market of Saint Joseph) is an old, iron construction with a popular market nearby. In the Fort Cinco Pontes (Fort of Five Points) is the state museum, Museu do Estado de Pernambuco. At the rectangular Pátio de São Pedro are the Cathedral São Pedro (Cathedral of Saint Peter) dating from the year 1782 and restored colonial houses, with numerous restaurants, bistros and bars. In the Bairro Santo Antônio (Saint Anthony neighborhood), at the meeting place of the rivers Capibaribe and Beberibe, is the Praça da República (Square of the Republic) with the Teatro Santa Isabel (Theatre of Saint Isabel), with its neoclassical front, the Law Courts, and the Palácio da Justiça (Palace of Justice). The Casa da Cultura (House of Culture) is an old prison that has been converted into a cultural space and shopping centre. Built between 1835 and 1855, the Malakoff Tower, a monument constructed in Tunisian / Arabic style, used to be an observatory and now is a cultural centre and a place for popular gatherings. It is located at Arsenal da Marinha Square.

Recife has a zoo known as the Dois Irmãos Park, consisting of 387 hectares of Atlantic Forest reserve and 14 hectares of botanical gardens. It contains 800 animals, the Natural Science Museum and various ecological trails. The metropolitan area has also a giant water park 20 km (12 mi) North of Recife, called Veneza water park which has nearly one million square feet of area, ten million litres of water and lots of water slides for the youngsters.

Among Recife's main tourist attractions are:

Churches, historical monuments, public markets including 17th and 18th century buildings from Portuguese and Dutch colonizers;
Francisco Brennand's atelier of ceramic art;
Ricardo Brennand Institute: cultural institute with museum, art gallery and library;
Recife Antigo (Old Recife) buildings;
Boa Viagem beach is the urban area's most important beach, and one of the many beaches in the Pernambuco area;
Casa da Cultura
The Carnival at locations such as downtown and Recife Antigo;
Olinda's historic town centre

( Recife - Brazil ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Recife . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Recife - Brazil

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Oficina Brennand in Recife, Brazil--July 2013

Opa David is pleased to present a six-and-one-half minute video visit to the Oficina Brennand museum in Recife, Brazil.