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TravelTips24 : South America : Brazil : Northeast : Pernambuco : Olinda

Olinda

Olinda[1] is a city in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It hosts one of Brazil's most famous carnivals and is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its XVI and XVII-century buildings. Many bars, restaurants, artist and craftspeople studios add charm to the old-town setting.

Travel to Olinda & Visa Requirements

Olinda is approximately 7km from the center of Recife. Local buses connect both towns, and taxis are widely available.

Tours & Getting around Olinda

The Historic Center is compact and can be explored on foot.

Olinda attractions and sightseeing

Olinda's beautiful scenery and architecture make for a pleasant sightseeing all around.

Colonial architecture, belvederes and the blue sea paint a relaxed environment that is second to none among Brazilian traditional cities.

Churches

  • Churches - Mosteiro de São Bento (1582) and Convento de São Francisco (1585) are very important buildings of baroque Brazil.
  • Church of Alto da Se. Central square. Also known as Church of São Salvador do Mundo, this was the first church built in Brazil. It was built in 1540 and was briefly a protestant church during the Dutch occupation in the 17th century. Mo-Fr, 8AM-5PM. Free entrance.

Museums

  • Museum of Sacred Art, 726, Rua Bispo Coutinho. Former house of the senate, nowadays is a rich exhibition of religious art with pieces dating back to the 16th century. From Tue-Mon, 8AM-6PM. R$ 1.00.
  • Museum of Contemporary Art of Pernambuco, Rua 13 de Maio, Carmo. Phone (81) 3429-2587. Open Tuesday to Friday, from 8:30am to 12:30pm; Saturdays from 9am until noon; Sundays from 2 to 5pm. Entry: R$ 1,00
  • Museum of Olinda, 128, Rua do Amparo. Displays colonial furniture and pictures. Free entrance.
  • Museu do Mamelungo

Beaches

The urban beach in Olinda is not appropriate for swimming. While the beaches south of Recife are more touristic, the beaches north of Olinda are also worth a visit. Local buses can take you as far as Pau Amarelo and Maria Farinha.

Others

  • Belvedere Alto da Se, located at the yard of Church of Alto da Se. To the east, one can see the Atlantic Ocean; to the west, the urban scenery.
  • Rua do Amparo - restaurants, museums, hotels and art studios.
  • Serenades - groups of singers and musicians play old traditional songs through the city streets on Friday evenings.

Olinda city tours

Olinda's carnival is completely different from those of Rio and Salvador. It is a lively street party accompanied by frevo and maracatu music. It starts one week before the official date, with rehearsals starting up to a month before, and lasts another few weeks after the official ending. It's most famous representative are the giant dolls carried on the shoulders of the people. The parties are non-stop, 24 hours. If you want to have a good rest during the carnival season, you'd better book a room far away from the center.

Outside of carnival season, Olinda boasts a lively culture, featuring mostly forró and maracatú in the clubs and town squares, as well as year-round, Saturday night serenades.

Nightlife

Olinda's prefeitura (mayor's office) publishes a monthly nightlife guide, available in all Tourist Offices and in most hotels.

  • Mercado Eufrasio Barbosa often hosts cultural presentations and live music shows.
  • Xinxim da Bahiana (Avenida Sigismundo Gonçalves, near Praça do Carmo) hosts live bands and DJs throughout the week. Especially interesting are forró on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
  • Every other Saturday, the neighborhood of Amparo (adjacent to the Historic Center), hosts a street party featuring the local rhythm of samba de coco.
  • Casa da Rabeca do Brasil (Rua Curupira, 125), in the neighborhood of Cidade Tabajara, hosts a forró party every Saturday night. This is in a rural environment, accesible by local buses, though taxi is more recommended.
  • Maracatu nations (nações) often hold open rehearsals throughout the year.

Olinda souvenirs & shopping

  • Local crafts and artwork. Be wary of making your purchases in or near Alto da Sé, as prices there tend to be inflated due to the constant flow of tourists. The Mercado da Ribeira houses a variety of shops.
  • Musical instruments, such as those used in maracatu and forró.

Olinda Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • The Rua do Amparo street has many restaurants serving regional cuisine.
  • Tapioca (crepes made from manioc root flour) with grated coconut is a popular snack, especially in Alto da Sé.
  • Sargação, near Praça do Carmo near the beachfront, serves sandwiches and burgers until the late night hours.
  • Alto da Sé hosts a variety of food vendors, with a lively environment in the early evening.
  • Mourisco, near the Praça do Carmo, offers a very good self service at a reasonable price.
  • If you wish o splurge, Oficina do Sabor (rua do Amparo, 335) is one of he best options. It offers a priviledged view of Recife.

Olinda nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

  • Cachaça: Popular all over Brazil, and Olinda is no exception. The preferred brands are 51 and Pitú.
  • Caldo de Cana: The "juice" extracted from raw sugar cane.
  • Beer: Also popular all over Brazil, brands include Skol, Nova Schin and Antartica, among many others.

Olinda cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Due to it's position as a tourist magnet, Olinda has a wide range of options when it comes to lodging. Reservations are usually not necessary except during the months of January and February.

Budget

  • Albergue de Olinda, 333, Rua do Sol, 055 81 34291592.
  • Pousada d'Olinda, 128, Praça Conselheiro João Alfredo, 055 81 34391163.
  • Pousada dos Quatro Cantos, 441, Rua Prudente de Moraes, 055 81 34290220.
  • Casa do Hilton, Rua do Sol.
  • Pousada do Fortim, Rua do Sol.

Mid-range

  • Hotel Sete Colinas, 307, Ladeira de São Francisco, 055 81 34396055. [2]

Get out

  • Visit Recife! It is easy to forget about the state's capital, only 7km away, but it is worth a visit.
  • Take a local bus to Igarassú and visit the oldest church in Brazil.
  • Take a bus through Igarassú to Ilha de Itamaracá. There are beautiful beaches, as well as the Centor Cultural de Lia, a cultural center that specializes in the local rhythm called ciranda. If in Itamaracá, do not miss the famous Coroa do Avião (a small, beautiful, sandy island), the IBAMA Centro Peixe Boi (a center for the preservation of the sea cow) and the Forte Orange (a 17th century Dutch fortress).
  • Local buses also make the trip to beaches north of Olinda, including Pau Amarelo and Maria Farinha.

This page was last edited at 23:12, on 20 January 2008 by Wikitravel user Zerotres. Based on work by Guo Yifan and Ricardo, Wikitravel user(s) Texugo and Nzpcmad and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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