Carnival in Recife

In the week before the Carnival you can warm up the dance steps and get to know the city better. During the day, some museums offer an overview of popular culture and the origins of the local carnival. To better understand the main rhythm of the local carnival, the Paço do Frevo is, in addition to being a museum, a documentation, research and safeguard center for frevo, which is an intangible heritage of humanity (UNESCO). Still in the city downtown, go to the São Pedro Courtyard to check out the beautiful and recently restored São Pedro dos Clérigos Cathedral. There, get to know the history of the Mangue Beat in the Memorial Chico Science and the exhibitions of the Afro Nucleus of Recife. In the house where one of the most traditional carnival blocks of the city, Batutas de São José, was founded, there is the Buraco do Sargento Bar, with old photos and regional delicacies. If you want to have lunch, in the Courtyard there are traditional restaurants like Buraquinho and Banguê. If you go to the neighborhood of Casa Forte, be sure to visit the Homem do Nordeste Museum, where there is a bit about the history and culture of the region, including pieces from the legendary Maracatu Elefante, founded in the year 1800. During the night, the black Tuesday offers a meeting of attractions such as maracatus, coco and afoxé in the São Pedro Courtyard.
On Thursday of the week before Carnival the giant Rooster is already built on the bridge and part of downtown streets are already closed for cars, being a good opportunity to det to know the city walking. Take some time to visit some churches that are true artistic treasures such as the Golden Chapel, the Basilica of Carmo and theSão Pedrodo Clérigos Cathedral. Walk through the camelódromo ( place where it is sold all kinds of things)between costumes and props to ensure a special look for party. In the São José neighborhood, it is worth a visit to the Cinco Pontas Fort, which houses the Museum of the City of Recife. In front of the fort, a famous sugar cane juice helps refresh the walk. Follow dasCalçadas Street to the Mercado de São José with its fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, handicrafts and its nearby Basilica da Penha. At night, the destination is Marco Zero, to watch the Tumaraca Show, a meeting of 500 maracatu batuqueiros, opening the carnival, directed by 13 maracatu nação masters in honor of Naná Vasconcelos.