This post is also on: Português English

The Sugar Mills and Maracatus Route in Pernambuco takes visitors on a tour of the countryside of the Zona da Mata Norte de Pernambuco, a region filled with mills and maracatus.

Travelling along the Route of the Sugar Mills and Maracatus in the Zona da Mata of Pernambuco is like going back to the origins of the state and encountering the charm of tradition.

In the old mills, the casa-grande and senzala now house charming inns. Chapels, centuries-old churches, horseback riding, running water baths. Between sacred pieces and antique furniture, the delight of country life.

As is well known, sugar is a protagonist in the history of Pernambuco; the labour force that moved the mills was black; and one of the main cultural manifestations of the black people of Pernambuco was the maracatu, an event in which the kings of the community were crowned.

It’s no surprise, then, that sugar mills and maracatus are so closely intertwined; nor is it surprising that they have become elements of an important tourist route in Pernambuco.

Although sugar cultivation extended to the entire coast of the state, it was in the towns of the Zona da Mata Norte (the stretch near the coast between the capital Recife and the border with Paraíba) that maracatu groups became most popular, which is why it is in this region that the Rota dos Engenhos e Maracatus is travelled.

A sign at the entrance to the town informs us that, Vicência, 90 kilometres from Recife, calls itself “the land of the mills”.

View the map of Pernambuco

1. Maracatu route in Pernambuco’s Zona da Mata

Maracatu is a rich and vibrant cultural manifestation originating in Pernambuco, with deep roots in Afro-Brazilian culture. In the Zona da Mata of Pernambuco, Maracatu is an important part of the local cultural heritage, reflecting the historical and cultural influence of the region.

1.1. Zona da Mata Sul PE

• In the town of São Benedito do Sul and other municipalities in the Mata Sul, Rural Maracatu is practised and celebrated at local festivals. The tradition is kept alive by groups and communities that organise parades and performances.

Carnival is one of the most important moments for Maracatu celebrations, with parades and performances in various towns in the Mata Sul.

1.2. Zona da Mata Norte PE

• City of Carpina and other cities in the Zona da Mata Norte also have a strong Maracatu tradition, with events that often feature Maracatu Rural.

In addition to Carnival, there are festivals and cultural events throughout the year in which Maracatu is celebrated.

• Nazaré da Mata is known for its rich cultural tradition and its practice of Maracatu, especially Maracatu Rural. The municipality organises cultural events that highlight the dance and music of Maracatu, preserving and promoting this tradition.

2. Sugar Mills Route in Zona da Mata Norte PE

A engenho is a historical agro-industrial production unit typical of the Portuguese and Spanish exploration colonies, especially in Brazil. Originally, these engenhos were focused on the production of sugar from sugar cane and played a crucial role in the colonial economy, especially during the 16th to 18th centuries.

Here are some of the best-preserved sugar mills in the region.

1. Vicência is the land of mills

1. Jundiá Mill

The property was established in 1750 and the mill in 1817. The chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição dates from 1905, and in the 1930s it was partially destroyed by lightning and had to be rebuilt.

The purging house preserves the original architecture, as well as the sugar-making equipment.

At the entrance to the property there is a Sapucaia tree (a tree native to the Atlantic Forest) that is between 350 and 400 years old, according to the owner of the sugar mill.

You’ll also notice it in some old family photos that are part of the Casa Grande’s decoration.

The Jundiá sugar mill has a museum with more than 120 years of history through photos, furniture and objects found in the big house. Its architectural complex includes a chapel, a mill and a purge house.

Jundiá offers various ecotourism and adventure activities, such as hiking and even free-flying and paragliding.

The guided tour of the 19th century casa-grande, the old mill and the purgar house provides an explanation of the sugar cane cycle in the state 400 years ago.

Trails through the forest, with a walk along streams and a swim in a spout are other attractions at Jundiá.

2. Agua Doce Mill

Cachaça Engenho Água Doce is produced in the municipality of Vicência, on the banks of PE 74, Km 10 – Zona da Mata Norte de Pernambuco, 87 km from Recife. Its producers are members of the Andrade Lima Family, which owns the place.

The mill acquired more than a century ago by the family was a producer of raw sugar, rapadura (sugar cane sugar), honey and cachaça. The mills were in operation until 1958, when the business came to a halt for financial reasons.

In 2003 they restarted the production of artisanal cachaça, endeavouring to develop a product in keeping with the tradition of the Andrade Lima family and with the principle of quality.

All production complies with quality criteria. In 2006 they started producing liqueurs, using cachaça and tropical fruit produced in the mill itself and in the region.

3. Iguape Mill

Engenho Iguape, located in the municipality of Vicência, Mata Norte de Pernambuco, was born out of land ceded from Engenho Poço Comprido. Its founder was Bel. Antônio Flávio Pessoa Guerra, who, in 1884, built his “mill” (a place where sugar cane was ground to make raw sugar and brandy).

Later, as his production grew, he finally built the rest of the mill and the big house where his family lived.

The building dates back to the 19th century, but the accommodation meets the standards of ecologically friendly rural tourism, with the porches standing out, where you can lie in hammocks for a good read, listen to a good vinyl record and on nights, especially with a full moon, try a tasty wine.

Iguape is one of the few sugar mills from the heyday of the sugar cycle in Pernambuco. Its current owner is councillor Josenildo Amorim, and he continues with great dedication to preserving its originality. The headquarters of the Iguape sugar mill is considered by the municipality of Vicência to be an area of environmental and cultural preservation, and is part of all the rural tourism routes in the state: Consórcio Engenhos do Norte, rota dos Engenhos e maracatus and Civilização do Açúcar.

4. Poço Comprido Mill

The museum houses the big house, chapel and grove of the sugar mill, Engenho Poço Comprido, the only remaining 18th century sugar mill in Pernambuco to have been federally listed by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN); it welcomes visitors by prior appointment, daily, between 9am and 4pm.

The Poço Comprido Mill, listed as an architectural museum by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute almost 50 years ago – and recently nominated as one of the 7 wonders of Pernambuco.

The mill is now owned by a local mill (Usina Laranjeiras), and is managed on loan by the Association of Sons and Friends of Vicência (Afav).

There, in a cultural centre, the community makes handbags, sandals and wallets from banana straw; they also produce necklaces from seeds collected in the forest.

It was in Poço Comprido that Frei Caneca gathered some followers for the uprising of the Confederation of Ecuador. The big house resembles a chalet and is combined with the chapel (it is the only remaining engenho that preserves this combination); the house has a style of construction called nortenha, characteristic of northern Portugal, which combines wood with masonry.

The chapel has baroque images and a pulpit similar to those in some old churches in Recife and Olinda; there is also a cemetery where family members were buried.

This complex was restored in 2002 and houses a mill museum, ideal for educational tourism.

For 1.5 hours, visitors can learn about sugar cultivation, the history of the Poço Comprido sugar mill and its 19th century buildings, which are part of a sugar mill, and watch short films.

On site there are “engenho lunch” services for groups of 40 people or more, by pre-booking. It includes: the mansion connected to the São João Batista Chapel, the Moita (factory) and the Frei Caneca Auditorium, where events are held to promote and train people in popular culture and heritage education.

2. Nazaré da Mata – PE

1. Bonito Mill

The Chapel of St Francis Xavier, in Nazaré da Mata, PE, has been listed for its cultural importance.

The Engenho Bonito complex is located 7 kilometres from the seat of the municipality of Nazaré da Mata. Its first chapel was built by the Jesuits in 1606, with only the side foundations remaining from these works, which were used to build the new chapel, completed in 1747.

Today, this building is part of the engenho’s built-up space, together with the casa-grande, occupying an area of rugged topography. Dedicated to St Francis Xavier, the chapel at Engenho Bonito is located on top of a hill, away from the other buildings.

It is notably a remnant of 18th century rural religious architecture, although its volumetric composition reveals aspects of an older building, with characteristics of Jesuit architecture.

In 1759, the chapel was remodelled and decorated with baroque features.

The ceiling of the chancel is vaulted and the windows of the galleries have pelmets and railings in gilded woodwork. In another intervention in 1862, the choir and nave ceilings were painted, the latter in wood with polychrome painting, as was the sacristy.

Its imagery is made up of figures of multiple natures, with human figures, fauna and flora.

The architectural and decorative language of the chapel, which dates back to the style of King João V (especially the ornaments on the crossing arch, pulpit and high altar), is a unique example in the Zona da Mata region of Pernambuco and has been recognised as a monument by IPHAN since 1949.

2. Ventura Mill

It represents part of Pernambuco’s sugar cane history. Its big house depicts the architecture of the late 19th century. Today, its structure consists of a rural hostel, an auditorium, a football pitch and a reservoir for fishing.

3. Santa Fé Mill

The Santa Fé sugar mill, built in 1942, has been transformed into a pousada engenho.

Tourists can stay in the manor house or in lodgings, and the place has everything that is common in rural tourism (regional breakfasts, horse riding, etc.).

4. Cueirinha Mill

Eight kilometres from Nazaré, Engenho Cueirinha is an even more rural option. Owner Nara Maranhão makes a point of welcoming visitors and integrating them into the routine of the countryside; she offers horse and carriage rides, woodland trails, a bath in the spout, fishing in the pond and cow milking.

The big house dates from 1933 and has a large veranda, antique furniture and decoration signed by Dom Pedro II.

Guests can stay in one of the rooms in the house or in one of the chalets located in the middle of a mountain range.

5. Cumbe Mill

Five kilometres from Nazaré da Mata is Engenho Cumbe, home of the Maracatu Cambinda Brasileira.

Founded in 1918, Cambinda is 91 years old and is the oldest maracatu in Pernambuco; it currently has 180 members and, through funding from the Pernambuco Historical and Artistic Heritage Foundation (Fundarpe), has been running maracatu collar embroidery workshops in the community itself.