THE VENUE: RECIFE, BRAZIL

Recife, the city where the Conference will be held, is a most lovely city located in the Northeast of Brazil, being one of the most important cities of this region.

Partial view of the Brazilian coast

Recife is 467 years old and is known as Brazilian Venice, as it is crossed over and over by Capibaribe and Beberibe rivers. Besides Portuguese colonization, Recife also suffered great influences from the Dutch people, who spent 24 years in the city. Nowadays, the city architecture is a nice mixture of the traditional and the modern.

Recife: the old and the new

Currently the population of the city is around 1.5 million people. The average temperature is around 86°F (30°C) all year long, but the air is kept cool by the wind coming from the sea. The climate is hot and humid, and the sun shines during most months of the year. The so called "raining season" occurs between June and August.

It's impossible to walk around the town center without crossing its bridges, by car or on foot, or passing under them, by boat. Either way, you can appreciate each one of them, built in a different style. The river makes the town center special, and beautiful buildings are found on its banks.

Ponte Velha - one of the bridges of the town center

The old town, not far from the town center, is nowadays a mostly commercial and touristic area. Surrounding the "Marco Zero", a mark in the middle of a large square identifying the birth-place of the city, are ancient and colorful buildings, from the first half of XVI century. But not only surrounding the square can you find those beautiful sights. The whole neighborhood is worth being visited. On lovely Bom Jesus street, a typical fair takes place every Sunday.

Marco Zero square and Bom Jesus Street

Besides being crossed by rivers, Recife is on the coast of Brazil, and has a marvellous and calm beach of warm water, protected by reefs. Boa Viagem is the fanciest area of the town, and Boa Viagem beach is a favorite place of people from Recife to spend a morning of sunshining.

Boa Viagem Beach

Nearby Interesting Places

Just 5 miles north from Recife is the historical town of Olinda (in Portuguese, the town's name means "Oh beautiful!"), one of the oldest cities in Brazil, founded in 1535. The harmonious balance between the buildings, gardens, 20 Baroque churches, convents and numerous small "passos" (chapels) all contribute to Olinda's particular charm. The old part of the city, called High Town due to the hills on which it lies, is full of narrow streets going up and down, and offers spectacular sights. In addition to all this, Olinda is a boiling pot of culture; many artists have chosen the city as their homeplace. In 1982 it became part of UNESCO´s World Heritage list.

Olinda

About 38 miles (60Km) south of Recife are some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil, including Porto de Galinhas, the most visited beach of Pernambuco. It is famous for its natural pools of warm and limpid water, where lots of colored little fishes swim around people. Besides the astonishing beauty of the beach, the village offers a great variety of restaurants, bars and inns.

Porto de Galinhas Beach