Help for Natal, Recife & Salvador De Bahia

If anyone has been to any of those places, or even knows anything about them and what to do etc, please help! Any suggestions, ideas, knowledge welcome!!:D

If anyone has been to any of those places, or even knows anything about them and what to do etc, please help! Any suggestions, ideas, knowledge welcome!!:D

 

Been to all. Live in one. Visit good friends frequently in one other.

Do some research online, let us know what you like to do, and you usually get better answers. Unless of course you want suggestions about, say, strip clubs??? Dive bars? Or whatever else perhaps interests some of us. :-0

Is this for the usual one-day-per ship's docking or a longer stay?

Start with this:

Natal--Cidade Alta e Ribeira neighborhoods, beaches, buggy ride on beach

Recife--Olinda, Olaria Brennard, Recife Velho, Boa Viagem beach, music, crafts

Salvador--Pelourinho, Bomfim, islands, beaches, food, music/capoeira

(see: http://www.salvadorcentral.com)

Edited July 18, 2014 by VidaNaPraia

Thanks, good to know a local!

In Natal we are docked from 8am till 6pm. Would like to do buggy tour to Genipabu but not sure how to book buggy and how much it would cost. I've heard that there might be people at the dock trying to sell tours.. is that a good place to start? If it is too pricey, is it worth taking a taxi there? Will it take all day?

 

In Recife, we are docked 8-7. Thought of Olinda, also of Pernambuco beachs. Not sure if they are any good, or should we just stay around Recife? Not sure how to get around those places, or whether it is safe? Where is Boa Viagum beach? How do we get there. I think it all depends on whether it's raining when we get there or sunny..... does it rain much in these parts in November/December?

 

We are not in Salvador long - 7am till 2pm. From what I've been reading, maybe a trip up the Elevator is good. Can we get around the town quite easily on foot? I don't think we have time to venture very far.

 

Thanks for your help :)

snip..

Salvador--Pelourinho, Bomfim, islands, beaches, food, music/capoeira

(see: www.salvadorcentral.com)

 

Brilliant link. Thank you

 

If you have any info on the following ports that would be great, we are cruising part of the Brasilian coast March 2015.

Santos, Buzios, Maceio, Fortaleza, also anything a bit different for Rio. We have been lucky enough to have visited there twice before so have done the usual touristy stuff

 

 

Thanx

 

Sandy in Spain

Natal.

The sand dunes & buggies are only about a 15 minute drive from the ship.

We couldn't find an operator on the web, though you can book through agencies such as Viator or City Discovery. We chose not to, mainly because of the limited info on their websites, instead we chose to wing-it.

When we disembarked buggy tours weren't being offered at the port. In fact I don't recall anything being offered, other than taxis. They offered to take us to Redinha where we could fix up a buggy but the fare they were seeking for that short journey was excessive, and we were none-too-sure we could find a buggy ride at the end of it. While we were pondering, a solitary dune buggy turned up, and we agreed a price. Great fun. Much cheaper than ship's offerings (surprise, surprise :rolleyes:) though probably about the same vfm because theirs was longer. And they enjoyed their experience too.

We were lucky, if you're keen to enjoy a buggy ride I'd advise you fix it up - ideal if you can get a recommendation & contact details of an operator, or if operators now have websites, otherwise you'll have to bite the bullet & book through either the ship or one of those booking agencies.

 

Recife.

Here's what we did, much the same as many others.

Taxi (unless you can find a convenient bus service) from the port to Olinda, IIRC about 10-15 minute drive. This is a historic little town (village?), built on the hillside overlooking the coast - if you want to walk the town get the driver to drop you at the top, it's pretty steep. If you want to take the little road-train tour, get him to drop you by the tourist information & bus-stops at the bottom (this is likely where he'd drop you if you simply asked for "Olinda").

Then a bus from there (frequent bus service, & plenty of folk or the TI office for advice) to the older part of central Recife, Sao Jose - actually on an island though you'd mebbe not notice cos of lots of bridges connecting it to the rest of town. There's a quirky little shopping arcade in a former prison, the cells are shops other than one preserved cell. Sao Jose is quite atmospheric, lots of people, and shops & stalls overflowing into the street.

From hereabouts something like a 20 minute walk (the last part very boring), or taxi, back to the ship.

 

Salvador de Bahia.

Since like us you only have a half day, probably simplest to visit the old town, overlooking the port. Follow the herd past the market to the big elevator that takes you up the cliff face to the old town. The elevator is free for seniors - we didn't know that so unwittingly we paid. :eek: Cost us about ten cents. :D

The old town is easy to walk, plenty of churches, historic buildings, shops, cafes. Very safe, but some of the surrounding neighbourhoods are considered unsafe - tourist police politely turned-back visitors who headed off in the wrong direction.

 

Just our own one-day experiences from a couple of years back.

 

JB :)

Edited July 18, 2014 by John Bull

Thanks so much fir all that info - it is very helpful!

 

 

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Do you remember how much you paid for the buggy in Natal?:o

Do you remember how much you paid for the buggy in Natal?:o

 

Sorry, just can,t remember.

Much less than ship's excursion tho for a lesser experience.

And less than Viator's.

Was decent vfm.

Perhaps about 80USD for the two of us?

But that's a guess.

2 years ago.

JB :)

Do you remember how much you paid for the buggy in Natal?:o

 

 

My wife and I and 3 other couples did the dune buggy ride 3 years ago--It was $65 per person for about 4 hours. I booked it based on an internet search and emails.

PS---Our cruise line wanted over $300 per person.

Be careful in Salvador old city--it has a lot of petty crime.

 

Olinda and the beach in Recife are nice.

Be careful in Salvador old city--it has a lot of petty crime.

specifically pick pocketing in the Pelourinho historic district that most tourists visit. It isn't inevitable. And no reason to be quaking in your boots, just aware of your stuff and your surroundings. You should also decide in advance how to deal with the child beggars there.

 

And the beach in Recife has sharks, both aquatic and terrestrial. :-)

Are you on the Azanara leaving on 27th November from Malaga. Your times docked are the same as ours. If so wondered if you wanted to share taxis

Are you on the Azanara leaving on 27th November from Malaga. Your times docked are the same as ours. If so wondered if you wanted to share taxis

 

We are on the Azamara Journey on the 27th November. However, we are doing the B2B so starting in Malaga on 16th November. Can't share, otherwise would have been good. See you onboard!

Been to all. Live in one. Visit good friends frequently in one other.

Do some research online, let us know what you like to do, and you usually get better answers. Unless of course you want suggestions about, say, strip clubs??? Dive bars? Or whatever else perhaps interests some of us. :-0

Is this for the usual one-day-per ship's docking or a longer stay?

Start with this:

Natal--Cidade Alta e Ribeira neighborhoods, beaches, buggy ride on beach

Recife--Olinda, Olaria Brennard, Recife Velho, Boa Viagem beach, music, crafts

Salvador--Pelourinho, Bomfim, islands, beaches, food, music/capoeira

(see: http://www.salvadorcentral.com)

 

Hi there

Your info is very helpful. We would like to do a buggy ride in Natal. Can't find much for booking one online. Do you know if it's far from the ship dock to the area for the buggy rides and if they are easy to acquire there. Also a rough estimate of the cst would be useful .

I think we are on the same ship as the first person on this thread so any info would be fantastic

Thanks

Vicki Brown

Natal.

The sand dunes & buggies are only about a 15 minute drive from the ship.

We couldn't find an operator on the web, though you can book through agencies such as Viator or City Discovery. We chose not to, mainly because of the limited info on their websites, instead we chose to wing-it.

When we disembarked buggy tours weren't being offered at the port. In fact I don't recall anything being offered, other than taxis. They offered to take us to Redinha where we could fix up a buggy but the fare they were seeking for that short journey was excessive, and we were none-too-sure we could find a buggy ride at the end of it. While we were pondering, a solitary dune buggy turned up, and we agreed a price. Great fun. Much cheaper than ship's offerings (surprise, surprise :rolleyes:) though probably about the same vfm because theirs was longer. And they enjoyed their experience too.

We were lucky, if you're keen to enjoy a buggy ride I'd advise you fix it up - ideal if you can get a recommendation & contact details of an operator, or if operators now have websites, otherwise you'll have to bite the bullet & book through either the ship or one of those booking agencies.

 

Recife.

Here's what we did, much the same as many others.

Taxi (unless you can find a convenient bus service) from the port to Olinda, IIRC about 10-15 minute drive. This is a historic little town (village?), built on the hillside overlooking the coast - if you want to walk the town get the driver to drop you at the top, it's pretty steep. If you want to take the little road-train tour, get him to drop you by the tourist information & bus-stops at the bottom (this is likely where he'd drop you if you simply asked for "Olinda").

Then a bus from there (frequent bus service, & plenty of folk or the TI office for advice) to the older part of central Recife, Sao Jose - actually on an island though you'd mebbe not notice cos of lots of bridges connecting it to the rest of town. There's a quirky little shopping arcade in a former prison, the cells are shops other than one preserved cell. Sao Jose is quite atmospheric, lots of people, and shops & stalls overflowing into the street.

From hereabouts something like a 20 minute walk (the last part very boring), or taxi, back to the ship.

 

Salvador de Bahia.

Since like us you only have a half day, probably simplest to visit the old town, overlooking the port. Follow the herd past the market to the big elevator that takes you up the cliff face to the old town. The elevator is free for seniors - we didn't know that so unwittingly we paid. :eek: Cost us about ten cents. :D

The old town is easy to walk, plenty of churches, historic buildings, shops, cafes. Very safe, but some of the surrounding neighbourhoods are considered unsafe - tourist police politely turned-back visitors who headed off in the wrong direction.

 

Just our own one-day experiences from a couple of years back.

 

JB :)

 

Hi

Just also red your detailed reply. We are on the sme cruise s the first person to start the thread so it is much appreciated

Vicki

DJR9r6ZX

Mollie 101. I am on the Azamara cruise and would be happy to share taxi in Recife.

Mollie 101. I am on the Azamara cruise and would be happy to share taxi in Recife.

 

 

Don't know what we are doing in Recife yet but we could meet up and talk.... See you at the M&M after the drill? We are Vic and Karen from Guildford.

 

 

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Don't know what we are doing in Recife yet ....

If you're going to bother to get off the ship at all, definitely go to Olinda. It's a World Heritage site. Culture, history, views....and great shopping. Perfect.

Another unique place, if you have time (it's kind of on the other side of town, in the Varzea neighborhood), is the Olaria Francisco Brennand (not to be confused with the Castelo/instituto/museum Ricardo Brennand), the artisi's sculpture park and ceramic studio.

The video really does not do it justice, though.

Mollie 101. I am on the Azamara cruise and would be happy to share taxi in Recife.

 

 

Maybe we can share taxi to Olinda?

 

 

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Don't know what we are doing in Recife yet but we could meet up and talk.... See you at the M&M after the drill? We are Vic and Karen from Guildford.

 

 

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Hi vic and Karen great yeah will meet up on ship. We are Julie and Paul from Liverpool

Hi vic and Karen great yeah will meet up on ship. We are Julie and Paul from Liverpool

 

Millie101 why do you not join the specific roll call for this cruise?

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1754259

Plus if you haven't already registered for the meet an mingle (with all those on the roll call) you could do that as well

David

Edited October 8, 2014 by norn iron
forgot to add the link

Mollie 101. I am on the Azamara cruise and would be happy to share taxi in Recife.

 

pacobeau, as per my previous post to Millie101, why do you not join the specific role call for this cruise?

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1754259

Plus if you haven't already registered for the meet an mingle (with all those on the roll call) you could do that as well

David

Please for those who have been to Natal before, can you tell me if there are ATM cash machines in the port?