NORTHEASTERN
PARADISE
(8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS)
 1st
Day - Natal - Pipa - Depart from Natal at 8:00 a.m. to Pipa
Beach considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches of Brazil.
On arrival visit to Pipa Ecological Sanctuary, an area where
the Mata Atlântica (coastal rainforest) covers ancient coastal
dunes. During the short hike through the Sanctuary we will be
able to enjoy seeing the native flora and fauna - including marine
turtles in the bay. After that we will go down to Ponta do Madeiro
Beach to swim with resident dolphins ( they are there 95%
of the days ) and relax on the white sands of this pristine place.
Check-in at a Pousada in Tibau do Sul, a fishermen village 8km North
of Pipa. Lunch - on guests expenses. After that we will visit Chapadão
- a barren cliff with an incredible view to the sea. Return to the
Pousada. Dinner on guests expenses.
2nd Day - Pipa - Free morning.
We suggest clients to relax on the beach close to the Pousada or
to take a more "active" program - a 6km walk from the
small village of Sibauma to Pipa. This remote stretch of beaches
and coloured cliffs is considered to be the most beautiful of our
coast. Lunch - on clients expenses - at the Pousada. Around
4 p.m. wewill take a boat tour through the Guaraíras Lagoon
to visit mangrove forests and tidal channels. The lagoon
provides the scenery for an unforgettable sunset. Next, we will
visit the charming Pipa Village where guests will choose from among
the many restaurants available to have dinner - on their own expenses.
Overnight at the Pousada.
 3rd
Day - Pipa - Areia - Cariri - After breakfast, departure to
Areia, where houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries have
been preserved. On route to Areia we will make a quick stop at a
small town called Passa e Fica, located on the border between the
states of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba.
From the road, we will admire Pedra da Boca, a granite hill with
a huge prehistoric shelter that resembles a human mouth. In
Areia, we will visit a beautiful theater built with European cedar
wood and an old sugar mill from the slavery times. Departure to
Campina Grande Town for lunch . We will then proceed to a Ranch,
situated in the middle of the Cariri Region.Relaxing in the swimming
pool or firewood sauna are the activities suggested before dinner.
Cariri style food will be served for dinner. Admiring the clear
sky allows clients to experience the starry Sertão night
( Sertão is the Brazilian equivalent to the "Australian
Outback"). Overnight at the Ranch.
4th Day - Cariri - After breakfast
we will take a pleasant short walk to "Saca de Lã"
site. This unique rock formation resembles an enormous pile of
wool packs. Nature or human made structure? We invite you to
uncover this secret. Return to the Ranch to relax in the swimming
pool while waiting for a special regional meal cooked following
an ancestral indigenous ritual - in an oven dug in the earth ( this
special meal will only be available for groups larger than 10 guests
).
 After
a short rest we will visit a fantastic rocky landscape where 70
huge boulders are found scattered throughout an area once inhabited
by early tribes and an 18th century "shaman", called Pai
Mateus. The mystical landscape brings different thoughts and
emotions to everyone while we experience the spectacular sunset
this privileged location has to offer. Return to the Ranch for dinner.
After that a typical "forró" dance show will be
performed, giving guests the opportunity to learn this sensual Northeastern
dance ( "forró" dance show will only be available
for groups larger than 10 guests ). Overnight at the Ranch.
5th Day - Cariri - Caruaru -
After breakfast, departure to Cabaceiras - a typical Sertão
village. Stroll through the streets, meet local hospitable people.
This is also an opportunity to buy interesting handcraft goods
made from goat leather. Continuation to Caruaru town, check-in
and lunch at a Hotel in town.
After a short rest we will visit Alto do Moura neighborhood to watch
artists working with clay to make pottery art pieces. Return
to the Hotel for dinner. After that a famous regional music group
- Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru - will be performing a show
to the guests (this attraction will be available only for groups
larger than 10 guests). Overnight at the Hotel.
6th Day - Caruaru - Recife - Olinda
- Caruaru Town is known as the "handicraft capital of the Sertão".
After breakfasf we will visit what is consider to be the biggest
open-air market of South America. There guests will stroll through
the narrow walkways that cross the various parts of this incredible
fair - handcraft goods of all kinds, regional fruits, cereals, meat,
clothes and the intriguing "witches' section".
We will then proceed to Recife were we will have lunch - on guests
expenses. After lunch we will visit the atelier of Francisco Brennand,
located in a restored brick factory.
This internationally renowned artist,
created a fantastic scenery, with more than 1000 pieces of art
spread around the gardens and pools of this old factory ( the
atelier can be visited from Monday to Friday and is closed on weekends
and holidays, so if it is closed we will alternatively be visiting
the Museu do Homem do Nordeste ). Departure to Olinda. This beautiful
historical town has a fabulous group of colonial buildings which
UNESCO has declared as part of the "Cultural Heritage of Humanity".
Check-in at a hotel located in the middle of the historical town
center. Dinner - on guests expenses - and overnight at the Hotel.
 7th
Day - Olinda - After breakfast, we will take a walking tour
to the main churches and museums of Olinda ending at Amparo Street.
This place concentrates the ateliers (small workshops) of the most
important artists of Olinda - painters, sculptors and others. This
is a good opportunity to see and possibly buy some works of art
for good prices. Lunch - on guests expenses - at one of the many
good restaurants of Olinda.
Return to the hotel. Free afternoon. Clients can rest at the hotels'
swimming pool or discover other many secrets of this lovely town
by foot. In the evening we will visit Recife's recently restored
historical neighborhood (Recife Antigo) where guests will choose,
among the many options, the restaurant of their choice to have dinner
- at their own expenses. Return to the Hotel for overnight.
8th Day - Olinda - Charles Darwin Refuge - Itamaracá Island
- Natal - After breakfast we will proceed to Charles Darwin
Ecological Refuge, situated in the middle of an exuberant forest
- the Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Rainforest). Here, on a short
walk through the forest, guided by biologists, clients will learn
more about the animals and plants of this endangered ecosystem.
We will then proceed to Itamaracá Island to visit Forte Orange,
an impressive fortification built by the Dutch in 1631 and restored
along its history by the Dutch and Portuguese. Lunch at a local
restaurant and visit to the "Manatee Research Center"
to learn about this highly endangered marine mammal species. After
that we will proceed to Natal where we expect to arrive around 7:00
p.m. Transfers to hotels. End of our services.
Price per person double occupancy
in US$: 2-4 people = $1300, 5-9 = $910
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