Compare Natal to Recife please?

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ChrisM

I cancelled my trip to Recife to spend more time in Natal, so I cannot speak first hand of Recife. Natal was great. Everything I expected and more. Bring your sunscreen though! Here is my travel blog for Brasil including Natal:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/chrismyers/brasil_2004/tpod.html

ocean.denis

Natal is very nice, smaller, safer.
Recife is big and more dangerous.
Some people after a big carnival will prefer Recife... its much more alive...
For me, Natal is 10 times better.
GRACIAS? no no no, in portuguese you say OBRIGADO.

Issamu

Recife is a big city, nearly 2 million inhab.
Recife is neighbor to Olinda, one of the oldest Brazilian cities; Olinda/Recife, back in the 16th centuries, were the main centers of sugarcane plantations in Brazil.
Recife was occupied by the Dutch from 1630 to 1654; the Dutch helped urbanize and develop Recife. The Portuguese reclaimed Recife and made it an important commercial center until the mid-1700s, when gold was found in the South and the administration shifted to Rio de Janeiro.
Because of this mixture of European/black/Indian culture, Recife has one of the richest cultures in Brazil. This richness shows in the arts (music, dance), food and people (population is predominantly dark skinned).
Recife is not as powerful as it once was, but is still the biggest Brazilian city above Salvador.

Natal is smaller than Recife (700.000 inhab).
Because Natal has poor natural conditions (soil is arid), it was not explored economically until the beginning of 20th century.
The city saw a quick growth during World War II, thanks to its position. As it is the point in Americas closest to North Africa, Natal became a large American basis (one of the busiest in the World during the War). After the War, though, Natal returned to the condition of a small peaceful city.
Late last century, Brazilians from the richer Southern States started to visit the beaches in the Northeast, like Natal and Fortaleza. These cities realized that, instead of fighting for industries to establish factories there, they should take advantage of their natural advantages, and started marketing campaigns to attract tourists.
Natal today is becoming a tourist-oriented city. The infrastructure is growing, and more and more tourism attractions (especially some nearly unexplored beaches) are becoming point of visitation.

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