Recife is spread over islands, rivers and bridges, and its oldest streets are a long way from the hotels on the beach. This guide is for you if you have a few hours to see the city itself, perhaps on your first day or on a day off a cruise ship. It covers when to come, what is worth knowing about the sea at Boa Viagem, and what each stop on the route actually is.
How the five hours are spread
You are collected at 07:00 or 13:00. The route runs from the beach to the old port and back through the island quarters, and the car does the work of crossing the bridges between them.
- Boa Viagem comes first, with a short walk on the promenade.
- Marco Zero and the Rua do Bom Jesus take about an hour: the square where the city began, then the street with the Kahal Zur Israel synagogue.
- The Sculpture Park takes another hour, if you cross to it.
- Santo Antônio and São José fill the last part: the Praça da República, the Santa Isabel theatre and the Casa da Cultura.
Because the car is yours, the order can change on the day. If you would rather end on the beach than start there, tell your driver. You can also be dropped somewhere other than your hotel at the end.
Five hours does not stretch to Olinda or to the Brennand museums on the west side of the city. For those, see the Olinda half day or the Brennand half day.
When to come
Recife is warm all year, with daytime highs of around 27 to 30°C in every month. The difference between seasons is rain. April to July is the wet period: fifty years of readings at the city's official weather station show those four months bring close to 60% of the annual total. October to December is the driest part of the year.
A city tour copes with rain better than a beach day, since much of it is streets and buildings.
The sea at Boa Viagem
Boa Viagem is a long urban beach, and the signs along it warn about sharks. It is worth reading them. Pernambuco's shark monitoring committee keeps a record of incidents on the state's coast, and Boa Viagem and the neighbouring beach at Piedade account for most of them.
If you want to swim, its advice is clear. Stay out of the water:
- near the warning signs, or where no reef protects the beach;
- at high tide, and at dawn and dusk;
- near river mouths;
- deeper than your waist;
- after rain, or when the water is murky.
Do not swim alone or after drinking, and follow the lifeguards. On this tour the stop at Boa Viagem is a walk on the promenade rather than a swim, but many visitors stay on this beach, so it is worth knowing before your free days.
What you are looking at
Marco Zero and the Rua do Bom Jesus
The square faces the harbour and the reef, and this is where the city began. From the square you walk into the Rua do Bom Jesus, where you find the Kahal Zur Israel synagogue. It dates from 1636, when this part of Brazil was under Dutch rule, which lasted from 1630 to 1654. When the Portuguese took the city back in 1654, the Jewish community was ordered to leave within three months, and most went to Amsterdam. The building now holds a memorial museum. It keeps its own opening days and hours, which have not always included every weekday, so check before you go if it matters to you. The entrance is not included.
The Sculpture Park
Across the harbour, on the reef, stand the sculptures of Francisco Brennand, with the tall Torre de Cristal among them. The park opened in 2000 and holds more than 80 works. Boats cross from below Marco Zero and the boat is not included. You can also reach it on foot along the reef from Brasília Teimosa, about a kilometre.
Santo Antônio and São José
The Santa Isabel theatre opened in 1850, to a design by the French architect Louis Léger Vauthier. A short drive away, the Casa da Cultura was built in 1855 as the city's prison. It is shaped like a cross so that guards at the centre could watch every corridor. The prison closed in 1973, and in 1976 it reopened as the Casa da Cultura, with craft shops in the old cells.
On your own, or with a car
You can see Recife Antigo on foot, and taxis and ride-hailing apps work across the city. What makes it slow on your own is the layout. The old centre sits on islands between two rivers and the sea, Boa Viagem is well away from the old centre, and you spend your time getting between places rather than in them.
A private car joins the pieces up in one morning or one afternoon, with fuel, tolls and parking included. Entrances and the boat to the Sculpture Park are paid on the day. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
Off a cruise ship
We collect from the cruise terminal as well as from any hotel or address in Recife or Olinda. The tour lasts five hours from pick-up, so check your all-aboard time and choose the 07:00 or 13:00 start that leaves you a comfortable margin. Tell us the ship and the time when you book.
What to bring
- A hat, sun cream and water. A good part of the day is outdoors.
- Comfortable shoes for the old streets.
- Money for the boat, the synagogue and any craft you buy at the Casa da Cultura.
- Swimwear only if you plan to come back to the beach on your own later.
Questions people ask
Is this a good first day?
Yes. It shows you how the city fits together, which makes the rest of your stay easier to plan. Our guide to day trips from Recife compares it with the other five.
What if there are more than 16 of us?
Two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the tour
Choose the start that fits your day or your ship, read the beach signs before you swim, and bring a little money for the boat. The full route and what is included are on the Recife private city tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
