Olinda, Colonial city in Pernambuco, Brazil.
Olinda is a colonial city on hilltops in Pernambuco, Brazil, with narrow lanes winding between whitewashed houses and church facades. Streets rise and fall over the slopes, and from many points you can see the ocean and the nearby coastline.
Duarte Coelho Pereira founded the settlement in 1537 as the capital of Pernambuco, and it quickly grew into a center for sugar production. Dutch forces burned the city in 1631, but it was rebuilt over the following decades.
Many street names come from colonial times and tell stories of saints, craftspeople, and old families who lived here. On weekends, residents gather in the shaded courtyards of former monasteries to sell handmade crafts and listen to local music.
The best time to visit is early morning, when the lanes are still empty and the light falls softly on the facades. Comfortable shoes are important, as many streets are steep and paved with cobblestones.
The city holds more than 20 baroque churches from the 16th and 17th centuries, many of which still show their original wood carvings and gold decorations. Some of these churches stand on such narrow plots that their towers almost touch the opposite house walls.
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