Recife & Olinda

September-January is drier with less rain; February-March brings Recife and Olinda's very lively Carnival, more folk-driven than Rio's.

• Olinda's colonial center (UNESCO)
• Boa Viagem beach
• Recife's natural reef formations
• The Francisco Brennand art workshop-museum

Boa Viagem for a comfortable urban beach; Olinda itself for a quiet historic atmosphere without big-city buzz.

Check shark-warning notices at Boa Viagem beach — swimming is restricted in some areas for reasons well known locally.

Getting around: A limited metro within Recife itself, and Uber or taxi to reach neighboring Olinda (~20 min). Each town partly walks on its own.

Halal & prayer places: Rare — very few declared halal options compared to São Paulo; research in advance or rely on fresh seafood.

Local safety: Same as country →

Cost figures: 2026 prices: a guided historic Olinda tour ~$15, a local seafood meal $10-20, hotels $40-100/night.

2-3 days

Suggested plan:

1. Olinda's historic center
2. Boa Viagem beach
3. The Brennand art museum