Pernambuco
Regions
- Coast (main attractions include the cities of Recife, Olinda and Igarassu, and the beaches of Itamaracá Island, Porto de Galinhas, Cabo de Santo Agostinho)
- Zona da Mata (main attractions include historical sugarcane plantations, São Benedito do Sul waterfalls)
- Agreste (including Caruaru, Gravatá, Bonito and Nova Jerusalém)
- Sertão (including Petrolina and Triunfo)
- Fernando de Noronha archipelago
Cities
Main Cities
- Recife, the vibrant state capital.
- Olinda, beautiful coonial town, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Caruaru, inland city about 2.5 hours by bus (1.5 by car) from Recife along BR 232, famous for forro and celebrations of the festival for São João (St. John).
- Garanhuns
- Petrolina
Other Cities
- Bonito
- Cabo de Santo Agostinho, beautiful beaches and historical buildings
- Gravatá
- Igarassu, home to Brazil's oldest church (Igreja de Santos Cosme e Damiao) (from 1535), the beautiful Franciscan Monastery (from 1588) and Art Collection (from 1705)
- Itamaracá, 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
- Porto de Galinhas, beautiful beach town near Recife
- São Benedito do Sul, with pleasant waterfalls
- Serrita, were the Missa do Vaqueiro is celebrated in honor of the traditional northeastern cowboys
- Tracunhaém, one of Brazil's most important ceramic art production centers
- Triunfo
Other destinations
- Fernando de Noronha. An archipelago.
Culture and History
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
Travel to Pernambuco, visa requirements
By road
Distance from other capitals:
- João Pessoa - 120 km
- Maceio - 285 km
- Fortaleza - 800 km
- Salvador - 839 km
- Belém - 2,065 km
- Brasilia - 2,135 km
- Rio de Janeiro - 2,338 km
- São Paulo - 2,660 km
By air
Recife has the largest airport in Brazil's Northeast region. It has air links to all neighboring and major capitals in Brazil, as well as connections to Europe. It is 11km from the city center. Caruaru, Petrolina and Fernando de Noronha also have regional airports.
- Aerporto Internacional Gilberto Freyre - Guararapes (REC)
Airlines operating flights to Recife: BRA [2], GOL [3], OCEANAIR [4], TAF [5], TAM [6], TAP [7], TRIP [8], VARIG [9]
- Aeroporto Senador Nilo Coelho - Petrolina (PNZ)
Airlines operating flights to Petrolina: BRA [10], GOL [11], OCEANAIR [12], TAM [13]
- Aeroporto de Caruaru (CAU)
Airline operating flights to Caruaru: BRA [14]
- Aeroporto de Fernando de Noronha (FEN)
Airlines operating flights to Fernando de Noronha: TRIP [15], VARIG [16]
By sea
You can arrive in cruise ships at the Port of Recife [17] or at the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago.
By river
You can arrive in Petrolina via the Sao Francisco River. The navigable part of the river covers the states of Minas Gerais, Bahia and Pernambuco.
Get around
Pernambuco attractions and sightseeing
Itineraries
City tours
Events
- Carnival in Recife, Olinda, Bezerros, Triunfo
- São João celebrations in Caruaru, Gravatá, Carpina
- Paixão de Cristo (Christ's Passion) in Nova Jerusalém, during Easter break
- Missa do Vaqueiro (Cowboy Mass), in Serrita
Good restaurants and cheap meals
Pernambuco nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
Stay safe
Get out
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