Give one morning to Olinda, climbing from the Mosteiro de São Bento to the Alto da Sé for the view back over Recife. Spend the next in Recife Antigo: Marco Zero, the Rua do Bom Jesus synagogue and the Paço do Frevo, then the gilded Capela Dourada across the river. Take an afternoon for the two Brennand sites in Várzea, swim inside the reef at Boa Viagem at low tide, and keep a full day for the pools of Porto de Galinhas.
Recife is the capital of Pernambuco, built on islands and river mouths where the Capibaribe and Beberibe meet the Atlantic, and joined by bridges. The old port holds Dutch-era streets and the frevo museum, Boa Viagem runs south behind a reef, and colonial Olinda sits on the hills next door.
A UNESCO-listed colonial town of Baroque churches and painted houses on the hills seven kilometres north of Recife. Walk up from the Mosteiro de São Bento to the Alto da Sé in the morning, and expect the street guides who offer tours at the bottom of the hill.
The island where the city began, with the Marco Zero square facing the reef and the colourful Rua do Bom Jesus a block inland. Come on a Sunday, when a craft fair sets up along the Rua do Bom Jesus.
A mock-medieval castle in parkland west of the centre, holding arms and armour, tapestries and one of the largest collections of Frans Post landscapes of Dutch Brazil. It closes on Mondays; check the hours on its site, which change between weekdays.
Francisco Brennand turned his family's old brick and tile works into a garden of hundreds of ceramic sculptures, strange, erotic and unlike anything else in Brazil. Go in the morning before the heat, and give the grounds at least two hours.
Four floors on the music and dance of Recife's carnival, UNESCO-listed heritage, with costumes, umbrellas, a sound map of the city and a room to try the steps. Entry is free on Tuesdays; on other days it is R$10.
The city beach, a long run of sand in front of the hotel strip, with reef pools that form close to shore at low tide. Swim only inside the reef and where lifeguards are posted: the open water carries a shark warning, and the signs mean it.
The Franciscan tertiaries' chapel, finished in 1724, every surface carved and covered in gold leaf, and among the finest Baroque interiors in Brazil. It sits inside the Santo Antônio convent complex, with a small sacred art museum and a cloister.
A converted port warehouse beside Marco Zero, telling the story of the dry backlands through the music of Luiz Gonzaga, the king of baião. The rooms are built for listening, and there is a rooftop over the harbour.
The site of the first synagogue in the Americas, founded under Dutch rule in the 1630s and closed when the Portuguese retook the city in 1654. The rebuilt house is now a museum, with the original ritual bath uncovered in the floor.
Reef pools that open at low tide off a beach village about 60 kilometres south of Recife, reached on a short jangada ride. Plan the day around the tide table, since the boats only run when the water is low, and start early to beat the tour buses.
A neoclassical theatre of 1850 on the Praça da República, still staging shows.
The region's people, faith and sugar economy, run by the Fundação Joaquim Nabuco.
A 19th-century mansion of state art and history, with a deep collection of Pernambuco painting.
Sacred art in the old bishop's palace beside Olinda's cathedral.
Brazil's oldest iron building, from 1875; under restoration, with crafts in an annex.
Paraíba's calm capital, with a Baroque core and the easternmost point of the Americas.
The giant rooster parade, from the Forte das Cinco Pontas through the centre.
Frevo bands and giant puppets on the hill streets, day and night.
Maracatu nations fall silent at midnight in the Pátio do Terço.
The two cities' shared birthday; Recife counts from 1537.
The Passion staged at night in the stone city of Nova Jerusalém.
Forró, bonfires and corn dishes, largest of all in Caruaru.
A national crafts fair at the Centro de Convenções in Olinda.
Recife's patron saint, honoured with a procession from the Basílica do Carmo.
Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre, about 10 km south of the centre and close to Boa Viagem. Aeroporto metro station links it to the centre; ride-hailing is the simple choice for the beach hotels.
CBTU runs two lines and a light-rail branch. The South line connects the airport with Recife station in the centre, but no line reaches Boa Viagem beach or Olinda.
Buses cover the whole metropolitan area, including Olinda, but routes are hard for a visitor. Ride-hailing apps are cheap and the usual way between the centre, Boa Viagem and Olinda.
Paper-thin sponge rolled round guava paste, the state's signature cake.
Salted, sun-dried beef, served with cassava and butter.
A dense cassava and coconut cake from a sugar-mill family recipe.
Fried banana under melted cheese, with sugar and cinnamon.
Cassava-starch pancake, folded round coconut, cheese or carne de sol.
Goat stewed slowly, the taste of the sertão.
A small cup of bean or fish broth, ordered with a cold beer.
Squeaky cheese grilled on a stick by beach vendors.
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