"Beautiful Brazilian Venice" a Recife Travel Page by Bert_Pearson

Recife was beyond my expectation. Lovely islands, ( Recife, Santo Antonio, Boa Vista) many rivers, lots of bridges counting one of the most original and lively Carnivals of the world. History is written everywhere on colonial old houses, in various museums and streets.

Citade Antigo is the place to go on Sundays. Life starts early in the afternoon to end in the wee hours of the night. Bars, cafés, terrases, little souvenir shops, handicrafts, and, of course.... music all the time. One can dance or enjoy the bands that pass through Boa Jesu street playing their maracatu music.

Recife is crossed by two big rivers: Capibaribe and Bebveribe.
Today it is the biggest cultural, services and leisure center of the Northeast, beside being the 3rd gastronomic pole of the country.
The food is simply divine. And the Boa Viagem beach (7km long) offers snacks to remember for ever.

Having been there in December and in January, I could witness the arrival of the New Year greeted on Boa Viagem beach. I could see it from a l6 floor apartment: first lots of shows of many artists, orchestras of frevo topped with a rain of fireworks that lasted 30 minutes.

Then in the middle of January, came the famous Recife Folia. The groups were practicing just in front the apartment of my friends. Evening activities were starting at the fall of dusk till early morning.

I got the feeling that the people were always in the midst of festivities. The shows of lights along the sea shore are touching and very special

The apogee happends during the presentation of the Galo da Madrugada, the largest and more lively block of the wold responsible for the official opening of the carnival in the city.

All converge to the Patio do Terço in the glorious Night of the Silent Drums, one of the most beautiful encounters of maracatus of the state. Unfortunately, I was not there to witness it.

It is merrymaking all year round: Semana Santa, Abril pro Rock, Sao Joao...until the vacations arrive and everything begins again.

Seven kms of sandy beach and coral reef runs through Piedade, Candeias and Boa Viagem.