Pernambuco · Brazil
Where to stay in Olinda
Olinda is a city in Pernambuco, Brazil, home to about 350,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- REC15 km · Recife/Guararapes - Gilberto Freyre International Airport
- Currency
- BRLBrazilian real
- Time zone
- America/Recife
- Language
- Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language
About
About Olinda
Olinda is a historic city in Pernambuco, Brazil, in the Northeast Region. It is located on the country's northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, the state capital.
Olinda was founded in 1537 by the Portuguese Duarte Coelho Pereira. It owed its rapid rise to the sugarcane plantations around its area. From the 16th century onward, religious missions built many churches and convents. The city was, however, pillaged and burnt down by the Dutch in 1631. One of the few surviving buildings is the Church of São João. The Portuguese returned in 1654. Most of the buildings at Olinda date from the 18th century.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Olinda
See
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.
- Olinda Cathedral
- Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo
- Convento São Francisco
- Igreja Nossa Senhora da Graça and Seminário de Olinda
- Igreja Nossa Senhora da Conceicao
- Igreja da Misericórdia
- Igreja Nossa Senhora do Amparo
- Mosteiro de São Bento
- Contemporary Art Museum of Pernambuco
- Olinda Regional Museum
- Puppet Museum
- Sacred Art Museum of Pernambuco
Do
Outside of Carnaval 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.
- Angola Mae Capoeira School
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Olinda to stay in
Olinda has a wide range of options when it comes to lodging. Reservations could be wise in January and February. During carnival prices triple (literally!) and you will have to pay for the five nights from Friday to Wednesday no matter what. Private rooms (R$ 500-1000/5 nights) and apartments/houses (R$ 800 and up) are mostly cheaper, but standards vary greatly, and they are hard to book ahead. If you arrive on Thursday, there is still time.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Olinda
6 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel 7 Colinas | 1.0 km | |
| Hotel Costeiro | 1.6 km | |
| Irradiante | 0.8 km | |
| Pousada Baobá | 1.2 km | |
| Pousada Convento da Conceição | 0.5 km | |
| Pousada do Amparo | 0.5 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Olinda
Olinda has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; June is the wettest, with about 362 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Olinda: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Recife/Guararapes - Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA, 96 km) and Presidente João Suassuna Airport (CPV, 141 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The nearest airport is Recife's Guararapes Airport. A taxi to/from the airport will cost some R$ 40. Olinda is approximately 7 km north of the center of Recife, with plenty of local buses running in between. The main bus stop in Olinda is Praça do Carmo, which is easy to miss. Taxis from the center of Recife to Olinda take about 20 minutes.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
REC · Recife/Guararapes - Gilberto Freyre International Airport
JPA · Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport
CPV · Presidente João Suassuna Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Olinda
Drink
Olinda's prefeitura (mayor's office) publishes a monthly nightlife guide, available in tourist offices and hotels.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Olinda: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Olinda?
Olinda has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; June is the wettest, with about 362 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Olinda?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Recife/Guararapes - Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA, 96 km) and Presidente João Suassuna Airport (CPV, 141 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Olinda?
Brazilian real (BRL).
Nearby
Destinations near Olinda
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.