What to see in Recife

Recife highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

1. Olinda

   A colonial town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Recife Antigo

   The historic quarter.

3. Porto de Galinhas

   Natural pools between reefs.

4. Boa Viagem Beach

   The big city beach.

5. Instituto Ricardo Brennand

   A castle with art collections.

Day trips from Recife

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

• Porto de Galinhas ★ 4.4 (27 reviews)

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Typical food of Recife

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Recife from your kitchen).

Bolo de rolo

A Swiss roll of wafer-thin layers of sponge with guava paste, part of Pernambuco’s cultural heritage. It’s been made in Recife since colonial times.

• Serves 10
• 2 h

Ingredients

• 250 g butter
• 250 g sugar
• 5 eggs
• 250 g flour
• 400 g guava paste (or quince paste)
• 100 ml water
• Sugar for dusting

How to make it at home

1. Melt the guava paste with the water into a spreadable cream.
2. Beat the butter with the sugar, add the eggs one at a time and then the flour.
3. Spread a wafer-thin layer of batter (2 or 3 tablespoons) on a lined tray and bake at 200 °C for about 5 minutes.
4. Spread each layer with guava while hot and roll it around the previous one; repeat until the batter is used up.
5. Dust with sugar and leave to cool before slicing.

The trick: The layers should be almost transparent: a good bolo de rolo has lots of turns.

Frequently asked questions about Recife