Most city buses originate and terminate on the central island of Santo Antonio , on Avenida Dantas Barreto, either side of the Pracinha do Diario (also known as Praca da Independencia). There are more stops nearby on Avenida Guararapes outside the main post office. To get from the city centre to Boa Viagem , take buses marked "Aeroporto", "Iguatemi" or "Boa Viagem", or catch the more comfortable frescao marked "Aeroporto", just outside the offices of the newspaper, Diario de Pernambuco, on the Pracinha do Diario; it goes every twenty minutes and costs about $2.50. To get to Olinda from central Recife, walk south down Avenida Dantas Barreto from the Pracinha do Diario to the last of the series of bus stops, and catch the bus marked "Casa Caiada" - you'll think you're heading in the wrong direction at first, but you will get there eventually. Alternatively, a taxi from central Recife to Olinda should cost around $8-10 and will take about fifteen minutes.

From Boa Viagem , most buses in either direction can be caught on Avenida Engenheiro Domingos Ferreira, three blocks in from the sea. Buses marked "Dantas Barreto" will get you to the city centre , and so should most of those marked "Conde de Boa Vista", though it's probably best to ask. You can get directly from Boa Viagem to Olinda on buses marked "Rio Doce".

If you're completely fed up with the buses, there are always shared taxis . These small vans race around the city towards the end of the afternoon, offering lifts to various destinations for between $1 and $3. They'll stop almost anywhere and are a pretty good way of getting around as long as you're not too nervous a passenger, though it's clear that many locals don't like to use them.