This is hard to answer becuase what I love most about Recife is the people. I go down at least twice a year to work with friends in a church. The city, as many big cities in Brazil, is a mix of new and old, rich and poor, beauty and ugliness. The beaches of Recife are beautiful. A reef (Recife means “reef”) runs most of the way down the coast. There is great surfing to the south. Porta de Galinha, about two hours south, has great beaches. Recife Antigua is an older part of town with lovely pastel building and shops. Olinda, just above Recife, is a wonderful small town with cobblestone roads and small shops and restaurants. There are great restaurants all over Brazil.

Like the South in the US, the northeast is a little more laid back than the south of Brazil. Their accent is a lttle more sing-song. The people are wonderful, giving, friendly… they’re great.

Hope this helps.