Picture it: you hit the beach early, but many of your fellow city-dwellers are already there, jogging, walking, and enjoying the shimmering, clear morning. The aerobics instructor begins stretching for her first beachside class of the day on the firm, fine sand, just as the giant yellow ball of the sun separates itself from the Atlantic horizon. The early-bird vendors set up their stands and start preparing the fresh fruit and juices that the beach-goers are accustomed to.

Sound good? As every expat knows, there is no perfect paradise—they all have their drawbacks. And the main drawback to life in Recife is that the sharks seem to like it here, too.

The city of Recife is known for its miles of white, sandy beaches, and warm, blue waters. Because it’s perched on the easternmost point of South America, it’s actually closer to Lisbon than New York, and nearer to Africa than to Brazil’s southern border with Uruguay.

Jaws is coming to get you!

The most notable upscale beach district in Recife is called Boa Viagem, which stretches for several miles in front of a row of nice apartments and hotels. Sparkling clean with white sand that’s groomed nightly, this is the beach that seems to collect most of the city’s foreign visitors. The downside of this beach scene is that if you stray too far offshore, you’re more likely to be eaten by a shark than at any other beach in Brazil. 

There are several theories as to why sharks like to congregate in this area. To me the most believable is that the bloody waste from a former slaughterhouse on the river attracted sharks to the area—and they stayed.

Sharks aside, the beach is popular with sunbathers. The nicest beach I saw—with a wide sandy area and a large reef-protected area for swimming—was on the 3,500 block of Avenida Boa Viagem, which is where I looked at a few properties.

Beachfront, near-beach, and beach-view apartments sell quickly in Recife. In a new building, a half block from the beach, a 1,600-square-foot apartment (under construction) with four bedrooms (two are suites) plus a maid’s suite costs between $218,000 and $278,000. Directly on the beach we saw some larger new apartments (1,900 square feet) that ran between $269,000 and $347,000, depending on the floor. Both of these are high-end offerings. For more information, contact Sérgio Miranda Real Estate Agency (José Carlos); e-mail: jcrodrigues@yahoo.com.br; website: www.sergiomiranda.com.br. He spoke only Portuguese, but if you write in English he tells me that he can have the e-mail translated.

Directly on the best section of the beach, was a one-bedroom apartment for sale in an elegant building, Edificio Place Vendâne, trimmed with black marble and bronze. The owner (tel. (55)819-638-5511) was asking $79,000. Also on Avenida Boa Viagem is a two-bedroom, four-bathroom apartment for $95,000. For more information, e-mail: mariusz@uol.com.br.

A 3,750-square-foot villa is for sale for $112,795. It’s located five minutes from the beach and comes furnished. It also has air conditioning, a pool, and fruit trees. This property rents for a respectable $660 to $1,035 per month. Contact Graham (in the U.K.); tel. (44)079-398-03143; website: www.recifeproperty.com.

In sharp contrast to the beaches of the Boa Viagem district, Recife also has interesting historical district.

Recife is popular with Brazilians and Europeans. However, if I’m going to travel 5,000 miles to look for a new home (or buy a second home), I’d just as soon not have the sharks. After all, Brazil has thousands of miles of beautiful beaches—you can afford to be choosy.

Step back in time

Traveling up the coast to Natal, we were headed out of Recife when we came across a small city that was something apart from the towns and fishing villages that we’d seen so far. 

Olinda’s small, winding cobblestone streets, upscale Brazilian restaurants, fantastic views, and colonial architecture provided a nice contrast to the beach scene. You’ll feel as though you’ve been carried back to the colonial era.

There are still 20 colonial period churches in Olinda—a highlight for visiting photographers and architecture buffs. On Sunday morning, the church bells chime in unison throughout the town. And afterward, there’s a crescendo of thousands of firecrackers, dedicated to those who managed to sleep through the church bells.

As for the beaches, they’re not the reason that I would go to Olinda. I found them to be small, narrow, and overcrowded—well below the standard set by Fortaleza, Canoa Quebrada, or Natal. Recife would be a better choice for beaches in this area.

A must-see tourist destination, Olinda can be crowded on weekends and holidays. Its popularity brings the advantage of a good tourist infrastructure, with more than its share of nice restaurants, artisan crafts, and shops. But it also brings some annoyances, such as the “tourist guides” that will come out of the woodwork as soon as you arrive in town.

The spectacle of the year in Olinda—as is the case with many Brazilian cities—is their Carnival, which is known throughout Brazil as being the most authentic in the country. It’s rich in tradition and folklore, without the electric bands or huge floats found elsewhere in the country. The main attraction for many is the use of giant puppets made from cloth and paper mâché, some of which have been in the parade since 1932. The city fills to the brim for these five days of mayhem, ending on Ash Wednesday.

If you come to visit Olinda, my advice would be to try to avoid the weekends, so you’ll have more of the place to yourself.

If you’re considering buying, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the prices and selection, given the city’s beauty and popularity. I looked at a nice home directly on the famous Rua do Amparo, with a corner lot and ivy-covered walls. It would be great for living at the heart of everything that’s going on here, or for opening a tourism-related business. With three bedrooms and two bathrooms, the asking price is $102,000. The owner spoke only Portuguese, so get out your phrase book and call (55)819-239-6034.

Good for your health

Natal sits on the north side of Brazil’s easternmost tip. Founded by the Portuguese in 1599, this city of around 800,000 people is the state capital of the Rio Grande do Norte and serves Brazil as a major seaport.

The Ponta Negra area of Natal enjoys a beautiful beach that goes on for miles, as well as one of the nicest waterfront areas of any city I’ve seen. Lined with restaurants, shops, and nightclubs, it’s busy far into the night. Yet by 7 a.m., the beach is already busy with strollers, sunbathers, and swimmers. Some of the hot waterfront nightspots transform themselves into open-air seaside coffee shops at sunrise, and begin the new day without missing a beat.

Natal is popular with Brazilians and Europeans, who come to enjoy more than 300 days of sunshine per year with warm waters and balmy tropical temperatures. Like most of Brazil’s north coast, temperatures remain pleasant here due to the prevalent ocean breeze. The rainy season runs from December to July, with showers mainly in the morning. Natal is said to have the cleanest air in South America, and in fact many people come here for their health.

A good second-home option in the area is a project called Luau de Ponta Negra, (Ocean Towers). Each floor has an ocean view (although you’re quite a few blocks from the ocean) and the project plans include a tennis court, pool, a soccer pitch, and resident parking. The small, two-bedroom, two-bathroom model starts at $74,000 while the three- and four-bedroom models (both 1,250 square feet) start at $124,000. 

Also on Punta Negra, the Jacques Cousteau building is a Spanish project being marketed to Europeans. It has apartments available with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a terrace for $89,000. See: www.casa-azhar.com.

I also saw a house for sale with 3,650 square feet, four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a three-car garage selling for $162,800. For more information, e-mail: edreja@hotmail.com.

Picking a great restaurant in Natal is like picking one in New York, but I can’t resist mentioning Camarãoes. They specialize in shrimp, and offer mouthwatering dishes. They have two branches, each with its own independent menu.

How about a mountain retreat?

When you think of Brazil, chances are you have one of several images—the Amazon rainforest; the beaches; Rio de Janeiro; and Carnival. And make no mistake; these are all worth the price of admission. But there’s another side to Brazil, a side that will suit those who prefer a cooler mountain environment.

In the state of Ceará, known for its 360 miles of beautiful beaches, there’s an oasis of lush, green forest, tumbling brooks, dramatic mountain scenery, and cool spring-like weather. It’s known as Serra de Baturité (Baturité Mountains).

I drove around in circles for a half-hour trying to find my way out of Fortaleza, but once on the highway, we maintained 70 mph as we sped inland through flat plains dotted with groves of Carnauba palms. We could see the green mountains rising off in the distance long before we got there, and once we climbed the foothills, we were surprised by the cool temperatures, lush forests, and clean, small villages. We even saw a couple of all-inclusive country resorts.

Baturité is somewhat of an upscale area. It’s popular with locals from Fortaleza — about one-and-a-half hours away—who are looking for a home in the mountains, away from the bustle of the city.

In the property market, I saw little for sale while I was there—a few signs on houses, and a single development. But a friend, Fabricio Santos of Fortaleza (brazilrealestatebeaches@hotmail.com), is keeping an eye out for me, as I was impressed with the area and would consider buying there. 

Yes, you can buy here

The process for buying property varies from what I’ve seen elsewhere in Latin America.

First you complete a private sales contract. (When you pay for the property, the seller cannot withdraw the money from the bank without presenting this contract.) The buyer must then create an Escritura Publica, which will be the public record of the sale. The escritura is then given to a notary who specializes in real estate. He then enters it into the official registry.

Closing costs will total about 4% of the purchase price, plus the cost of any legal fees or title insurance, which is available in Brazil from First American Title Insurance (Tuey Murdock), e-mail: tmurdock@firstam.com; website: www.firstam.com.

There are no restrictions on foreign property buyers.

Capital gains tax is usually 15%, paid at the time of the sale. Reinvestment of the gain into another property—and deferral of the tax—is permitted.

The downsides to life in Brazil

Brazil is not exactly around the corner from the U.S., and since it’s largely undiscovered by North Americans (when compared to countries like Panama or Argentina), you won’t see the North American communities that you’d see in many other countries. Unless you already speak Spanish, you’ll find Portuguese difficult to learn.

Lots and condos are geared toward the European rather than American market, meaning that they’re smaller and often don’t offer the same level of amenities.

Brazil is just more romantic than its Hispanic neighbors. The melodious sound of Portuguese, the samba, its cultural/ethnic mix, and rich traditions give it a certain mystery that nobody else has. When you combine this with its economic independence, national identity, and distance from the U.S., you feel like you’ve truly arrived in a different world.