The Last Lap
Trip Start
Dec 31, 2007
1
23
26
Trip End
Apr 24, 2008
Recife and others,
Brazil
Friday, April 18, 2008
A large busy city with a great, brand new airport where the tourist information office tries hard to help. We chose the Hotel Vitoria who came and collected us from the airportē they charge 88R“s per night for a small, rather twee double room; this is rather expensive but quite close to the beach and promenade. The beach is poor, promenade being rebuilt all along the Boa Viagem front that is full of high rise apartments giving no space for restaurants, bars or cafes. Dining out is a case of taking a taxi to a shopping centre and using their rather economical fast food areas. If you like big coastal cities this is the one for you, there must be some night-life somewhere!
Porto De Galinhas
An upmarket, clean, safe coastal resort with a great beach, good restaurants, cafes and many pousadas. The price per room starts around 90R“s for anywhere within two blocks of the beach, but the HI hostal give good value at 52R“s for a double,en suitee and is just inside the three blocks from the beach limit. Good for a break but quite expensive.
Praia Frances
The sun shone, the sands silver and soft, the waves gentle in the natural lagoon behind the reef. It is a good place to relax. Once again it is really aimed at the richer holiday makers from Maceio or Recife having upmarket pousadas. We spoilt ourselves at ``The Aconchega““ pousada having a great room, good breakfast and nice clean pool for 70R“s. Eating places in the evening were rather restricted in the village but prices were reasonable. An ATM at the local garage was located with relief; it is about a kilometre out of town! Beach, reef and surfing all good, the place fills with day trippers at weekends.
San Miguel
Things get better and better as we move southwards along the beach, especially as it is nowofficiallyy ““out of season““ and prices have dropped. A pousada here costing 250.R“s in Jan, Feb and March are now priced at 75/85 R“s and they throw in an evening meal!
The beach is empty apart from locals who seem to fish all day. The Brisama Pousada on the edge of the village isexceptionallyy clean and comfortable although their pooltablee and ping-pong a little beyond their ““sell-by-date“.
A tropical retreat with little else to do but relax under your parasol and listen to the gentle surf,occasionallyy cooling off in the warm sea. It is a great retreat.
That is it for the travellers now, keep safe and be aware of the dangers, the beauty and the great time you are having. (Or something is wrong if you are not enjoying yourself).
Peter T.
