State · PE · Region Northeast

Pernambuco

Colonial Olinda, Recife's cultural scene, Porto de Galinhas and Fernando de Noronha: a state that combines heritage, beach and island programs from one hub.

RecifeCapital

4Destinations

3Airports

Key figures

Area98,068 km²IBGE, 2022

Population9.06 millionIBGE Census, 2022

BiomesCaatinga, Atlantic ForestIBGE, 2019

UNESCO World Heritage sitesOlinda (1982); Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas (2001)UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2001

The state

Pernambuco stretches from a humid Atlantic coast of reefs and sugarcane valleys, through the agreste, to the semi-arid sertão along the São Francisco River, with the volcanic archipelago of Fernando de Noronha some 350 km offshore. Its capital, Recife, built on islands and rivers and once the seat of Dutch Brazil, sits beside Olinda, one of the best-preserved colonial towns in the country. Culturally it is one of Brazil's most distinctive states: frevo, recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage, maracatu, the clay art of Caruaru and the ceramic work of Francisco Brennand all originate here.

For agencies the state works well as a Northeast hub. Recife's airport is among the busiest in the region, making it a natural base for city and heritage programs, beach extensions in Porto de Galinhas, roughly an hour south, and add-on flights to Fernando de Noronha. Special-interest groups can reach the São Francisco Valley wine region around Petrolina or the rock-art landscapes of Catimbau. Carnival and the June festivals drive demand and prices, so space should be secured early; the coast is wettest from about April to July.

When to go

The coast is driest and sunniest from about September to February, with the heaviest rain between April and July. Fernando de Noronha's drier season runs roughly August to January.

At a glance

Capital: Recife
Region: Northeast
Code: PE
Time zone: UTC-3 (Brasília Time); the Fernando de Noronha archipelago runs on UTC-2

Airports

REC

Recife/Guararapes - Gilberto Freyre International Airport

Main gateway to the state, operated by Aena, with domestic links to major hubs such as São Paulo and Brasília and a selection of international routes.

FEN

Fernando de Noronha - Governador Carlos Wilson Airport

The only airport serving the archipelago, with flights from Recife and Natal.

PNZ

Petrolina - Senador Nilo Coelho International Airport

Serves the São Francisco Valley, with domestic passenger links and a cargo role in fresh fruit exports.

Where we operate

Destinations 4

Destinations in this state covered by YourBrasil ground services.

FEN

Fernando de Noronha

Fernando de Noronha is a volcanic archipelago roughly 545 km off the Pernambuco coast in Brazil's Nordeste, anchoring one of the South Atlantic's richest…

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REC

Olinda

Olinda sits on a cluster of hills overlooking the Atlantic about 6 km north of central Recife. Founded in 1535 by the donatary captain…

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REC

Porto de Galinhas

Porto de Galinhas is a beach village in the municipality of Ipojuca, on the south coast of Pernambuco, about 60 km from Recife's international…

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REC

Recife

Recife, capital of Pernambuco, takes its name from the stone reefs that line its shore. Founded in 1537 as the port of the sugar-rich…

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Timeline

1535
Duarte Coelho founds Olinda as the seat of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, which grows rich on sugar.
1630-1654
The Dutch West India Company rules the region, with Recife renamed Mauritsstad under Johan Maurits of Nassau.
1648-1649
The two Battles of Guararapes mark the turning point of the campaign that expels the Dutch in 1654.
1817
The Pernambucan Revolution briefly proclaims a republic, giving rise to the symbols of today's state flag.
1824
Pernambuco leads the Confederation of the Equator, a short-lived separatist movement against the Empire.
1848-1849
The Praieira revolt, inspired by the European revolutions of 1848, is the last of the great provincial uprisings.
1982
The Historic Centre of Olinda is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
1988
Fernando de Noronha is incorporated into Pernambuco as a state district and its marine national park is created.

Landmarks

Historic Centre of Olinda UNESCO

Hillside colonial town of churches, convents and colourful houses overlooking Recife.

Fernando de Noronha UNESCO

Volcanic archipelago with a marine national park, protected as part of the Brazilian Atlantic Islands site.

Recife Antigo

The historic port district, home to the Kahal Zur Israel synagogue and cultural centres.

Instituto Ricardo Brennand

Castle-style museum in Recife with a collection from the Dutch period and European arms and armour.

Oficina Brennand

The ceramic workshop and sculpture park of artist Francisco Brennand in Recife.

Porto de Galinhas

Beach resort in Ipojuca known for reef-formed natural pools visited by jangada at low tide.

Alto do Moura, Caruaru

Artisan quarter of figurative clay art linked to Mestre Vitalino, near the IPHAN-registered Caruaru Fair.

Catimbau National Park

Sertão park created in 2002 with colourful sandstone formations and dozens of catalogued rock-art sites.

Festivals and events

Carnival in Recife and Olinda

Street carnival of frevo and maracatu in February or March, including Galo da Madrugada and Olinda's hillside parades.

São João de Caruaru

June festival season of forró, quadrilhas and regional food, centred on the Luiz Gonzaga events ground.

The flag

A blue upper field with a rainbow, a star and a sun above a white lower field with a red cross. Rooted in the 1817 Pernambucan Revolution and made official in 1917, it symbolises unity (rainbow), the state within the Federation (star), strength (sun) and faith in justice (cross).

Curiosities

Kahal Zur Israel in Recife Antigo, dating from the Dutch period, is regarded as the oldest synagogue in the Americas.
Recife is often called the Venice of Brazil for its rivers, islands and bridges.
Frevo was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
Galo da Madrugada, founded in 1978, parades through Recife on Carnival Saturday and is recognised by Guinness as the world's largest carnival parade by number of participants.
Bolo de rolo has been officially protected as intangible cultural heritage of Pernambuco since 2007.
Fernando de Noronha runs one hour ahead of the mainland (UTC-2), worth flagging in client itineraries.
Shark incidents have been recorded along parts of Recife's urban coast, including Boa Viagem, so swimming guidance from local signage should be followed.
The São Francisco Valley was granted Brazil's geographical indication for tropical wines in 2022; year-round warmth allows two harvests a year.

At the table

Bolo de rolo

Paper-thin sponge rolled around guava paste, a state cultural heritage item since 2007.

Bolo Souza Leão

A dense cassava and coconut milk cake from the sugar-mill era, protected as state heritage since 2008.

Cartola

Fried banana topped with melted coalho or manteiga cheese, sugar and cinnamon.

Buchada de bode

A sertão specialty of goat stomach filled with seasoned offal, traditionally served with cassava.

Sarapatel

A Portuguese-origin stew of pork offal, eaten with cassava flour or rice.

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The state

Destinations 4

Fernando de Noronha

Olinda

Porto de Galinhas

Recife

Timeline

Landmarks

Historic Centre of Olinda UNESCO

Fernando de Noronha UNESCO

Recife Antigo

Instituto Ricardo Brennand

Oficina Brennand

Porto de Galinhas

Alto do Moura, Caruaru

Catimbau National Park

Festivals and events

Carnival in Recife and Olinda

São João de Caruaru

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