Pernambuco
Overview:
The capital of the region is Recife. Known as the ‘Venice of Brazil’ with its 39 bridges crossing 50 canals, this modern city contrasts greatly with its historical old quarter and lively night life. Olinda an UNESCO World Heritage site, has beautifully preserved colonial buildings situated within a lush tropical setting.
To the south is Porto de Galinhas, a small fishing village protected from the open sea by a large reef system. Fernando de Noronha is a 21 island archipelago that boasts crystal clear water full of dolphins whales and various forms of fish life. Combined with many walks and large amounts of wildlife it is a paradise for ecological tourism.
FERNANDO DE NORONHA
“Here is Paradise,” is how the Navigator Americo Vespucio described Fernando Noronha when he landed in 1503. An archipelago of 21 islands it is a natural paradise, boasting a diverse range of flora and fauna that has enticed famous naturalists from all around the world, including Charles Darwin.
Dolphins, turtles, scores of species of fish, migratory birds and unique flora make it a haven for the ecological traveller or those interested in relaxing and experiencing the paradise that Americo Vespucio so fittingly described.
Situated 545km from the capital of Pernambuco, Recife and 345km from the capital of Rio Grande de Norte, Natal, it is situated on top of an old volcano that extends 4000m to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Fernando de Noronha has a tropical climate, with an average temperature of 25 degrees centigrade. Its rainy season is from March to May, however as with most tropical areas they are short downpours cooling the area after a hot summers day. For the rest of the year it is usually sunny.
There are various outings by boat that can be taken, usually combined with walks around the islands with local naturalists who live and a lot of the time studied on the island. Divers can dive with the Dolphins in Dolphin bay and float admist schools of tropical fish and the protected Turtle population.
As entry is strictly controlled by the Brazilian and State Governments there are always plenty of places on the island to relax and get away from it all.
OLINDA
Olinda has a great nightlife with bars and restaurants blending in with its traditional setting. The sounds of Forro and Frevo the local popular music styles mixed with reggae makes for a very entertaining night.
A highlight is Carnaval in late February/early March where the sounds of Frevo blasts through the cobbled streets. The city is full of Pousadas (Brazilian Inns) that are built within the old colonial mansions which are a great way to soak up the true feeling of the city.
When to go:
The rainy season in Pernambuco is from January through the start of April however the rains come mainly at night in the form of large rain storms with the days rather hot and sunny. Due to its proximity to the equator the winter time is pleasant and sunny with little rain with an average temperature of around 24 degrees.