Car hire and driving in Recife
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Brazil traffic drives on the right. Picking up at REC means 9 km (6 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648833 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648834 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648835.
Drives from Recife
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recife to Cabo de Santo Agostinho | Brazil | 31 km (19 mi) | about 28 min |
| Recife to Ipojuca | Brazil | 43 km (27 mi) | about 40 min |
| Recife to Vitória de Santo Antão | Brazil | 46 km (28 mi) | about 42 min |
| Recife to João Pessoa | Brazil | 104 km (65 mi) | about 1 h 36 min |
| Recife to Santa Rita | Brazil | 105 km (65 mi) | about 1 h 36 min |
| Recife to Caruaru | Brazil | 123 km (77 mi) | about 1 h 53 min |
| Recife to Campina Grande | Brazil | 143 km (89 mi) | about 2 h 11 min |
| Recife to Santa Cruz do Capibaribe | Brazil | 146 km (91 mi) | about 2 h 14 min |
| Recife to Garanhuns | Brazil | 201 km (125 mi) | about 3 h 4 min |
| Recife to Maceió | Brazil | 202 km (126 mi) | about 3 h 5 min |
| Recife to Parnamirim | Brazil | 241 km (150 mi) | about 3 h 41 min |
| Recife to Natal | Brazil | 254 km (158 mi) | about 3 h 52 min |
| Recife to Belo Horizonte | Brazil | 1,641 km (1,019 mi) | about 25 h 1 min |
| Recife to Salvador | Brazil | 675 km (419 mi) | about 10 h 17 min |
| Recife to Fortaleza | Brazil | 630 km (391 mi) | about 9 h 36 min |
| Recife to Brasília | Brazil | 1,658 km (1,030 mi) | about 25 h 17 min |
| Recife to Belém | Brazil | 1,678 km (1,042 mi) | about 25 h 35 min |
| Recife to São Luís | Brazil | 1,210 km (752 mi) | about 18 h 27 min |
| Recife to Teresina | Brazil | 935 km (581 mi) | about 14 h 15 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Recife?
The right, as everywhere in Brazil.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.