Recife, Brazil cruises

Recife is the state capital of Pernambuco, close to Brazil’s easternmost point. Modern and bustling, it contrasts wonderfully with its neighbour, Olinda, seemingly frozen in the sixteenth century.

Indeed Olinda is a magnet for many visitors here, and with good reason. Founded in 1534 by the Portuguese, its colonial cobbled alleys make it a photographer’s dream and have earned it the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also less than five miles from central Recife, whose glass skyscrapers create a distant counterpoint to the up-and-down streets and orange rooftops that feel untouched for centuries.

One of Olinda’s most famous streets is Rua do Amparo. The long terrace is a hub of bars, cafés and artist studios, and comes to vibrant life during the evenings. Yet daylight does it plenty of favours too, showing off the brilliant colours and murals painted over the façades of the houses.

Scores of artists have found themselves drawn to Olinda, and who can blame them? There are dozens of galleries around the town, as well as museums dedicated to the creative talents of locals. These include the Museum of Modern Art, housed in what was once a prison during The Inquisition, and the Museo do Mamulengo, a celebration of the handmade dolls that satirically depict important local figures.

The churches and other religious buildings will leave their impression on you too. The colonial baroque face of the São Bento basilica and monastery is matched by the supremely ornate altar within. The Convento do São Francisco is an eye-catching complex nestled among palm trees, while the twin-towered Igreja da Sé possesses a simple yet imposing grandeur.

Olinda’s bigger, brasher neighbour, Recife, has been called the ‘Venice of Brazil’ because of the waterways that run through the city, parts of which occupy two islands. Recife is even named for the long reefs which shelter its shore from the Atlantic waves. ‘Amsterdam of Brazil’ might have been a more appropriate nickname because, where Olinda has Portuguese roots, Recife’s heritage is Dutch.

While it may be more modern and more high-rise than Olinda, Recife has a vibrant soul and its own artistic spirit. The Casa de Cultura is an interesting place in more ways than one. Built as a prison in the 1850s, its three wings now hold somewhere in the region of 150 stalls, selling everything from wooden figures of saints to lacework and leather bags.

Recife has its own fair share of historic buildings in its old town, not least the Golden Chapel with an atmospheric gilded interior filled with frescoes, statues and ornate detailing. The Governor’s Palace is undeniably grand, so too Santa Isabel Theatre, pastel pink outside and an extraordinary vision of crimson and gold within.

You might decide you have an appointment with the beaches in the area. The stretches of sand along Boa Viagem, on the city’s south side, are always popular and the reefs offshore create shallows to idly bask in as you watch locals play volleyball and football.