The North East

Roughly encompassing the area from Salvador to Recife, Natal and Fortaleza, the north-eastern region of Brazil stands apart from the rest of the country. The region was the first part of the country to be settled and the economy was dominated by sugar cane and slavery for three centuries. The downturn in the sugar economy resulted in massive social problems, but the fortunes of the area are now changing with the increase of tourism. For visitors the north-east offers a year round tropical climate with a coastline of coral reefs, white sand beaches, patches of Atlantic rainforest and sand dunes stretching for over 1000 miles. There are a number of historic colonial cities and a vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture which influences the cuisine, the festivals, the music and the dance. The agricultural interior of the region is slow paced and less visited though with some spectacular natural attractions including the plateaus and water-filled valleys of Chapada Diamantina National Park.