Recife & The Northeast

Great weather, beaches and culture

Recife was known as the Venice of Brazil, a once wealthy city with Portuguese and Dutch influence, including bridges and canals, today a fun city laid out along a beach that goes on forever. It’s full of life and creativity and home to modern Brazilian music with new bands popping up regularly.

Nearby is the town of Olinda a colonial baroque gem and the place we suggest our clients stay on their holiday. Colonial churches and monasteries are found alongside palm groves and exotic gardens with the backdrop  of the turquoise Atlantic ocean . The whole town rightly has World Heritage status. For a musician this is the place to be for carnival.

The region between Olinda and the city of Natal is enchanting and well worth exploring by road, for something completely different try the inland area of Cariri, where you can stay on a ranch amongst lakes and granite hills. You then continue along the fine coast, where dolphins cavort in the many sandy coves.

Natal is a bustling city with pleasant beaches and fishing villages that have now become destination hotspots, like Pipa beach. If you want more than endless beaches you can explore the vast sand dunes on buggies or even camels.

The beaches get longer and less developed the further north you go towards Fortaleza where there are some lovely unspoilt hideaways like Canoa Quebrada or Jericoacoara. The city of Sâo Luis was a crumbling ruin but has been fully restored and is now well worth a visit.

One of our favourite destinations is the island of Fernando de Noronha, one of the world’s most romantic getaways with rugged scenery, clean beaches and an isolated position. The marine rich waters make it a haven for snorkelling, diving and wildlife enthusiasts.

Intriguing, romantic and off the beaten track

When to go: All year round

"Our guides were excellent and very sensitive to our particular needs and interests"

D & B Roberts

"The whole trip was very well organised and a great success"

H. Bullock

"A beautiful country with diverse attractions, everyone made an effort to make sure our holiday was a success"

R. Johnson

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