Olinda
Historic Centre Of The Town Of Olinda, UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 1982 · Olinda, Pernambuco
Olinda is a colonial hill town on the coast of Pernambuco, founded in 1535, whose churches, convents and brightly painted houses climb a hill above the sea just north of Recife. The Dutch burned it in 1631 and it was rebuilt in the following century, which is why its churches are mostly baroque. UNESCO listed it in 1982. From the Alto da Sé at the top, beside the cathedral, the view runs over palm trees and red roofs to the ocean and the towers of Recife, and tapioca sellers work the square. The town is full of artists' studios and galleries. Olinda's Carnival is one of the most famous in Brazil, and completely different from Rio's: free, on foot, in the steep streets, led by frevo bands and giant puppets, the bonecos gigantes, several metres tall. Most visitors see Olinda as a day or half-day trip from Recife, which is where the airport and most hotels are, but staying a night in one of its pousadas shows the town at its calmest. Take care in quiet streets, especially after dark.
Centro Histórico, Olinda, PE, Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil
The historic centre is a living town and its streets are always open, but the sights inside run on short, irregular hours. Churches and convents generally open in the morning and again in the afternoon, closing over lunch, and many close entirely on Mondays; some open only for services, and the hours posted on doors are not always kept. The Monastery of São Bento is best seen around a service, when the gilded altar is lit. Museums and the puppet houses keep daytime hours and also often close on Mondays. The Alto da Sé square is busiest in the late afternoon for the light and the tapioca stalls. The quiet lanes empty at dusk, and the town is not a place to wander alone after dark outside the main squares. Carnival, in February or early March, turns the whole town into a street party day and night for about a week, with pre-Carnival parties on the weekends before; during that week churches and museums may close, traffic is shut out and accommodation books out months ahead. Confirm each church's hours locally on the day.