Recife

Meaning "reef" in Portuguese; Recife, population 1.3 million, 3.5 million in the metropolitan area, is the second largest city in the Northeastern Region of Brazil and the largest metropolitan area. It is the 5th largest metropolitan area in Brazil. It is the capital of the Pernambuco state and the city where the Beberibe River meets Capibaribe River to flow into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a major port on the Atlantic Ocean.

Tourism and recreation

Its main tourist attractions are:

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• Churches and historical monuments
• Francisco Brennand's atelier of ceramic art
• Ancient Recife buildings: Forte Orange
• Boa Viagem Beach (the main city beach)
• Olinda - a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Casa da Cultura: souvenir shops
• The Carnival at Recife Antigo
• Cuba do Capibaribe, a mix of Cuban and Brazilian culture in a charming restaurant & dancing club at Paço Alfândega http://www.cubadocapibaribe.com.br (In Portuguese)

There are many beaches surrounding Recife, such as:

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• Porto de galinhas, Ipojuca, Pernambuco (60 km to the south)
• Maracaípe, Ipojuca, Pernambuco (65 km to the south)
• Serrambi, Ipojuca, Pernambuco (70 km to the south)
• Tamandaré, Barreiros, Pernambuco (110 km to the south)
• Itamaracá, Pernambuco (40 km to the north)
• Maragogi, Alagoas (150 km to the south)
• Praia de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte (280 km to the north)
• Tambaba, Conde, Paraíba (115 km to the north)
• Serrambi, Ipojuca, Pernambuco