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Recife, Arts and Crafts, Pernambuco Old Facade in Recife Faces

The capital, Recife, is a perfect composition between modernity and past. Its streets and monuments keep colonial memories that mingle with the sophistication of a metropolis.

On the outskirts of the capital, paradisaic landscapes remind of the battle for the occupation of those lands; among cannons pointing to the sea, churches and colonial mansions, monuments and old sugar mills preserving the memory of the golden period of the sugar cane civilization.

First capital of the State of Pernambuco, Olinda represents one of the Brazilian cultural cradles. This condition, allied to its architecture - one of the most representative of the colonial period - has made Unesco declare it Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1982. The city spreads over seven hills, among streets and slopes that enchant any passer-by who gets the chance to walk around. The bars and restaurants offer to visitors the rich regional cuisine and a lively nightlife, which allied to the Gregorian chants of the convents, to the moonlight serenades and to Carnival - always rocked by frevo - make the festivities in Olinda some of the merriest in the Country.

The major expressions of pernambucano folklore are the dances and the rhythms, such as maracatu (carnival suite), quadrilha, ciranda and fandango. None of them is connected to Pernambuco State like the frevo is. The State organizes popular and religious parties practically throughout the year. One of the highlights happens in the month of June, when forró takes over the State of Pernambuco. The nucleus of the activity is Caruaru, city which hosts the biggest crafts fair in the Northeast and where accordionists party among big fires and many typical foods.