Brazilian Landmarks in the Northeast Region

Famous Brazilian Landmarks: The Northeast

O Nordeste.

I previously covered the famous Brazilian landmarks of the northern region, Brazilian Landmarks in the south and Brazilian landmarks in the southeast. In this post, I will feature Brazilian landmarks from the 9 states that make up Brazil’s Northeastern Region (a Região Nordeste do Brasil). The states of the Brazilian Northeast are costal, and known best for their clear waters and beautiful beaches, but also for their historical landmarks. As usual, I have picked only one famous landmark from each Brazilian state.

1. ALAGOAS

Igreja Bom Jesus dos Martírios in Maceió, Alagoas

Maceió, the capital city of Alagoas has many well-preserved colonial buildings lining its streets, including numerous churches. The Igreja Bom Jesus dos Martírios (The Church of Bom Jesus dos Martirios), originally a chapel, has undergone various renovations before finally turning into a church in 1881. The multiple reforms on the church have left this Brazilian Landmark with an ecclectic style, a mix of baroque, neoclassic and neogothic. The interior is decorated with elements of rococo and art nouveau style colorful tiles.

2. BAHIA

Elevador Lacerda in Salvador, Bahia

There are so many wonderful landmarks in Bahia, however one of my personal favorites is the Elevador Lacerda. When you ride to the top of the elevator, you will get a magical view of the capital Bahian city, Salvador. From this view point, you can of course see the ocean, and other famous Brazilian landmarks such as the Mercado Modelo (the yellow building pictured above).

3. CEARÁ

Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Assunção in Fortaleza, Ceará

The Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Assunção is considered to be one of the most famous landmarks of Fortaleza, the capital city of Ceará. The majority of historians agree that the city of Fortaleza (which in Portuguese means “fortress”) was born as a result of the construction of this historical Brazilian landmark. Today, Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Assunção functions as a command headquarters for the Brazilian military, yet the site is still open to the public for guided tours.

4. MARANHÃO

Lençóis Maranhenses in Maranhão, Brazil

I am trying to stick to monuments and buildings in these posts about Brazilian landmarks, but the the Lençóis Maranhenses are an incredible national landmark from nature – and I think that’s worth mentioning. Located on the Eastern coast of Maranhão,  in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park lies around 1500 km of flooded sand dunes. It is an extremely odd thing to see what looks like a desert landscape, pocketed with many small lagoons. This unique phenominon is caused by ample amonts of rain that pools between the sand dunes. This Brazilian landmark also produces some stunning photography.

5. PARAÍBA

areia vermelha island in Cabadelo, Paraíba

Although there is lots to see in Paraíba’s capital city João Pessoa, there is just something special about Paraíba’s most famous landmark: Areia Vermelha (meaning red sand in Portuguese). Situated in the city of Cabadelo, Areia Vermelha is a sandbank or island that appears only during the low tide.

6. PERNAMBUCO

Praça Marco Zero in Recife, Pernambuco

You can just relax if you are planning a trip to Pernambuco, because you will soon find out that almost anywhere you go in this Brazilian state will look like a postcard. The scenery is more than nice, it is picture perfect. From Fernando de Noronha to Porto de Galinhas to Olinda, Pernambuco is sure to take your breath away on a regular basis. Since I can only feature one landmark, I will talk about the Praça Marco Zero (or Praça Rio Branco) in Recife. The major events of the capital city Recife occur in this plaza. At the center of the plaza is an obligatory tourist attraction for those of you visiting Recife: It’s the Marco Zero (the “zero mark”) which marks the starting point of all of the roads in Recife.

7. PIAUÍ

Serra da Capivara, Piauí

Now declared a world heritage site, many people have traveled to Brazil just to see the Serra da Capivara National Park. This Piauí landmark is home to numerous rock shelters decorated with cave paintings, some of which are more than 25,000 years old.

8. RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Castelo do Zé do Monte in Rio Grande do Norte

Outside of the capital city Natal, is the Castelo do Zé do Monte (Zé do Monte’s Castle), which may be one of the most fascinating architectures that I have seen in any Brazilian landmark. The castle was originally built in 1953, but later sold to the current owner, named Zé do Monte, who actually does live inside. There are days that the castle is open to the public.

9. SERGIPE

Canyon de Xingó in Sergipe