Recife Shore Excursion: Olinda or Richardo Brennand Museum

We will be in Recife on Nov. 30th on a Costa Ship.

The ship is in port from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm I am trying to decide between 2 of Costa's shore excursions. Both excursions cover the Historical part of Recife:

Recife and Olinda: Olinda is a UNESCO site

Cultural Recife: This excursion includes the Francesco Brennard workshop and the Richardo Brennand Museum which is a Traveller's Choice (Tripadvisor rating) museum.

We are both senior women.

What do you recommend?

Colonial Olinda is very interesting and a cultural must-see for the Recife area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56UdSJW3TLg

You should start at the top of the hill (by taxi if necessary) and walk down.

The Olaria (Francisco) Brennard is a unique sculpture park and studio.

The castle museum (of his cousin) is only worthwhile IMO if you have a lot of time in the Recife area. It has armor and some art.

I'd get a taxi to the Olaria and have the driver wait. It should take you an hour or two to see the place. Then get him to take you to Olinda (which will be open later). Maybe drive through Recife Velho (the old city) on the way.

Plenty of taxis around in Olinda to take you back to the ship. Taxis in Brazil are not very expensive.

In the 1 to 8 time period, you could easily do all of this on your own.

Thanks for the advice.

Oh, and Recife has some of the best food in the country, Try the "caldo", different kinds of soup. The bean soup is traditional, but the shrimp soup (caldo de camarao) is amazing. And Recife has some great sushi places too..

Hi there! I was looking around Cruise Critic hunting for some information about the ports I'll visit in November when I found your post. I think we are one the same sailing! The Costa Fasinosa leaving the Med for South America? I'll so be in Recife on November 30.

It's been a few years ago when I visited Recife on the original Royal Princess, but I booked the tour to Olinda and was pleased that I had done so. One gets to view some of Recife, Olinda, and the countryside as well. I remember the ship's entry to the port as being a most unusual route that had to be taken: a zig-zag-zig path that needed to be followed.