Recife's reputation for safety is not one of the best. Robberies on streets and buses are fairly common. Do not be alarmed ? odds are you will have a fabulous time here ? but be aware of your surroundings and take the usual big city precautions.
While entering or leaving Olinda at dusk or dawn, you have a elevated risk of being ambushed. Taxis are recommended.
Beware of the unlicensed guides. Make sure you have the travel itinerary planned out and a price (including meals, fuel, etc.) agreed upon before starting out.
Watch out for shark warnings before entering the water at the Boa Viagem beach.
Some "easy" girls might not be prostitutes, but they might want you to pay for all that she eats and drinks for the night (be careful as she might choose the most expensive ones on the menu).
If you are carrying notes of 50 or 100 reais, be sure to tell the taxi driver before you get in because he might not have change. Some taxi drivers might not know how to get to where you are going, so make sure that you have the address written down. If you are a woman traveling alone, sit in the back as some drivers may try to take advantage of the situation.
Avoid Recife's downtown on Sundays. Streets are deserted all day long and are very unsafe. Consider taking a tour to a neighboring city or beach instead.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Recife
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Recife - updated May 2024
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Recife Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
