Recife
Recife is the state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil, on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America.
Recife is the state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil, on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is the largest urban area within both the North and the Northeast Region of Brazil. It is the largest city in Pernambuco state, and the fourth-largest urban area in all of Brazil; the metro population of the city of Recife was 3,726,974 in 2022. Recife was founded in 1537, serving as the main harbor of the Captaincy of Pernambuco—known for its large-scale production of sugar cane. At one point, it was known as Mauritsstad, when it served as the capital city of the 17th century colony of New Holland of Dutch Brazil. Situated at the confluence of the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers, before they drain into the South Atlantic Ocean, Recife is a major seaport along the Brazilian Atlantic coast. Its name is an allusion to the stone reefs that are present offshore. Together with the urban presence of the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers and their tributaries, the many additional unique, small islands—and more than 50 bridges linking them throughout the city—create a distinct maritime or "riviera" atmosphere, leading to Recife being known as the "Venice of Brazil".
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Recife
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
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- 09Monument Tortura Nunca Mais
Monument in Padre Henrique plaza in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
2.6 km · Wikipedia - 10
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
Recife is known for its amazing beaches.
From Wikivoyage: Recife, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Maracatu Rehearsals (ensaios de maracatu). Some of the most traditional maracatu (Pernambuco-style carnaval dances and parades) groups include: Leão Coroado (since 1863), Estrela Brilhante do Recife (since 1909), Porto Rico (since 1916), Cambinda Estrela do Recife (since 1935), and Elefante, among others.
- 01Aflitos Stadium)
- 02Ilha do Retiro Stadium)
- 03Arruda Stadium)
As of 2025 Sport plays in the B-Series of the Brazilian Championship, Náutico in the C-Series and Santa Cruz is in the D-Series.
From Wikivoyage: Recife, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Pernambuco has a multicultural gastronomy with African and indigenous influences, among others. The national dish Feijoada (a stew of beans, pork and beef, served with rice and Farofa) is not very popular in Recife.
- 01Chica Pitanga
Rua Petrolina, 19 - Boa Viagem,.
- 02Creperia Anjo Solto
Herculano Bandeira, 513 (Galeria Joana D'Arc, shop 14).
- 03Bercy Boa Viagem
- 04Papaya Verde
Self-service restaurant with delicious Middle Eastern food.
- 05Brotfabrik
Rua da Moeda 87 (Recife Antigo), info@brotfabrik.com.br.
From Wikivoyage: Recife, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Recife
- Airports
- Recife/Guararapes - Gilberto Freyre (REC), 9 km · Presidente Castro Pinto (JPA), 100 km · Zumbi dos Palmares (MCZ), 190 km
- Stations
- Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport, 8.9 km · Recife port, 3.3 km · Recife Central Station, 2.7 km
- João Pessoa → Recife104 km · quickest by road, 2h 36m · R$32–42
- Maceió → Recife202 km · quickest by road, 4h 35m · R$70–95
- Natal → Recife254 km · quickest by road, 5h 4m · R$75–105
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Recife
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Recife. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inFrom there you can take an intercity bus or shared ride with Blablacar to Recife.
- Get inHourly from João Pessoa From Maceió from R$80 (April 2021) Especially from Maceió and Natal you can get a better price from the frequent shared rides.
From Wikivoyage: Recife, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01737 km
- 021,949 km
- 032,731 km
- 042,991 km
- 053,062 km
If you know how people move in Recife – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Recife
Recife is 7 km from Olinda, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.
- Olindamunicipality of Pernambuco State, Brazil6.7 km
- Camaragibemunicipality of Pernambuco State, Brazil9.4 km
- Santo AmaroNeighborhood of the municipality of Recife2.2 km
- Boa Viagemneighborhood in Recife2.2 km
- Poço da Panelaneighborhood in Recife, Brazil4.1 km
- Caxangáneighborhood in Recife5.9 km