Olinda Olinda

Olinda

A few minutes away from Recife, Olinda is a charming place for its exciting Carnival that attracts thousands of visitors and its beautiful buildings. It was once the richest city of the Colony Brazil and today is considered one of the best preserved regions of such times. All this historical heritage won Olinda the accolade of being a World Cultural Heritage Site by Unesco.

Its famous sloping streets comprise a historical site with beautiful churches, such as the Rosário dos Homens Pretos Church (built in the 17th century) and the Nosso Senhor Salvador do Mundo Church (the first church built in Brazil), in addition to baroque buildings, mansions, studios, and museums such as Museu do Mamulengo.

To better enjoy the tour and find joy with scenery of colonial architecture, palm trees and blue seas in the background, the ideal day is to walk around the calm street and appreciate all the details of the region.

The third largest city of Pernambuco, Olinda is home to numerous internationally renowned artists and artisans. At Ribeira Market, you can find several workshops and craft galleries, and the Alto da Sé Craft Market is also a great place to find typical souvenirs such as leaflets of cordel literature and carved wooden masks. There you can also try tapioca (a typically Brazilian delicacy of Indian origin, made from cassava flour and traditionally stuffed with sour-milk cheese and coconut).

Carnival in Olinda is a must-see spectacle. With its own characteristics and different from other regions of Brazil, the festival attracts a million revelers from all over the world who go to the sloping streets to enjoy the typical and accelerated rhythm of maracatu and frevo. The famous parade of giant puppets and carnival groups that present specially rehearsed choreographies are also attractions that are highly appreciated by those visiting Olinda during Carnival.