Recife: the Atlantic Reefs at Sunrise

Recife sits on the northeastern tip of South America, 3,700 kilometers east of the African coast, on a flat coastal plain where reefs and rivers define the cityscape. The reef barrier system (recife means reef in Portuguese) forms a natural breakwater 1 kilometer offshore, creating calm lagoons at beaches like Boa Viagem. Praia de Boa Viagem, the 8-kilometer urban beach, faces east-southeast for sunrise over the Atlantic. Marco Zero square in the historic Recife Antigo district sits at sea level facing east: at sunrise the colonial buildings behind catch warm northeastern light while the sea opens ahead. The Capibaribe and Beberibe rivers converge at the historic centre and create island geography: bridges and waterways define the colonial cityscape. At -8.1°S, golden hour lasts only 21 minutes year-round.