Olinda is your typical cute colonial town, as there are so many in Latin America. Colourful houses, cobblestone streets, adorned with too many churches (Baroque of course!) for its size. I stayed there for 3 nights right in the core zone at the Hotel 7 Colinas, a splurge as I am now halfway through my tour of Brazil. It has lush gardens, a swimming pool, and a decent restaurant.

The town was rebuilt by the Portuguese after the Dutch burned it to the ground in 1630, so most of what you see dates from the late 17th or 18th century. It seems to have no street plan at all: roads are steep, with uneven cobbled stones, and are scattered across the hills. And it is bloody hot!

Buildings here are protected by fences and dogs, a security feature that I only started to notice since arriving in Recife – the North of Brazil that I had experienced so far (from Manaus to Sao Luis and Fernando de Noronha) was very relaxed. A few sketchy people hang about in Olinda’s mostly empty streets (again: hot!), and hawkers will try to sell you a painting or a guided tour of the city. Several of the houses carry a sign that they are for rent during Carnival, a major festival here in Olinda.

I walked around for 2.5 hours in the early morning and I think I have seen most of it. Noteworthy buildings are the Sao Bento Church (1761), the Atlantic Club (1920), and the Observatory (1890). I found the Cathedral disappointing.

The highlight for me however was the Franciscan convent, with its interior walls covered in azulejos depicting both the story of St. Francis and "profane scenes" of noblemen, children, hunters, ships, and fishermen. It also has impressive woodwork at the 17th-century Chapel of the Chapter.