The first stop is Igarassu, where you can see the baroque, colonial-style church and monastery. Later, a bus takes you to the Island of Itamaraca, which is very green, with mangroo bushes.
You can stop on the beach on the outside of the island. From here, you can take a jangada to the small island of Coroa do Aviao (R$10 or US$3). Warning: the water is very polluted, as the beach is situated just within the mouth of the canal that carries all industrial waste. Because of this, you cannot fully enjoy this place--it's really a shame! Unfortunately, this is a common problem. Dirty, polluting industries are being moved away from the developed countries to the less developed. We are moving problem away, but it still exists.
As we couldn't enjoy swimming, we decided to go sightseeing. We saw Fort Orange, a Dutch fortress from the 17th century. It was interesting to visit the Sea Mammals Rescue Center, where you can see manats (animals in the photos), learn about them, their environment, and why we should protect them.
The excursion was a bit of a waste of time, because we could not enjoy the beach, and trying to see two sights in only 4 hours was not sufficient. Restaurants and toilets near the beach are NOT recommended.
From journal Pernambuco adventure