This post is also on:
Português 
English
Petrolina is an important municipality located in the interior of Pernambuco, in north-eastern Brazil. Situated on the banks of the São Francisco River, the city stands out for its dynamic economy, strong agricultural sector and growing tourist development.
The São Francisco River is the city’s main postcard, it brings life to the city of Petrolina, through its waters the city fertilised its land and began to produce different varieties of fruit, the main one being grapes, Petrolina is well known for having top quality wines.
The São Francisco River also offers visitors various leisure and entertainment options. In Petrolina, the riverbanks are called Praia because of the immensity of the river.
It is possible to practise water sports and take catamaran rides. The São Francisco riverfront is also well visited and organised, making this one of Brazil’s largest rivers an existing tourist attraction.
A bridge links the Pernambuco town of Petrolina, on the right bank of the São Francisco, to Juazeiro, which belongs to Bahia; there are ferries that cross the river between the two.
Despite this proximity, Petrolina has its own identity, based on the idea of meeting and mixing – an image that seems to be inscribed in the very name of the municipality, the sum of Pedro (from Dom Pedro I) and Leopoldina (from Maria Leopoldina of Habsburg, Empress of Brazil).
Defying the drought, the town, planted in the middle of the sertão, 767 kilometres from Recife, has become the largest fruit exporter in the country and has been improving its wine production, including Port.
Among the attractions are the Ana das Carrancas Cultural Centre, with its expressive figures, and the Sertão Museum.
Petrolina doesn’t have a beach, but the waters of the Velho Chico guarantee leisure. On the “waterfront”, fun is guaranteed with restaurants, bars, ice-cream parlours and a jogging track.
On Ilha do Rodeadouro, locals and tourists come together to practise sports on the clear, fine sand, take a boat trip and enjoy the bars and restaurants that offer delicious recipes based on fish from the São Francisco river, such as fish baked in banana leaves. The island is accessible by boat and transport is available 24 hours a day.
Petrolina is an oasis in the middle of the sertão due to its proximity to the São Francisco River, and is gaining fame due to the production and export of the refined drink.
Who wins are the tourists, who include an exotic itinerary in their programme: a visit to the wineries with the right to walk through the vineyards, follow the production process and enjoy tastings.
It’s also possible to visit the tropical fruit farms that proliferate throughout the region.
But it’s not just the wines that invite you to visit the city. Recipes based on goat meat are so popular that Petrolina has a complex of restaurants specialising in the delicacy, the Bodódromo.
Petrolina can be reached from Recife via the BR-232 motorway; however, the route is unsafe – the road cuts through an area known for its frequent muggings, especially on the stretch near the municipality of Salgueiro. Access via ]uazeiro is more recommended.
Petrolina airport receives regular flights from the capital of Pernambuco and São Paulo.
Videos – Petrolina PE tourist attractions
Catedral de Petrolina PE02:12
Pontos Turísticos de Petrolina05:25
Reportagem sobre Petrolina
Roteiro completo em Petrolina
PETROLINA PE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
- ANA DAS CARRANCAS CULTURAL SPACE
- PETROLINA CATHEDRAL
- MUSEUM OF THE SERTÃO
- BODÓDROMO
- ANTIGA ESTAÇÃO FERROVIÁRIA DA LESTE BRASILEIRA
- ILHA DO FOGO
- WINES FROM PETROLINA AND THE REGION
1. ANA DAS CARRANCAS CULTURAL SPACE
Over eighty years old, she has been honoured by rock bands (os Carrancudos) and maracatu groups (Matingueiros); she has been the subject of a biography (Ana das Carrancas, a dama do clay, written by Pernambuco journalist Emanuel de Andrade) and often exports her pieces to Europe.
One of the few women dedicated to the construction of carrancas, Ana Leopoldina dos Santos, or Ana das Carrancas, produces works in which the originality stems not only from the use of the material – clay instead of wood – but also from a detail: all her figures have hollowed-out eyes.
The inspiration came from a promise: if the frowns helped her to get her blind husband off the streets, where he begged, she would make all her pieces that way. As well as selling Ana’s work, the space organises workshops and courses for the community. BR-407, 500, Cohab Massangano.
2. CATEDRAL DE PETROLINA
Petrolina Cathedral was built by the diocese’s first bishop, Dom Antonio Malan. The foundation stone was blessed and laid on the site of the old parish cemetery in February 1925 and the inauguration took place in August 1929.
It is an imposing and majestic temple in the Gothic style, which characterises and gives prominence to the city and region of Petrolina.
The Petrolina Cathedral was built with stones taken from the site itself and from nearby quarries. It was built in the neo-Gothic or late Gothic style, with an imposing façade and a set of 57 stained glass windows (from France, similar to those in Notre Dame Cathedral and some in Europe), which has become one of the largest and most beautiful in Brazil. and stained glass windows from the French region of Grenoble.
The clock mechanism was donated by Father Cícero. Praҫa D. Malan, s/n, Centre.
Built facing west, following the ancient liturgical rule, the site of the Holy Land and therefore the tomb of Christ.
The ceiling and roof are in the shape of a Latin Cross; in the left tower there is a clock two and a half metres in diameter, donated by Father Cícero; there are three bronze bells weighing 1,440 kg that came from France; the sacred collection is made up of pieces gifted by illustrious patrons, mostly Brazilian and French. There are five chapels, including the tombs of Dom Malan and Dom Campelo (1st and 4th Bishops of Petrolina).
3. MUSEUM OF THE SERTÃO
The diversity of the collection at the Museu do Sertão is the hallmark of this museum, which aims to synthesise the world of the sertão.
There are everything from photos and objects that belonged to Lampião to prehistoric fish fossils (proof that the region was once marine), medicinal plants and a replica of a typical 18th century sertanejo house.
Opened in 1973, the museum underwent renovations and was reopened in 1996. Rua Esmelinda Brandão, s/n, Centre.
4. BODÓDROMO
Despite the name, none of the Bodódromo’s eight establishments serve goat meat, but lamb.
There are two reasons for this: the ram reproduces twice a year and has up to four young – the goat, only one in the same period – and its meat is softer and has a milder odour than that of the animal that inspired the place. Av. São Francisco, s/n, Areia Branca.
5. OLD BRAZILIAN EASTWEST RAILWAY STATION
Inaugurated in 1923, its construction shows neoclassical and neocolonial taste. Listed by the Historical and Cultural Heritage, after restoration it now houses the headquarters of the Petrolina Cultural Foundation.
For history buffs, the old station is a must-see tourist attraction. The station is well preserved.
6. ISLAND OF FIRE
Ilha do Fogo is very popular, especially in the late afternoon. From there you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the sunset over the old Chico River, as the locals affectionately call it.
You can also take the opportunity to dive into the waters of the old Chico. The place is very peaceful, with good infrastructure, despite the difficult access, as it is only possible to get there on foot.
7. WINES OF PETROLINA AND THE REGION
The combination of strong sun, soil type and river water provides two annual grape harvests in the São Francisco valley, a rare feat in the world.
This region, located on the 8th parallel, encompasses Petrolina and also Juazeiro, in Bahia, and has become a major producer of wines – some of which are ranked among the best in the country.
Unlike wines from the South, which are generally aged in oak barrels, those from the Northeast are young, packed in aluminium barrels during the production process.
See Wineries and the History of Winemaking in the São Francisco Valley
Tourist Guide to Petrolina in the Sertão of Pernambuco
