Cumaru is one of those privileged Brazilian cities that have no transit traffic: A 4 km long road connects the PE-95 state road with the center of Cumaru - after that it is literally "end of the road" (with exception of some nature trails that are leading to Surubim, Ameixas or Salgadinho). Nobody reaches Cumaru by chance. There are no hotels or pousadas in the whole village. Visitors without relatives or local friends need to drive back to stay overnight. The next accommodations can be found in Passira, Salgadinho, Limoeiro, Riacho das Almas, Surubim and Caruaru. But even without infrastructure for tourists, the modest and honest visitor can count on the hospitality of a large part of the population, especially in rural areas.

Map of the region

Most visitors arrive in Cumaru in the end of November, during the feast of St. Teresa (Festa de Santa Terezinha). Besides this festival, the horse-drawn parade on 1st of May is a local tradition, and every now and then there happens a "Tourada" or a "Vaquejada". During the rest of the year it is very quiet in the center of Cumaru, even quieter yet in rural areas.

To get to Cumaru, there are bus services of "Borborema" and "Coletivo" from Recife, Limoeiro and Caruaru. In addition, some private drivers offer alternative transports to/from Limoeiro and Caruaru. What I can offer is an outdated Transports' Timetable 2012 (pdf).

For havin lunch or dining, there are several simple restaurants, pizzerias, steakhouses and local food stalls at very affordable prices. There are also grocery stores and shops for daily needs. There is a post office (open in the morning until 13:00), LAN-houses, banks (Banco do Brasil, Banco Bradesco), a hospital, private doctors, a vet, an optician, dentists, physiotherapy, police, town hall, courthouse, an outdoor gym, a multipurpose hall, a football pitch, taxi and mototaxis. The weekly market takes place on Saturday mornings, but almost all the products sold here come from outside the community. There are only a few tourist attractions. Officially recommended by the city council is the climb via a long stone stairway to the "Alto do Cruzeiro" (560 m above sea level), which is situated in the north of the city center: a windswept place with a beautiful view on much of the city and up to the Serra Negra, but without gastronomic infrastructure. At the weekends, many residents drive to the bars and simple restaurants on the shores of the Jucazinho reservoir (Campos Novos hamlet), where it is possible to swim in the lake or take a shower at the foot of the dam.

Furthermore I recommend the following Youtube Clip about the topography of Cumaru.

Still little used for tourism are the many hiking trails and the simple restaurants in the rural area. In many hamlets, there are bars for locals in beautiful locations, and these establishments offer drings and snacks, but are not oben every day. Personally I know such bars in the following hamlets: Riacho de Pedra, Dendê, Cajueiro, Mangueiras, Pangauá, Água Salgada, Queimadas, Água Doce de Baixo, Táboas, Derradeiras Águas, Cajá, Chã de Trinta, Campos Novos, Malhadinha, Serra de Umarí. In addition to the dense natural roads' network, which invites to horseback riding and cycling, there are numerous quiet and hitten paths that lead the visitor to idyllic ponds and windy mountain peaks. Along the way you will always find something interesting: humble workers, old, beautiful houses, water reflecting the mountains, mighty trees and rare animals. Given the strong deforestation, there is little shade on the way. Sun protection ist necessary even in wintertime. It is also recommended to take enough water with you, and - if possible - avoid hikes between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Photo Gallery of Landscapes of Cumaru

For the moment the following proposals for hikes exist only in Portuguese: Hike of Rare Tree Species (pdf), Top of Cruzeiro Hike (pdf), "Sweet and Salted" (pdf), "Salted" (pdf)

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