Bezerros, Caruaru, Fazenda Nova, Nova Jerusalém and Petrolina in Brazil

The town of Bezerros, 15 km west of Recife on the BR-232, is set next to the Rio Ipojuca. It has some old houses, fine

and churches. Some, like the

,

and the

, date from the 19th century. The former railway station has been converted into the

, with shows and other cultural performances. The best known artist and poet is José Borges (born 1935), whose work

has been exhibited internationally. The city's main attraction is handicrafts, which are found in the district of

. Most typical are the Papangu masks, made of painted papier mâché, and used at Carnaval as interior decoration. Wooden toys are also popular, as well as items made from leather and clay. About 10 km from the centre of Bezerros, near the village of Serra Negra, a small eco- tourism park,

, has been set up. Trails lead to caves and springs; the flora is typical of the

.

here is famed throughout Brazil and is known as

. For tourist information contact the

, is at the same address.

Situated 134 km west of Recife, this small town in the

is famous for its huge

, held throughout June , and its little clay figures (

or

) originated by Mestre Vitalino (1909-1963), and very typical of northeast Brazil. Most of the potters live at

, 6 km away, where you can visit the

The

is 4 km west of town; buses from Recife stop in the town centre. Alight here and look for the

, on the corner of Vigário Freire and Rua Anna de Albuquerque Galvão; this is a useful landmark. Follow Galvão down hill from the bookshop, turn right on Rua 15 de Novembro to the first junction, 13 de Maio; turn left, and finally cross the river to the Feira do Artesanato (arts and crafts market).

During the

, there is a tourist train,

, from Recife, which is a very spirited affair with bars, and bands playing in the carriages. See www.tremdo forro.com.br for information.

During Easter Week each year, various agencies run package tours to the little country town of

, 23 km from Caruaru. Just outside the town is

. Every day from the day before Palm Sunday up to Easter Saturday, an annual Passion play is enacted here, on an open-air site about one third the size of the historic quarter of Jerusalem. Nine stages are used to depict scenes from the Passion of Christ, which is presented using 50 actors and 500 extras to re-enact the story with the audience following in their footsteps.

stars often play the starring roles and the sound and lighting effects are state of the art. Performances begin at 1800 and last for about three hours.

There is little accommodation in Nova Jerusalém/Fazenda Nova and it is usually full during the Passion.

in Recife/Olinda has details of agencies that offer trips. During the Easter period there are direct bus services from Recife (and from Caruaru at other times).

Beyond Serra Talhada the BR-232 continues to

, where it meets the BR-116 heading north to Fortaleza. The BR-232 becomes the BR-316 and heads northwest to

before entering

. This part of Pernambuco was the haunt of the bandit Lampião until his death in 1938. Even today the area is still quite lawless and buses are often escorted by armed police. Cultivation of marijuana in the area between Salgueiro and Floresta means that visitors are not generally welcome.

, on the banks of the Rio São Francisco, is best visited from Juazeiro in Bahia. The city is famous for the production of

(boat figureheads, mostly grotesque) of wood or ceramic, and for having the closest vineyards to the equator in the world. The city has its own airport. Near the runway is the small

, with relics of rural life in the northeast and the age of the

and the bandit Lampião.

, in the centre of the state, has some of the last remaining forest at higher altitude in the interior.