Casa Forte – Apipucos – Poço da Panela Neighborhoods

Following the banks of the Capibaribe River, old sugar mills and summer resorts gave rise to the present neighborhoods. Stunning elegance with tree-lined streets, stately mansions of the past mix with modern buildings and restaurants. Gardens, squares, churches, schools, museums and streets are part of a large continuous set between the neighborhoods.

In Casa Forte, historic mansions house shops, restaurants, educational institutions and cafes. Around the Casa Forte Square, it is worth a walk to observe the buildings and the landscaping made by the famous Burle Marx. Close to the square is the Homem do Nordeste Museum, with an important collection dedicated to the history and culture of the region. Integrated to the museum there is a cinema with exhibition of art films. Nearby, the small neighborhood of Poço da Panela has stone streets and charming old mansions that give bucolic air to the place. There are some ateliers and bars such as Venda de Seu Antônio and Barchef. Going to Apipucos Neighborhood, there is a beautiful dam and the unmissable house-museum of the Gilberto Freyre Foundation, with a collection dedicated to the sociologist and a beautiful forest in the backyard. Also, go to Dois Irmãos State Park, which houses a reserve of Mata Atlântica and the local zoo.