Yes, you can smoke at Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC) — outdoors, landside, outside the terminal building. Brazilian federal law (Lei 12.546/2011) bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, so REC’s terminal interior is smoke-free; the open-air ground outside it is not covered by that ban.
Guararapes is the main airport for Recife and the state of Pernambuco, in the Imbiribeira district a little over 10 km from downtown. Aena Brasil has operated it since 2019; it handles just under 10 million passengers a year through one integrated terminal shared by domestic and international flights.
Where to Smoke
Brazil’s indoor-smoking ban reaches only enclosed spaces, so smoking is permitted in the open air outside REC’s terminal building, at any point landside before you join the security queue. No specific spot is marked or signed as a smoking area; move away from the doorways before lighting up.
After Security — Airside
REC has no confirmed airside smoking facility. The boarding area beyond security falls under Brazil’s federal indoor ban, so plan to smoke before joining the security queue. A connecting or waiting passenger who wants to smoke would need to leave the secure zone and re-clear security to reach the landside ground outside the terminal — allow extra time for the second screening. If your layover is long enough to make that round trip worthwhile, see our guide to smoking during layovers.
Vaping
Vaping falls under the same law as cigarettes at REC — Brazil’s ANVISA Resolution RDC 855/2024 restricts e-cigarette use in enclosed collective spaces. Recife’s own site publishes no separate vaping rule, so treat the outdoor, landside ground the same way you would for cigarettes.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Covered by Brazil’s federal indoor-smoking ban |
| After security / airside | Unconfirmed | No airside smoking facility confirmed |
| Landside, outside the terminal | Yes | Permitted in the open air, before security |
| Vaping | Yes, outdoors | Same landside ground as cigarettes; ANVISA RDC 855/2024 covers enclosed spaces |
Recife’s terminal has no confirmed airside smoking option — for the country’s one exception, the paid open-air terraces airside at São Paulo Guarulhos Airport (GRU), see our guide to that terminal.
For Brazil’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Brazil airport smoking guide.