Olinda’s Carnaval, with a massive 560 blocos, is generally considered to be one of the three greatest in Brazil, along with those of Rio and Salvador. It overshadows the celebrations in neighbouring Recife and attracts thousands of revellers from all over the Northeast. It’s easy to see why Olinda developed into such a major […]

Olinda’s relaxed atmosphere draws many recifenses at night, when tables and chairs are set on squares and pavements, and bars that are tucked away in courtyards amid spectacular tropical foliage make the perfect escape. There is always plenty of music around and, at weekends, a lot of young Brazilians out for a good time […]

Olinda’s hills are steep, and you’ll be best rewarded by taking a leisurely stroll around the town. A good spot to have a drink and plan your attack is the Alto da Sé (the highest square in the town), not least because of the stunning view of Recife’s skyscrapers shimmering in the distance, framed […]

Buses from Recife follow the seafront road; get off in the Praça do Carmo, just by Olinda’s main post office, from where it’s a two-minute walk up into the old city.
A reasonable town map is available from the Secretaria de Turismo in the Biblioteca (daily 9am–5pm) at the foot of Rua do Sao Francisco […]

OLINDA is, quite simply, one of the largest and most beautiful complexes of colonial architecture in Brazil: a maze of cobbled streets, hills crowned with brilliant white churches, pastel-coloured houses, Baroque fountains and graceful squares. Not surprisingly, in 1982 it was designated a cultural heritage site by UNESCO. Founded in 1535, the old city […]