Olinda is a colorful, hilltop town framed by the Atlantic Ocean. Its history dates back to colonial times in Brazil. Recife is a modern, concrete jungle. It is one of Brazil’s largest coastal cities and the state capital of Pernambuco.  They happen to be neighbors.

Visiting these Northeast cities together, travelers experience a little bit of everything from winding cobblestone streets and bustling city sidewalks to historic bars and modern eateries, and to sunny beach days followed by late carnivalesque nights.

Olinda and Recife offer visitors perspective into the various personalities of Brazilian cities.  Continue reading to learn more about what there is to see and do in each of these Northeast cities in Brazil!

Brazil is a large country. It is the size of a continent. Traveling within Brazil can be time-consuming, especially from the very south to the north.

When we planned our trip to the island of Fernando de Noronha, located about 300 miles off the coast of Northeast Brazil, we knew it would be difficult (and expensive) to fly directly there from Florianópolis, Brazil.

To avoid multiple flights with crazy layovers, we stayed for three nights in the hilltop town of Olinda before continuing to Fernando de Noronha.

Recife is the state capital of Pernambuco, a state in northeastern Brazil. Olinda, located just 4 miles north of Recife, sits atop a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s hard to be brief about two cities whose histories and importance date back to the 1500s. But below are a few things worth knowing before your visit.

• Multiple rulers before the Portuguese – The region was first occupied by the Caetés and Tupinambá indigenous tribes, followed by the French, Portuguese, Dutch, and ultimately the Portuguese again after the Dutch burned the city to the ground.
• Hilltop colonial cities – The Portuguese always preferred to build their colonies on hilltops like the one where Olinda was found. The colonial town that remains today was completely rebuilt in the 18th century following the Dutch occupation and destruction.

• World Heritage Site by UNESCO – In 1982 Olinda was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with 20 Baroque churches, unique landscape and vegetation, and preserved architecture.
• The word Recife means reef in Portuguese –  There are many rocky reef formations found along the coast. These reefs can be seen from the shore during low tides.
• A city connected by bridges – With 50 bridges scattered throughout the city, Recife is referred to as the Venice of Brazil.
• Sharks are a common sight – Surfing is no longer permitted in Recife’s city beaches due to the presence of Tiger and Bull sharks. Areas of swimming are also limited and strictly monitored by lifeguards.
• Carnival in Olinda – Olinda is a top destination to celebrate Carnival in Brazil. Unlike Salvador and other cities, Olinda’s Carnaval street parties are free. A unique feature of the Carnaval in Olinda is the life-size papier-mache puppets made to look like national and international celebrities carried in the parades.

Want to go a little deeper? Take this virtual tour of historic Olinda!

Both cities can be enjoyed year-round with warm tropical temperatures ranging from mid-70s to mid-80s. High season is considered during the summer months of December to March when it will be the hottest and driest.

One of the most popular times of year to visit, and therefore also the most expensive, is in February around Carnival. If you visit between mid-September and February, you may have the opportunity to see preparations for Carnaval beginning in Olinda.

• History and charm – You want to immerse yourself in the history and charm of Olinda.
• Carnaval – You are going to Carnival and want to be in the middle of the action.
• Unique lodging – You want to stay in a boutique hotel, bed and breakfast, or pousada.
• Late-night street parties – You love late-night street parties with samba and live music and don’t plan on going out at night in Recife.
• Historic bars and restaurants – You are interested in one of a kind restaurants and bars with long histories like Bar do Peneira and Bodega de Veio.

In Olinda, we stayed for 3 nights at Pousada dos Quatro Cantos or the Inn of Four Corners. This pousada is known for its 19th-century architecture and central location in Olinda. It is located on one of the “corners” of Quatro Cantos, the central meeting point for street festivals in Olinda.

The Center of Olinda

This corner of Olinda is very lively. There is live music and street vendors most nights. We thought Thursday night was animated but Friday and Saturday nights had a whole different vibe.

To us, it felt like a mini-carnival in September! Bands were marching in the streets, the papier-mache puppets dancing behind them, small groups of samba taking place, Caipirinha bar carts on every corner and people everywhere enjoying themselves.

The whole scene was vibrant and we could only imagine what the actual Carnival is like in Olinda. Luckily our hotel room was mostly protected from the happy chaos on the street.

• Centrally located –  You want to be close to the airport.
• Bustling city vibes – You want to stay in an area that is more like a big city than a little town.
• Big hotel chains – You want to stay in a large national or international hotel brand on the beach like the Radisson or Grand Mercure.
• Beachfront access – You want to take advantage of early morning walks or runs along the beach sidewalk
• More upscale and varied restaurants and bars – You want to have quick access to a variety of large or upscale restaurants.

We spent one night in the Radisson Hotel and it was very lovely. The front desk even upgraded us for free to a suite with ocean views. The free breakfast buffet was the largest hotel breakfast buffet I have ever seen and did not disappoint.

If staying for longer than 3 days, you could easily split stays between Recife and Olinda. Overall we found the hotel lodging in both cities to be affordable with an abundance of options.

During the day, Olinda is charming and vibrant. Visitors can easily spend half a day just wandering (safely) the colorful streets, taking in various views of the ocean and landscape, popping in and out of artisan and tourist shops, gazing up at baroque churches, eating savory seafood, and sipping on coconut water and cold beer.

At night, especially on the weekends and holidays, the streets come alive as restaurants, music, and parties overflow into the streets. The most popular gathering area is Quatro Cantos or four corners. This is where Rua Amparo and Rua Prudente de Moraes meet.

My recommendation is to pick a restaurant or bar where you have a view of the street and enjoy the music and people-watching! Good options are Bar do Peneira, Bodega de Veio, and Bar do Amparo.

• Pernambuco Museum of Sacred Art –  Browse the collection of religious artworks and artifacts dating back to the 16th century. The museum is housed in the large house that was once the house of Representatives.
• Museu do Mamulengo –  Browse the collection of over 1,000 puppets on display, some dating back to the 1800’s. Mamulengo means puppetry in Portuguese.
• Casa dos Bonecos Gigantes de Olinda –  The House of Giant Dolls contains life-size figurines used in Olinda’s Carnaval parades.

• Mercado da Ribeira –  When slavery was legal in Brazil, this market was where slaves were bought and sold. Today the building and courtyard are an artisan market.
• Rua do Amparo –  One of the streets (rua is street in Portuguese) that leads to the Quatro Corners. You will find brightly painted houses, art studios and galleries, and cafes.

• Alto Da Sé –  Not religious beyond its name but it is one of the highest points in Olinda and offers sweeping views. There are also street vendors in the square.
• Catedral Alto da Sé –  The oldest parish church in northeast Brazil built in 1535.
• Igreja e Mosteiro de São Bento – Famous for its golden altar, this church was founded in 1582 and refurbished in 2001.
• Praça e Igreja do Carmo –  One of Olinda’s main squares with the Igreja do Carmo, the church you see from various views in upper Olinda.
• Convento de São Francisco –  The first convent built by the Franciscan order in Brazil. The church, Nossa Senhora das Neves, is also found in the same complex.

Recife is a sprawling city with tourist attractions scattered about. This makes it hard to see everything by foot. Ubering or bussing is necessary depending on what you want to do with your time.

Our original plan was to spend the morning at Boa Viagem’s beach. Then grab lunch in Antigo Recife, browse the Casa da Cultural, and end the day with a sunset boat tour of Recife from the waterways. However, we ended up enjoying Boa Viagem’s beach a little too much and after a delicious late lunch at Entre Amigos Praia, we rushed to our boat tour.

• Marco Zero –  The exact location where the city was founded in 1537.
• Parques de Esculturas –  90 sculptures located on the harbor jetty across the water from Marco Zero by artist Francisco Brennand.
• Rua do Bom Jesus –  One of the oldest and best preserved streets in old Recife. The first synagogue constructed in the Americas is also found here amongst the colorful buildings.
• Centro de Artesanato de Pernambuco –  Opened in May 2022, visitors can buy souvenirs and artisan crafts unique to Recife while having the opportunity to meet the artists.

• Paço do Frevo –  Visit this museum to learn more about the music of Frevo – the most popular music of Carnaval in Recife and Olinda.
• Paço da Alfândega –  A shopping mall and restaurants, we enjoyed the Babylon Station Beer Garden and large Livraria Jaqueira bookstore.
• Sunset boat tour of Recife –  Explore Recife from the waterways on this sunset boat ride with Catamaran Tours. The guided tour is only given in Portuguese (2023) but we felt it was still valuable to see different touristic points of Recife that we weren’t able to get to in our short time in the city.

• Casa da Cultural –  A former jail that is now Recife’s largest arts and crafts market.
• Mercado de São José –  Covered market selling typical market goods, street food, and souvenirs.
• Museu da Cidade do Recife and Forte das Cinco Pontas –  Dive deeper into the city’s history and explore its first fort.

Boa Viagem, to the south of Old Recife, is known for its beach, walking and biking paths along the coast, restaurants and nightlife, and an abundance of hotels catering to businessmen and tourists.

There are so many delicious restaurants sprinkled across Olinda and Recife. From traditional spots serving Northeast Brazilian cuisine to modern restaurants, breweries, and more.

• Bar do Amparo –  Lively bar and restaurant directly in front of Quatros Cantos
• Restaurante Patuá – Great seafood with nice views of the Recife skyline from the back patio
• Don Francesco Trattoria – Homemade Italian served in a cozy house and patio
• Restaurante Beijupirá Olinda – Upscale Brazilian fare from the northeast served in a treehouse setting
• Bodega de Veio – Olinda – A classic bar in Olinda with limited seating but a wide selection of beers and cachaças
• Oficina do Sabor – Highly reviewed restaurant serving Pernambucan classics
• Olinda Art & Grill – Great spot for lunch with a view
• Bar do Peneira – A Brazilian boteco in the heart of Olinda’s Quatro Cantos known for its owner napping at the bar’s entrance
• Cavallotti Cervejaria Pub – The first and one of the few offering craft beer on tap in Olinda
• Tribuna Sabores Ibéricos – Restaurant offering traditional Portuguese and Spanish dishes

• Bestafera Bar –  Craft beer on tap, empanadas and other bar fare, and live music near Bar Central in Old Recife
• Babylon Station –  Recife Antigo: Craft beer and burgers
• São Pedro Restaurante –  One of the best restaurants in Old Recife serving Brazilian dishes near the Sãp Pedro Cathedral
• Restaurante Leite –  Claims to be the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Brazil (since 1882), it is an upscale lunch-only spot in Old Recife featuring Brazilian and Portuguese dishes
• Bar Central –  A good spot to enjoy Recife’s nightlife after a day touring around
• Entre Amigos Praia –  Delicious and chic seafood restaurant just off the beach
• Bode do Nô –  Famous for its dishes with goat (bode in Portuguese) and other Pernambucan classics
• Restaurante Parraxaxá Boa Viagem –  If you’re looking to try a little bit of everything that northeastern Brazilian cuisine has to offer, this buffet is a good option
• Mr. Hoppy Boa Viagem –  Casual Brazilian beer and burger chain
• BeerDock Boa Viagem –   Next to Mr. Hoppy, bar and patio with live music serving cocktails, craft beer, and wide range of burgers

I felt more at ease in these cities than in Salvador, especially at night. I believe a big reason for this is that there were always other people around – tourists and locals.

When visiting a city in Brazil we don’t know well, we always avoid walking down dimly lit or vacant streets. If you’re thinking about walking but are unsure of what is along the exact route, just Uber. Luckily Uber is very affordable in Brazil.

We were advised by people familiar with the area to not walk down to the bottom of Olinda at night, and use Uber instead. And not to visit the area around the Olinda Lighthouse after dark.

It was more lively on Friday and Saturday nights than on Thursday. There was a police presence at Quatro Cantos during the weekend night festivities.

Olinda and its much bigger metropolis neighbor, Recife, weren’t the highest on our must-see list while living in Brazil but I’m so glad we could visit! Looking to spend more time in northeast Brazil? Check out Porto de Galinhas and Fernando de Noronha next!

Porto de Galinhas –   A quick Uber ride 35 miles south of Recife, Porto de Galinhas is a colorful beach town. Read more about how we spent one day swimming in its Carribean-like waters and exploring the coastline in an open-air buggy.

Fernando de Noronha –   This island is a must-visit in Brazil. Recife is the primary airport for flights to and from Fernando de Noronha, thus including a stopover in Olinda and Recife is an easy decision.  Read more about how to visit Fernando de Noronha and the best beaches on the island.