Overview

Recife has a vivid character all of its own; hosting a mix of modern high rise building and colonial architecture reflecting the riches of the plantation boom which brought many African and Amazonian indian immigrants to the city. Recently there has been an artistic revival with traditional music and dance featuring in a modern, slightly gritty incarnation. Just up the road is Olinda, where cobbled streets and Portuguese baroque architecture have enchanted visitors for many years.

The tiny state of Alagoas, with its small-scale modern capital Maceió, is wedged between more illustrious neighbours but its homeliness and unpretentious charm attracts sun-worshippers to a string of silky, flour-white beaches lapped by impossibly turquoise seas.

Accessible by air from Recife is the only populated island in a protected Atlantic Ocean archipelago, volcanic Fernando de Noronha. The remote island attracts nature-loving visitors, especially divers and surfers. Craggy cliffs jacketed in scrubby vegetation close in on gorgeous bays of sugary sand, and the waters here are sapphire-clear. Much of the island is a protected marine park: sharks, dolphins, turtles and stingrays thrive there.

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Holidays Recife, Olinda and Fernando de Noronha

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Fernando de Noronha

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Brazil

Active Brazil: Remote Bahia and Fernando de Noronha

15 days from £3,260pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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Private Journeys

Brazil

Off the beaten track Brazil: Dunes and lagoons of Lencois Maranhenses

10 days from £2,170pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Things to do

Recife is an exciting cultural hub and Olinda a preserved colonial masterpiece. Fernando de Noronha island offers optimum scuba diving. Book with Journey Latin America.

Where to go when - our guide to Recife, Olinda and Fernando de Noronha

Igreja da praia dos carneiros

The weather in Recife, Olinda and Fernando de Noronha is wide and varied

Take in colonial architecture contrasting with gleaming modern buildings in Recife, wander Olinda’s quaint cobbled streets and swim in sapphire-clear waters of volcanic island Fernando de Noronha. It’s hot with plenty of sunshine all year round here, with most rain falling April - July. This means, unlike in other coastal areas further south, the Brazilian summer (December - March) is relatively dry. Christmas, and Carnival in February/March are the busiest times to visit, with particularly exuberant celebrations in Olinda.

View our Recife, Olinda and Fernando de Noronha weather guide

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

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