Caruaru is a city in Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. It is famous for its huge Sao Joao (St. John's) celebrations in June. The city claims to have "the world's largest Sao Joao festivities".

Get in

By plane

  • Aeroporto de Caruaru (CAU)
  • Recife's airport is at accessible road distance.
  • By bus/car

  • Along '''BR-232''' - from Recife - travel by bus (about 1 hour 30 minutes) is simple and comfortable. I took the Caruaruense line and spent about R$20,00 each way.
  • Along '''BR-104''' - from Campina Grande
  • Main Distances:

  • Recife: 137 km
  • Garanhuns: 106 km
  • Campina Grande: 173 km
  • Maceio: 240 km
  • Serra Talhada: 299 km
  • Salgueiro: 404 km
  • Get around

    See

  • '''Alto do Moura''', recognized by UNESCO as the largest center for figurative arts in the Americas. Home to famous ceramist Mestre Vitalino and other artists
  • '''Casa-Museu Mestre Vitalino''' (Mestre Vitalino's House), open Monday through Saturday, 8am-noon and 2pm-5pm; Sunday, 8am-noon. At Rua Mestre Vitalino, Alto do Moura
  • '''Memorial Mestre Galdino''', open Tuesday through Saturday, 8am-noon adn 2pm-5pm; Sunday, 8am-1pm; at Rua Sao Sebastiao, 181, Alto do Moura
  • [http://www.cultura.pe.gov.br/museu6_caruaru.html '''Museu do Barro e da Ceramica'''] (Clay and Ceramics Museum), open Tuesday-Saturday, 8am-5pm; Sunday, 8am-1pm; at Espaco Cultural Tancredo Neves, bloco B. Praca Cel. Jose de Vasconcellos, 100, Centro; tel.: (81) 3701.1533
  • '''Memorial de Caruaru''', a multifaceted cultural center with three key components: the City Museum (Museu Celso Galvao or Museu da Cidade), Memorial da Feira de Caruaru and an exhibit on popular folk art. Open: Tuesday through Saturday, 8am-5pm, at Rua Duque de Caxias, 1000, Centro; tel.: (81) 3721.1039
  • '''Museu do Forro Luiz Gonzaga''' (Forro Museum)
  • '''Museu do Cordel''' (Cordel Museum). Museum dedicated to "Cordel" literature, a traditional pamphlet literature that was typical in Europe in the middle ages. Northeastern Brazil is one of the few place in the world where this type of literature is still alive.
  • '''Feira de Caruaru''' (Caruaru Street Market), Brazil's largest street market (handicrafts, lace and embroidery, leather products, traditional medicinal products, typical food, and almost anything you might want)
  • '''Feira do Troca-Troca''' (Exchange-Exchange Street Market), a street market in which you can exchange the most strange goods, such as chickens for a watch, a parakeet for a bicycle, and the like. Takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
  • '''Museu da Fabrica de Caroa''' (Caroa Factory Museum), installed in what used to be Fabrica Caroa (1935-1978), Brazil's first factory to produce fiber products from the caroa plant.
  • '''Patio do Forro''', where all the action is. Main attraction during Sao Joao (Saint John's) and Sao Pedro (Saint Peter's) festivals. Lots of forro dancing going on with live music on three stages.
  • -- ''Caruaru Virtual Tour'' (by Folha de Sao Paulo) [http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/galeria/album/p_caruaru_01.shtml].

    Do

    June Festivals (primarily St. John's)
  • '''St. Goncalvo''' - First Saturday in June
  • '''St. Anthony''' - June 13th
  • '''St. John's''' celebrations (Sao Joao) - June 24
  • '''Sts. Peter & Paul''' - June 29
  • '''St. Martial''' - June 30
  • Buy

  • '''Handicrafts''' (pottery art) from one of the 200 artists at the Alto do Moura neighborhood.
  • '''Feira de Caruaru''': Brazil's largest street market (handicrafts, lace and embroidery, leather products, traditional medicinal products, typical food, and almost anything you might want)
  • Caruaru has a very active commerce downtown. It serves as a commercial and services hubs for an important part of the interior of Pernambuco. Outside the city center, Caruaru Shopping [http://www.shoppingcaruaru.com.br is a modern shopping mall with movie theaters and fast-food restaurants.
  • Eat

    Local gastronomy includes several goat and bovine meat dishes, such as "buchada", "carne de sol" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carne_de_sol], "chambarril" and "sarapatel". Green beens and melted butter are also typical.

    Restaurants (Typical Northeastern Food):

  • Bode Assado do Luciano, R. Mestre Vitalino, 511, Alto do Moura
  • La Carne, Av. Cicero Jose Dutra, s/n, Petropolis
  • Mestre Vitalino, Rua Leao Dourado, 13, Sao Francisco
  • Mandacaru, R. Sao Domingos, 160, Pinheiropolis
  • Rei do Bode, Rua Mestre Vitalino, 570, Alto do Moura
  • Gostim de Feira, Caruaru Shopping
  • Restaurants (Other Food):

  • Bistro do Chef Adolfo, Caruaru Shopping
  • O Nelore, R. Bogota, 50, Divinopolis (feijoada)
  • Papillon, Av. Prof. Jose Leao, 425, Mauricio de Nassau (local and international food)
  • Mister Pizza, Av.Agamenon Magalhaes, s/n, Mauricio de Nassau (fast food pizza)
  • Chinatown, Caruaru Shopping (Chinese food)
  • Drink

    Bars:

  • Bar da Perua, R. Alianca, 175, Cohab I
  • Mulungu, R. Mestre Vitalino, 595, Alto do Moura
  • Universidade da Cerveja, Av. Agamenon Magalhaes, 1351, Mauricio de Nassau
  • Sleep

  • '''Hotel Caruaru''' [http://www.hotelcaruaru.com.br], Rua Mestre Pedro, 77, Centro; tel.: (55) (81) 3722-5011
  • Grande Hotel Sao Vicente de Paulo, Av. Rio Branco, Centro; tel.: (55) (81) 3721-5011
  • Caruaru Park Hotel [http://www.caruaruparkhotelonline.com.br], BR-232, km 128, Agamenon Magalhaes; tel.: (55) (81) 3722-9191
  • Hotel Village [http://www.hoteisvillage.com.br, BR-232, km 129, Petropolis; tel.: (55) (81) 3722-5544
  • Hotel Central, Rua Vigario Freire, 71, Centro; tel.: (55) (81) 3721-5880
  • Hotel Eduardo de Castro [http://www.hoteleduardodecastro.com.br], Rua Amelia Maria da Conceicao, 148, Pinheiropolis; tel.: (81) (55) 3724-8360
  • Hotel Maysa Plaza, Rua Teofilo Dias, 93, Mauricio de Nassau; tel.: (55) (81) 3725-1900
  • Vila Rica Hotel [http://www.vilaricahotel.ubbi.com.br], Rua Dalvino Alves Pedrosa, 160, Pinheiropolis; tel.: (55) (81) 3722-9666
  • Camping Empetur, Rua Dois Irmaos, tel.: (81) 3732-1158
  • Get out

  • Tracunhaem, one of Brazil's most important ceramic art production centers.
  • Lagoa do Carro, famous for its tapestry. You can also visit the Cachaca Museum.
  • Recife, vibrant capital of Pernambuco state.
  • Olinda, beautiful colonial town in the Atlantic coast. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Igarassu, colonial town, home to Brazil's oldest church and Latin America's largest collection of barroque art.
  • Porto de Galinhas, consistently voted Brazil's best beach.