Caruaru

Brazil

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

  • 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, 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00; Sunday, 08:00-12:00. At Rua Mestre Vitalino, Alto do Moura
  • Memorial Mestre Galdino, open Tuesday through Saturday, 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00; Sunday, 08:00-13:00; at Rua São Sebastião, 181, Alto do Moura
  • Museu do Barro e da Cerâmica. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 08:00-17:00; Sunday, 08:00-13:00; at Espaço Cultural Tancredo Neves, bloco B. Praça Cel. José de Vasconcellos, 100, Centro; tel.: (81) 3701.1533
  • Memorial de Caruaru, a multifaceted cultural center with three key components: the City Museum (Museu Celso Galvão or Museu da Cidade), Memorial da Feira de Caruaru and an exhibit on popular folk art. Open: Tuesday through Saturday, 08:00-17:00, at Rua Duque de Caxias, 1000, Centro; tel.: (81) 3721.1039
  • Museu do Forró Luiz Gonzaga (Forró 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 Fábrica de Caroá (Caroá Factory Museum), installed in what used to be Fábrica Caroá (1935-1978), Brazil's first factory to produce fiber products from the caroá plant.
  • Pátio do Forró, where all the action is. Main attraction during São João (Saint John's) and São Pedro (Saint Peter's) festivals. Lots of forró dancing going on with live music on three stages.

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, 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00; Sunday, 08:00-12:00. At Rua Mestre Vitalino, Alto do Moura

Memorial Mestre Galdino, open Tuesday through Saturday, 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00; Sunday, 08:00-13:00; at Rua São Sebastião, 181, Alto do Moura

Museu do Barro e da Cerâmica. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 08:00-17:00; Sunday, 08:00-13:00; at Espaço Cultural Tancredo Neves, bloco B. Praça Cel. José de Vasconcellos, 100, Centro; tel.: (81) 3701.1533

Memorial de Caruaru, a multifaceted cultural center with three key components: the City Museum (Museu Celso Galvão or Museu da Cidade), Memorial da Feira de Caruaru and an exhibit on popular folk art. Open: Tuesday through Saturday, 08:00-17:00, at Rua Duque de Caxias, 1000, Centro; tel.: (81) 3721.1039

Museu do Forró Luiz Gonzaga (Forró 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 Fábrica de Caroá (Caroá Factory Museum), installed in what used to be Fábrica Caroá (1935-1978), Brazil's first factory to produce fiber products from the caroá plant.

Pátio do Forró, where all the action is. Main attraction during São João (Saint John's) and São Pedro (Saint Peter's) festivals. Lots of forró dancing going on with live music on three stages.

June Festivals (primarily St. John's)

  • St. Gonçalvo - First Saturday in June
  • St. Anthony - June 13
  • St. John's celebrations (São João) - June 24
  • Sts. Peter & Paul - June 29
  • St. Martial - June 30

St. Gonçalvo - First Saturday in June

St. Anthony - June 13

St. John's celebrations (São João) - June 24

Sts. Peter & Paul - June 29

St. Martial - June 30

  • 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 is a modern shopping mall with movie theaters and fast-food restaurants.

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)

Local gastronomy includes several goat and bovine meat dishes, such as "buchada", "carne de sol", "chambarril" and "sarapatel". Green beans and melted butter are also typical.

Restaurants (Typical Northeastern Food):

  • Bode Assado do Luciano, R. Mestre Vitalino, 511, Alto do Moura
  • La Carne, Av. Cícero José Dutra, s/n, Petrópolis
  • Mestre Vitalino, Rua Leão Dourado, 13, São Francisco
  • Mandacaru, R. São Domingos, 160, Pinheirópolis
  • Rei do Bode, Rua Mestre Vitalino, 570, Alto do Moura
  • Gostim de Feira, Caruaru Shopping

Restaurants (Other Food):

  • Bistrô do Chef Adolfo, Caruaru Shopping
  • O Nelore, R. Bogotá, 50, Divinópolis (feijoada)
  • Papillon, Av. Prof. José Leão, 425, Maurício de Nassau (local and international food)
  • Mister Pizza, Av.Agamenon Magalhães, s/n, Maurício de Nassau (fast food pizza)
  • Chinatown, Caruaru Shopping (Chinese food)

Bars:

  • Bar da Perua, R. Aliança, 175, Cohab I
  • Mulungu, R. Mestre Vitalino, 595, Alto do Moura
  • Universidade da Cerveja, Av. Agamenon Magalhães, 1351, Maurício de Nassau

  • Tracunhaém, one of Brazil's most important ceramic art production centers.
  • Lagoa do Carro, famous for its tapestry. You can also visit the Cachaça 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 baroque art.
  • Porto de Galinhas, consistently voted Brazil's best beach.