The first Portuguese settlers came to Pernambuco in 1501 and soon settled down, planting sugar cane and exploring some natural resources. Down the line, they brought African slaves from many different nations to work on the sugar cane plantations.

The State of Pernambuco also had a strong Jewish, French, English and Spanish influence, but between 1630 and 1654, Pernambuco lived under Dutch invaders’ rule.

The Portuguese Crown forces eventually defeated the Dutch, this being the first time that Indians, whites and blacks fought together in the ranks. However, to remain in Brazil, some Dutch migrated to the interior regions of Agreste and Sertão where they took up residence. The English came in the 18^th century, building railroads and installing public lighting systems.

A Cultural Nation

Pernambuco’s calendar of festivities lasts all year long. During Carnival, frevo, the most traditional rhythm of Pernambuco, rules. Carnival is a treat for the eyes and ears. For one month, in the streets of Olinda and Recife, millions of revellers enjoy Carnival without being cordoned off, without having to pay admission and without biases, in the most democratic street celebration in the world.

Each participant can make up his own costume, showing off all the Brazilian people’s creativity and irreverence. Besides regional rhythms, Carnival also has space for other musical expressions such as samba, reggae and rock. In Olinda, declared by UNESCO a "Natural and Cultural World Heritage" in 1982, excellent inns offer day use rates for those who want to enjoy the day with plenty of comforts.  

How to get there

The International Airport of Recife/Guararapes, called Gilberto Freyre, is in the Greater Recife area and is one of the newest and most modern airports in Brazil.

It has direct flights to Brazil’s major capitals; daily flights from Lisbon, flights from Frankfurt, Cabo Verde, Miami, Panama City and Buenos Aires and it can receive 5 million people a year. Besides Gilberto Freyre International Airport in Recife, the cities of Caruaru in Agreste and Petrolina in Sertão are structured for domestic flights only.

Where to stay

Pernambuco has one of the best hotel networks in the Northeast of Brazil. There are over 62 thousand beds available in hotels, pousadas (Brazilian inns equivalent of British guest-houses and B&Bs) and resorts. Some of them are listed among the best in the country according to readers from some of the top national tourism magazines.