Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
e Damião
, the oldest church in Brazil, is still there on the ridge (the first church was
founded in 1535, but this one dates to the 1590s).
Museu Pinacoteca de Igarassu
Rua Barbosa Lima at Rua Dantas Barreto • Mon-Fri 8-11.30am & 1.30-4.30pm • R$2 •
T
81 3543 0258
Just down the hill from the Igreja dos Santos Cosme e Damião, the
Convento de
Santo Antônio
was founded in 1588 and is now home to the
Museu Pinacoteca de
Igarassu
, a museum of religious art stuffed with paintings and panels that date back
to the seventeenth century.
Praia da Gavôa
Some 14km east of Igarassu, there are a couple of upmarket places to stay at the
pleasant
Praia da Gavôa
, popular with Brazilian tourists for watersports and its shallow,
calm waters. It's hard to get here without your own transport, however.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE IGARASSU
Hourly buses to Igarassu, with easy connections to Itamaracá, leave from Avenida Martins de Barros on Santo Antônio in
Recife, opposite the
Grande Hotel
.
Itamaracá
Some 16km northeast of Igarassu,
ITAMARACÁ
is connected to the mainland by a
causeway. Local legend has it that the island was once the site of the Garden of Eden,
and the short drive across the causeway from Itapissuma promises much, passing among
thousands of palm trees lapped by fields of sugar cane. While the
beaches
around the
island are very good -
Praia do Sossego
is especially wide and lined with palms - the
town of
Itamaracá
itself is something of a disappointment, and you are better off making
for the southern end of the island, an area known as
Vila Velha
around
Forte Orange
.
4
Forte Orange
Estrada do Forte • Tues-Sun 9am-5pm • Free •
T
81 3544 1080
Constructed by the Dutch in 1631 and rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1654,
Forte
Orange
is one of the best-preserved colonial forts in Brazil. Displays inside shed light
on the Dutch presence in the region, as well as the excavations completed on site. The
enthusiastic guides are excellent, though few speak English - everything is labelled in
English, however.
llhota da Coroa do Avião
Boats from Forte Orange • R$10/person return (5min); fix a time for pick-up
Visiting the ravishing
llhota da Coroa do Avião
at low tide is a real treat, even though
it can get mobbed in high season (when the jet-skis arrive). The island is really just a
large sand bar in the middle of the Rio Jaguaribe, which can only be reached by boat
from Itamaracá. There are a few stalls and
barracas
on the island but not much else,
and no toilets.
Centro de Mamíferos Aquáticos
Estrada do Forte • Daily: Jan-March 9am-5pm, April-Dec 9am-4pm • R$10 •
T
81 3544 1056,
W
icmbio.gov.br/cma
To learn more about the local marine life, visit the
Centro de Mamíferos Aquáticos
,
dedicated to the preservation of the endangered
manatee
, with displays, videos and
giant tanks that harbour the gentle “sea cows” as well as other rescued sea creatures.
ACCOMMODATION
ITAMARACÁ
Orange Praia Hotel
Estrada do Forte
T
81 3544 1170,
W
hotelorange.com.br.
Pricey but convenient place to
stay right in the heart of the action near all the mai
in sights
,
with spacious comfy rooms, LCD TVs and free wi-fi.
R$320
