The most beautiful natural sites to discover Brésil Nordeste

It is one of the busiest parks in the city.

Three beautiful beaches with respectable waves make surfers happy:

Back Door (2 km north),

Batuba (1 km to the north)

Milagres (to the south).

Along the Praia Jaguaribe (or Praia do SESC) there are many small barracas, making it one of the most popular beaches for young people to meet there (paquerar!). The neighbouring Praia de Piatã is bordered by coconut palms.

Located between Piatã and Itapoã, Placafor was the beach in vogue in the 1960s. It owes its name to the presence of a Ford advertisement (placa Ford)!

Praia dos Artistas was very popular with Bahian artists and intellectuals in the 1970s. The waves are low, which makes it interesting for children.

Armação beach has strong waves, ideal for surfing and windsurfing.

Jardim dos Namorados is not suitable for swimming, but it now has a nice and pleasant garden for walks.

Praia do Corsário is very popular with volleyball and football fans.

The beach of Flamengo is rather pleasant and deserves to spend half a day there. You can go there in the morning to sunbathe next to the coconut trees and walk back to Itapuã.

Created in 1997, it is a vast open-air museum where you can browse the sites that were the theatre of the war of Canudos: Death valley, Alto do Mário, sacred road, sticking valley… Charming names, echoing the furious violence of the confrontations that occurred in these places. No trace of the village, because not content with having razed and burned the village after having exterminated most of the inhabitants, the Brazilian government blew the site under the Açude Cocorobó (the lake created by a water restraint near Parque Estadual).

A dozen coconut trees ployés by western trade winds are looking at fishing houses and green water.

Like its neighbour Pipa, a small fishermen's community that became a popular seaside resort, Tibau do Sul has beautiful beaches. They are located at the bottom of its famous pink cliffs. The confidential surfers' spot of the 70s has become an important tourist area. You can swim in Praia de Tibau and Praia do Giz, or watch the sunset in Lagoa de Guarairas. If you continue south after Praia do Giz, you will arrive at Praia de Cacimbinha and then Praia do Madeiro, a surf spot, a very nice walk.

Several beaches in Pipa, all very beautiful.

The Praia do Centro is easily accessible (at the bottom of the village, where the many barracas are concentrated).

Going south you reach the Praia do Amor (on the beach only at low tide).

Towards the north you reach the Praia do Curral (also known as Baia dos Golfinhos), but beware: the only access is by the beach during low tide, there is no way to get out when the tide is high. You can see dolphins surfing in the waves, sometimes a few meters from the shore!

The beaches that stretch from the tip of the city southwards, Praia do Meio and Praia dos Artistas, are the best. The avenue is lined with lively bars. The water is clean, but the beach is polluted by buggies.

Forte. Protected by reefs, with small natural pools; 10 minutes by bus from the centre.

Meio. Lined with buildings and hotels; unsuitable for swimming. You can eat a crab at Cigarino, on the beach

Artistas. Lined with buildings, hotels and bars; good waves for surfing.

Areia Preta. Strong waves, unsuitable for swimming.

Beach with nudist zone 12 km south. You can go by car and come back by the beaches, the walk is superb. Count 3 hours of happiness. Colorful rocks, roots of trees polished by the tide, large black birds. The coastline is a suite of different and unexpected handles. Sometimes we have to cross small tributaries of fresh water to the currents so strong that they are ephemeral. Take water.

Access to the nudist zone is restricted, and men not accompanied by women cannot return.

The quilombo of Palmares is a major place in post-colonial Brazil. The curious traveller who passes through Salvador cannot miss the statue of the "hero" of negritude: Zumbi de Palmares, an African king enslaved in Brazil. He managed to escape with many maroons and built a city in the northern hinterland. From the beginning of the 17th century, the slaves who managed to escape from the fazendas (farms) and engenhos (small sugar cane processing factories) began to gather in safe places where they could move freely, these communities are known as quilombos.

The largest and most famous quilombo in Brazil, the one "governed" by Zumbi dos Palmares, was established in the Serra da Barriga, 80 km from Maceió. It brought together runaway slaves, Indians and a few outcast whites, who resisted fiercely for almost 100 years, like the Canudos rebels not far from here, before finally being wiped out by the Portuguese crown army in 1694. The story goes that Zumbi fell after being betrayed by one of his own.

Unfortunately, the remains of the quilombo are not promoted: no guards, no means, and you will have to rent a vehicle. On the spot, guides offer, "voluntarily", to guide you. More than a visit, it is a small adventure for those who are particularly interested in this page of Brazilian history.

It covers almost 390 hectares and is one of the largest urban fragments of Atlantic forest in Pernambuco. Dois Irmãos State Park is considered one of the main centres of in situ nature conservation in the country. Its exuberant ecosystem is home to free-living plants and animals, such as sloths, marmosets, coatis, capybaras and several birds. It is a botanical and zoological garden and an environmental education centre. Guides accompany visitors on the trails (remember to make reservations).

This is the only beach in Recife that is worth a visit. Lined with imposing modern buildings, it extends over 7 km (with reefs a few hundred meters from the shore), the water is on average 26 ° C. Particularly frequented at weekends by a varied public but especially family. You can easily eat on the beach, accompanied as it should be by an água de coco or a cerveja gelada. Frequent shark attacks.

Other beaches of interest include:

Gaïbu, 30 km to the south.

Jatiuca and Pajuçara are nice beaches in the vicinity.

Beaches are not Olinda's strong point. There are, however, a few urban beaches, such as Plage do Farol and Plage de Casa Caiada, both of which are frequented by locals and tourists alike... Heading north, you'll find a succession of not-so-clean beaches framed by drab buildings: Rio Doce (6 km), Janga (8 km), Praia do Ó (12 km), Praia do Pau Amarelo (14 km), Praia da Conceição (17 km), Praia da Maria Farinha (23 km). Buses leave from Praça do Carmo and run every 30 minutes from 8am to 7pm. Beware of sharks.

The island of Fernando de Noronha is a small ecological paradise which depends on the state of Pernambuco. The National Marine Park occupies two thirds of the island. It was created with the aim of preserving the local marine and terrestrial environment. It offers controlled access to the beauties of the island and is responsible for the management and preservation of natural areas, research on fauna and flora. On their website you will find all the practical information about the park.