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Recife is spread out and somewhat hard to navigate. The Centro—with its mixture of high-rises, colonial churches, and markets—is always busy during the day. The crowds and the narrow streets can make finding your way around even more confusing. The Centro consists of three areas: Recife Antigo (the Old City); Recife proper, with the districts of Santo Antônio and São José; and the districts of Boa Vista and Santo Amaro. The first two areas are on islands formed by the rivers Capibaribe, Beberibe, and Pina; the third is on an island created by the Canal Tacaruna.
Six kilometers (4 miles) south of Centro is the upscale residential and beach district of Boa Viagem, reached by bridge across the Bacia do Pina. Praia da Boa Viagem (Boa Viagem Beach), the Copacabana of Recife, is chockablock with trendy clubs and restaurants as well as many moderately priced and expensive hotels.
Situated 109 km (68 miles) south of Recife, this beach region shares the same calm, warm waters and natural pools as Porto das Galinhas, yet lacks the crowds. The postcard-perfect Praia dos Carneiros has brilliantly clear emerald waters that are home to shoals of tropical fish. The beach huts there serve fresh coconut water and seafood snacks. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunrise; swimming.
This island is set off the coast of the historic city of Igarassu and has a number of beautiful beaches with calm waters for swimming, as well as a protected area for manatees. The best beach is Coroa do Avião. To get to its secluded golden sands and handful of pricey beach restaurants, you need to take a boat or canoe from Forte Orange (R$10 per person). Buses to Igarassu and Ilha de Itamaracá leave from the center of Recife, at the Cais de Santa Rita in front of the Fórum Thomas de Aquino. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.
In the old São José sugar refinery, this museum houses more than 2,000 ceramic pieces by the great (and prolific) Brazilian artist Francisco Brennand. Having studied in France, he was influenced by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, among others, and his works also include paintings, drawings, and engravings. About 15 km (9 miles) from Recife Antigo, the museum's location amid forests and fountains is almost as appealing as its displays.
In the heart of Rio Antigo, the city's original cultural and political meeting point of the 17th century was given a new lease on life by landscape architect Burle Marx in the 1930s, and now features rows of Imperial palms and a hundred-year-old Baobab tree among the elaborate 19th- and 20th-century architecture. Highlights include the Teatro Santa Isabel (St. Isabel Theater, 1850); the Palácio do Campo das Princesas, also known as the Palácio do Governo (Government House, 1841); and the Palácio da Justiça (Court House, 1930).
