Voltaire

Will be there for 3 days after a cruise through the amazon. Will be staying at the Casa Blanca resort. Have seen a tv program that said development further along the shoreline destroyed a bull shark pupping ground and now the beach everyone uses is accessible only during low tide. Would be interested in a jeep type safari or perhaps a snorkeling excursion. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

Diamantina

If you could add a couple of days to the Recife portion of your trip, you could fly to Fernando de Noronha (a UNESCO World Heritage site and a major scuba dive/snorkeling destination) and spend most of this time there.
I've not been to Fernando de Noronha yet (though it has been high on my list of places to see for years). Brazilian friends rave about its beaches and marine life. The flight from Recife to Noronha takes about an hour. I would expect it to be pricey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_de_Noronha
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/s...raFNoronha.htm
I was in Recife and Olinda many years ago for Carnaval. Don't miss the nearby colonial city of Olinda.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olinda
Recife's Casa de Cultura was a good place for souvenirs, folkloric items. The state of Pernambuco has rich, distinct cultural traditions.

Diamantina

I should add, if you are committed to staying in Recife, you probably wouldn't have enough time for Fernando de Noronha. I think you would need at least three nts. on the island to be able to enjoy it.

Voltaire

I'm already booked and paid for at the Casa Blanca Resort and my return date is set in stone. I'd like some place to do snorkeling but like I said I've heard the actual beach is only accessible during low tide, infested with bull sharks when the tide comes in. Actually remember a documentary on this, I guess when they developed further down the coast they destroyed the mangrove pupping grounds of the bull sharks and all hell broke loose. It's supposed to be the number 1 area for fatal shark attacks in the world.

Carlos69

You do realise that that resort isn't in Recife? It's well to the north of Paulista. The upside to that is the beaches are somewhat better (they are awful in Recife itself) and that you will be close to Itamaracá which is well worth visiting. Take a look at Forte Oranje, built by the Dutch during their occupation of the north east.

The downside is you are well away from the action in Recife Antigo. Great town Recife, really vibrant muisc scene, one of the best in Brazil.

Do visit Olinda, it's one of the great cultural treasures of Brazil.

You also might want to consider the Oficina Brennand sculpture park , it's utterly unique:

http://www.brennand.com.br/

If you fancy a longish day trip, there's always Porto de Galinhas about 60km south of Recife.

Enjoy your stay.

Diamantina

I looked at the website for Casa Blanca Resort and it seems they offer a Jeep Safari that sounds perfectly lovely. Maybe you should try contacting them to see if they offer a snorkeling excursion, as well. Everyone gives it five stars on Trip Advisor; it appears to be the kind of resort that does its best to accommodate its guests.