Nearby · To the north
Recife from Porto de Galinhas
- Distance from Porto
- 50 to 65 km
- Driving time
- 1 hour to 1 h 20 min
- State
- PE
Recife is about 50 to 65 km from Porto de Galinhas, depending on the neighborhood, and makes a full day trip for anyone who wants to trade the beach for museums, Baroque churches and handicrafts.
Sightseeing is split across four areas: the Bairro do Recife, or Recife Antigo, with the Marco Zero, Rua do Bom Jesus and museums such as the Paço do Frevo and the Cais do Sertão; the center, in the Santo Antônio and São José neighborhoods, with the Capela Dourada, the Casa da Cultura and the Mercado de São José; Várzea, with the Oficina Francisco Brennand and the Instituto Ricardo Brennand; and the Boa Viagem waterfront, near the airport.
Getting there
By car, the main route is the PE-009, the Rota do Atlântico, which has a toll, and the BR-101; without traffic, the trip takes 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes. By bus, lines 195 and 191 connect Porto de Galinhas to Cais de Santa Rita, in the São José neighborhood, passing the airport and Boa Viagem; the trip takes 2 hours on average. Agencies in Porto de Galinhas sell a full-day city tour combining Recife and Olinda, Monday to Saturday, with hotel pickup; in October 2026, prices started at R$ 142 per adult, not including museum and church admission.
How much time to allow
A full day. Add about 2 hours by bus each way, or the driving time, to the time spent on visits. In Recife Antigo, the Paço do Frevo and the Cais do Sertão close on Mondays, and the Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel also closes on Saturdays. In Várzea, the Oficina takes about two hours, and the Instituto needs at least two hours, plus half an hour for the Gothic chapel; both close on Mondays, and the Instituto does not open until 13:00.
What to combine
- Recife Antigo on foot: Marco Zero, Rua do Bom Jesus, Paço do Frevo and Cais do Sertão. From the pier below Marco Zero, a boat crosses in about 5 minutes to the Parque de Esculturas Francisco Brennand. On Sundays, the Feira do Bom Jesus fills the street from 10:00 to 19:00.
- Várzea: the Oficina in the morning, from 9:00, and the Instituto in the afternoon, from 13:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Sunday.
- Center and Olinda: the Capela Dourada in the morning, since it closes on Sundays and at lunchtime, then the Casa da Cultura and the Mercado de São José, and the afternoon in Olinda, about 7 km from the center.
- Boa Viagem fits with your arrival or departure, as it is near the airport and on the way back to Porto de Galinhas.
- The catamaran tour on Recife's rivers leaves from Cais de Santa Rita, the same terminal used by the buses coming from Porto.
Safety
Visit Recife Antigo preferably during the day and watch out for theft, especially at night. In Boa Viagem, follow the signs and the lifeguards, stay in the areas protected by the reefs and avoid high tide, because of the risk of sharks.