The capital of the State of Pernambuco, Recife is a modern city where more than 1.5 million people live. It houses some of Brazil's best folk art, including painting, sculpture, dance, music and festivals. Its sister city, Olinda, separated by ten kilometers of rivers and swamps, is considered the same destination.

One of the best preserved colonial cities in Brazil, Olinda overlooks Recife and the Atlantic Ocean. To climb its hills is to step back in time. Nowadays, Olinda is world famous for Carnival festivities, and for its high concentration of artists. Visit the best of the beaches in Recife (Boa Viagem, an upscale area that also offers most of the restaurants and nightclubs in the area), and then slip into comfortable shoes for a up- and downhill walking tour of both cities, taking in the many cultural locales, and breathing in the air that inspires creativity.