Recife: The Capital of Pernambuco

Recife is the capital of Pernambuco state, in northeastern Brazil, crossed by rivers, bridges, small islands, and peninsulas.

Its historic center is packed with culture and surrounded by beautiful beaches — we only had half a day there, so here’s a look at our experience.

I’ve never been much for Carnival myself. Andrey, on the other hand, has gone to Olinda ten years running, and ever since we started dating, he’d always said that Carnival had to be in Olinda — so that’s exactly what we did.

Where to stay in Recife

Ibis Boa Viagem, as the name suggests, sits right on the popular and sprawling Boa Viagem Beach, which is protected by reefs and surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings, modern hotels, and restaurants.

The Ibis is just two blocks from the beach, with a great price-to-quality ratio. While Andrey worked, I went for an 8 km run along the boardwalk and completely fell in love with the beach.

It was Friday, right before Carnival, but things were still pretty calm. The boardwalk is gorgeous, with a bike path too, making it a great place for a stroll — though the sun was intense and the heat was a real challenge.

Old Town Recife

A bit of history

The historic center, dating back to the 16th century, is a district being reinvented for the 21st century, gradually reshaping the area. It’s full of restaurants around the old port district, and thanks to ongoing revitalization, a lot of building façades are being restored.

We got off at Praça Rio Branco, known as Marco Zero (“Ground Zero”), which features a design set into the ground marking the cardinal directions and references to celestial bodies (sun, moon, and planets), along with a marker at the very center of the square showing its exact geographic coordinates.

Designed by artist Cícero Dias, it’s named “I saw the world, and it began in Recife.” We couldn’t actually see all these details in person, since a Carnival stage had been built right over the ground design.

It wasn’t the best time for sightseeing, since most of the places we wanted to visit were closed.

Right in front of Marco Zero, you can catch a boat along the Capibaribe River to the Parque das Esculturas (“Sculpture Park”) to see works by Francisco Brennand. It runs from 7 AM to 5 PM, and the boatman was charging R$5 per person that day. Since we were short on time, we chose to keep exploring downtown on foot instead.

The buildings around the square were restored in French colonial style, and the Caixa bank building has exhibits inside, though it was closed when we visited.

Some of the old warehouses are also being renovated into restaurants and cafés, and we grabbed lunch at one. We really enjoyed the spot we picked, but we’ll cover local food and culture in more detail in a future post.

Monuments and museums

Right next to Marco Zero, we found the Pernambuco Craft Market, though it was closed for renovations. Next to the market is the Museu Cais do Sertão, also boarded up for Carnival.

Across the street is the Torre Malakoff tower — we’d read blogs recommending a visit to the top, but it was closed behind the same construction barriers.

Circling around this building on the street behind it, heading back toward Praça Rio Branco, you’ll find the oldest synagogue in the Americas, Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel. We didn’t have time to go in, but it was open — R$30 per person — and we were genuinely curious.

A little further along is the Embaixada de Bonecos Gigantes de Olinda (“Embassy of Olinda’s Giant Puppets”), priced at R$30 per person. Since we were heading to Olinda anyway, where the actual puppet parade happens during Carnival, we decided to skip it.

Past the Igreja Madre de Deus, a Baroque-style church, is the Shopping Paço Alfândega mall, which has a beautiful view from its rooftop terrace — and if you happen to be visiting during Carnival, it’s a great place to pick up costume supplies. The mall itself is a former convent, later converted into a customs house by the Emperor before eventually becoming a shopping center.

After our quick city tour, we headed back so Andrey could get to work, and then we continued on to Olinda.

Where to eat in Recife

Rock & Ribs Lounge

In Recife’s restored port district, we had the house special — steak with a really tasty mashed potato side. It was a great choice, especially since we were right in the historic center and could explore several spots on foot afterward.

Cioccolatte Gelateria

Also in old Recife. It’s a small but very cozy and tasty spot, with flavors made from local fruits and bolo de rolo (a rolled cake), which is what I ordered — it comes with actual cake pieces mixed in, and I loved it.

Read about our Carnival trip to Olinda and our New Year’s Eve in Pipa.