Stand on the walkway along Boa Viagem Beach at low tide and you can see the line of reef that gives Recife its name, holding back the swell while the beach road fills with coconut-water carts and food stalls. The city is built across islands and rivers, and the water is never far from view.
Recife suits travellers who want colonial churches and museums in the morning and a long urban beach in the afternoon, and who are willing to move between the historic centre and the waterfront. This guide covers the beaches, churches, convents and museums named in the source material, plus a one-day plan that links the strongest of them.
Top things to do in Recife
1. Boa Viagem Beach
This is the city's long urban beach, with white sand, a beach road backed by hotels and restaurants, and a wide walkway dotted with huts selling food and drink. Vendors work the sand with food, drink, t-shirts, hats, suncream and sunglasses, and can be insistent; a smile and the word "não" is enough to send them on their way.
The beach is partly protected by a reef wall visible at low tide, which makes it good for a swim. Do not go out past the wall, as the waters beyond are more dangerous and sharks have been reported in the area. Try the traditional água de coco while you are there.
2. Convento Franciscano de Santo Antônio
One of the city's biggest attractions, this convent in Santo Antônio contains the Capela Dourada, or Golden Chapel, whose interior of rosewood and cedar is completely covered with gold. Expect gold-covered altar engravings, painted ceilings and a large set of Portuguese-style tiled panels.
The convent also houses the Museu Franciscano de Arte Sagrada. It is open Monday to Friday in the morning and afternoon and Saturday morning, so plan a weekday visit if you want the full window. Entry is R$2.
3. Ricardo Brennand Institute
This institute in Várzea holds a collection of Brazilian and European historical artifacts from the 15th to 19th centuries, with particular attention to the period of Dutch occupation in Recife and Northeastern Brazil. It is open Tuesday to Sunday in the afternoon.
It sits out in the western zone, so treat it as a half-day outing rather than a stop you squeeze between two others.
4. Museum of the Northeastern Man
Part of the Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, this museum in Casa Forte depicts the folk arts, traditions and history of Northeast Brazil, with displays divided among three sections covering sugar, folk arts and anthropology. It is in the suburbs but well worth the ride out.
It opens Tuesday to Friday in the morning and afternoon, and Saturday and Sunday in the afternoon, and closes on 1 January, Carnaval, 6 March, Good Friday, 24 June and 25 December.
5. Recife City Museum
Housed inside the 17th-century Five Pointed Fort, the former Fort Frederik Hendrik, this museum presents the history of the city. It is open Monday to Friday during the day and Saturday and Sunday in the afternoon.
Because it sits in São José, you can pair it with the churches of the centre rather than making a separate trip.
6. Igreja da Madre de Deus
Completed in 1709 and financed by the wealthy merchant Antônio Fernandes de Matos, this church in Recife Antigo has a baroque interior with carvings and details in gold. It is open Tuesday to Friday morning and afternoon, and Saturday and Sunday morning.
It stands next door to the Paço Alfândega shopping mall, which makes it an easy stop while you are walking Recife Antigo.
7. Nossa Senhora do Carmo
Built between 1710 and 1767 on the site of the Boa Vista Palace, once the residence of the Dutch governor of Northeastern Brazil, this basilica and convent in Santo Antônio is baroque in style, with an altar of gold engravings and crowns of gold and precious stones, and one room covered with Portuguese tiles. A religious art collection can also be visited.
Opening hours run Monday to Friday from early morning to evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning and evening.
8. São Pedro dos Clérigos
Built between 1728 and 1782, this cathedral stands in the charming Saint Peter Square, surrounded by colourful colonial buildings, and is a replica of the Santa Maria Maggiore Sanctuary in Rome. Inside you will find a rosewood altar, a pulpit engraved in gold, and a wooden ceiling sculpted with images of Saint Peter, the twelve apostles and the evangelists.
The building blends baroque art with 16th-century mannerism and rococo and neoclassic elements, and is in the centre at Pátio de São José.
9. Military Museum Brum Fortress
This military museum in Recife Antigo occupies a fort and displays military equipment from colonial times up to the Second World War. It is a natural companion to the churches and museums of the old centre.
Pair it with a walk through Recife Antigo, where Igreja da Madre de Deus is also located.
10. Museum of the State of Pernambuco
Objects from the history of the state are on display here, from a Dutch bronze cannon to Afro-Brazilian art. It is in Graças, in the northern zone, and opens Tuesday to Friday during the day and Saturday and Sunday in the afternoon.
Its collection complements the Dutch-period material you will see at the Ricardo Brennand Institute.
11. Nossa Senhora da Conceição dos Militares
Built in 1726, this church in Santo Antônio has 1781 ceiling paintings depicting the Guararapes Battle against the Dutch, and burials of leaders from the Praieira Revolution and the Paraguay War. It also houses the Museu de Arte Sacra Padre Roberto Barbalho.
It sits on Rua Nova in the centre, within easy reach of the other Santo Antônio churches.
12. Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Homens Pretos
Erected by African-Brazilian slaves in the 17th century, this church in Santo Antônio has a main wooden altar engraved in gold, with 18th-century images on the lateral altars. It opens Monday to Friday in the morning and afternoon and Saturday morning.
Combine it with the nearby Convento Franciscano de Santo Antônio and the other centre churches.
13. Nossa Senhora do Pilar
Constructed in 1680 on the site of the Fort of São Jorge, which had been damaged by the Dutch a few decades earlier, this centre church is notable for having used material from the fort in its own construction.
It stands in Praça Monsenhor João Castilho Barbosa, so it fits into a walking route through the historic centre.
14. Museum of the Archeological, Historic and Geographic Institute of Pernambuco
The oldest museum in Brazil, established in 1866, this Boa Vista museum holds extensive collections about the history of Pernambuco from prehistoric to colonial times. It opens Monday to Friday in the afternoon and Saturday morning.
Its afternoon opening makes it a good counterpart to a morning spent in the Santo Antônio churches.
15. Pina Beach
A well-developed and popular beach north of Boa Viagem Beach, with weaker waves and a more relaxed feel. It is a gentler option if the swell at Boa Viagem is up.
Pair it with a walk along the Boa Viagem beach road, since the two beaches run alongside each other.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in Santo Antônio at the Convento Franciscano de Santo Antônio, where the Capela Dourada is the highlight, then walk to Nossa Senhora do Carmo and São Pedro dos Clérigos while the centre is still cool.
Afternoon: Move to Recife Antigo for the Igreja da Madre de Deus and the Military Museum Brum Fortress, then head south to Boa Viagem Beach for a swim inside the reef wall and an água de coco from the walkway. If you have time left, walk north to Pina Beach.
Evening: Stay on the Boa Viagem beach road, where the walkway and its food and drink huts carry on into the evening.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to swim at Boa Viagem Beach?
The beach is somewhat protected by a coral reef wall visible at low tide, which makes it good for a swim, but you should not go out past the wall, as the waters beyond are more dangerous and sharks have been reported in the area.
When is the driest time to visit Recife?
The short dry season runs from October to December. November is the driest and sunniest month, with maximum temperatures around 30 °C and an average of 39 mm of rain. June is the wettest month, receiving an average of 390 mm.
Which museums are closed on Mondays?
The Ricardo Brennand Institute opens Tuesday to Sunday, and the Museum of the Northeastern Man opens Tuesday to Friday plus weekend afternoons, so neither is available on a Monday. The Recife City Museum, by contrast, opens Monday to Friday.
Do I need to leave the city for a good beach?
No. Boa Viagem Beach, Pina Beach and Brasilia Teimosa Beach are all in the city, and Boa Viagem has a beach road with a wide walkway attached, dotted with huts selling food and drink.
Use this list to sketch your days, check the opening windows against your dates, and start planning your trip to Recife.