Teresina

The capital of Piauí Teresina is flat, with parallel and perpendicular streets, in an urban layout that is easy to move around.

Teresina is the only capital city in the Northeast that does not have a coastline. The lack of beaches, however, is compensated by other attractions, such as the meeting of the Poty and Parnaíba rivers, good restaurants with typical cuisine and good shopping in the area of handicrafts and clothing. To alleviate the heat that plagues the city all year round, parks and tree-lined squares are scattered along streets and avenues.

The most traditional walk in Teresina is the one that takes you to the meeting of the rivers. The boats leave from the Encontro dos Rios Environmental Park, in the Poty Velho neighbourhood, which houses a group of potters. On the way back from the tour, see the beautiful works.

To buy wooden art – a speciality of Piauían crafts, especially when the theme is religious – go around the Handicraft Centre, in Praça Pedro II. Oratories, saints and biblical characters are the most beautiful pieces, as well as bags and placemats made from buriti wood fibres.

When it’s time to savour the local cuisine, head to the other side of the Poty River. In the neighbourhoods of Fátima, Jóquei and São Cristóvão are some of the best restaurants in the city. To whet your appetite, try the tiquira, a cassava spirit.