The Northeast - The Rough Guide to Brazil - page 275

Tourist information Information and maps are available
from the Secretaria de Turismo in the Biblioteca Pública at
the foot of Rua do São Francisco near Praça do Carmo (daily

8am-6pm; T 81 3305 1060, W www.olindaturismo.com
.br and W olinda.pe.gov.br).

ACCOMMODATION
In Olinda prices vary enormously throughout the year (March, June & Aug-Nov is cheapest). During Carnaval (Feb/March),
it's virtually impossible to get a room unless you've booked months in advance. All the options below offer free wi-fi.

Albergue de Olinda Rua do Sol 233 T 81 3429 1592,
W alberguedeolinda.com.br. Located on a busy main
road by the seafront, this bright and tasteful HI hostel has a
bucolic little garden with hammocks and a pool, ideal for
mingling with other travellers. Rooms are a bit on the plain
side with just the bare necessities, but they're clean enough
and the place itself has a friendly vibe. Breakfast incl uded.
Prices f or HI me mbers are given in brackets. Dorms R$45
(R$37) ; doubles R$100 (R$80)
★

art and with a handsome wrought-iron staircase, the staff
here are incredibly friendly and the breakfast area (lavish
spread included in price) is perfect for socializing. Rooms
are warm, wildly painted and superb value, plus there's a
pool. Ask for any of the rooms at the back, or, if there are
four of you, ask for room eight - spaciou s and w ith leafy
views over the city. Single rooms available. R$100
Pousada do Amparo Rua do Amparo 199 T 81 3439
1749, W pousadadoamparo.com.br. Not cheap, but a
quality place set in a colonial mansion. Beautifully
decorated rooms, blending original wood and antique
pieces with contemporary ame nities a nd art, a restaurant,
a sauna, a pool and art gallery. R$265
★

Hotel 7 Colinas Ladeira de São Francisco 307 T 81
3493 7766, W www.hotel7colinas.com.br. This fabulous
hotel right in the centre of Olinda is set in beautiful gardens
with modern sculpture and a fine swimming pool. There's a
range of rooms, suites and luxury a partme nts, and a good
restaurant, too. Breakfast included. R$315
Hotel Pousada São Francisco Rua do Sol 127
T 81 3429 2109, W www.pousadasaofrancisco.com.br.
Located on the main road but quite close to the seafront,
this place has a good-sized pool, a pool table and 45 bright,
comfortable rooms, with antique wooden floors and Afro-
Brazilian art decorating the walls. A ll have a/c, fridge and
cable TV. Breakfast included. R$210
Pousada Alto Astral Rua 13 de Maio 305 T 81 3439
3453, W pousadaaltoastral.com. Decorated with naïve

Pousada dos Quatro Cantos Rua Prudente de
Morais 441 T 81 3429 0220, W pousada4cantos.com
.br. Beautiful, small nineteenth-century mansion with a
leafy courtyard, right in the heart of the old city. A range of
rooms and suites available; the cheapest have shared
bathrooms. R$230
Pousada São Pedro Rua 27 de Janeiro 95 T 81 3439
9546, W pousadapedro.com. A spiral staircase leads up to
the more expensive rooms in the main house of this charming
pousada , while the cheaper rooms are arou nd the p ool area
at the back. All have a/c. Breakfast included. R$100

4

EATING
The best place to go for cheap eating and drinking is the Alto da Sé. The tasty street food here, cooked on charcoal fires,
can't be recommended too highly; try the Bahian acarajé , which you get from women sitting next to sizzling wok-like
pots - bean-curd cake, fried in palm oil, cut open and filled with green salad, dried shrimps and vatapá , a yellow paste
made with shrimps, coconut milk and fresh coriander.

Café Estação dos Quatro Cantos Rua Prudente de
Moraes 440 T 81 3429 7575. Laidback café, art gallery,
handicrafts store and cultural space, with decent espresso
and snacks but also live samba in the evenings. Tues-Sat
2-9pm, Sun 3-9pm.
Creperia de Olinda Praça João Alfredo 168 T 81 3429
2935. This agreeable crêperie is decorated with knick-
knacks, local art and exposed brickwork, and has an open-
air patio. The scrumptious crêpes come in both sweet and
savoury varieties (from R$6-35) and they even do a curried
version (R$22.50). Daily 11am-11pm.
Flor do Coco Rua do Amparo 199 T 81 3429 6889,
W www.pousadadoamparo.com.br. Pousada restaurant
boasting excellent regional cuisine, including both local

fish dishes and great pastas. Mon-Fri 6-11.30pm, Sat &
Sun noon-5pm & 6-11.30pm.
★

Oficina do Sabor Rua do Amparo 335 T 81 3429
3331, W oficinadosabor.com. After two decades of
supplying Recife and Olinda's chattering classes with
exquisitely prepared Pernambucan cuisine, the reputation of
this place precedes it. And with an interior that's hardly
ostentatious, the emphasis is squarely on the food; blowing a
day's budget on dishes such as their pumpkin stuffed with
shrimp in a passion fruit and coconut sauce (R$110) is all too
easy. Tues-Thurs noon-4pm & 6pm-midnight, Fri noon-
4pm & 6pm-1am, Sat noon-1am, Sun noon-5pm.
Patuá Rua Bernardo Vieira de Melo 79 T 81 3055 0833,
W restaurantepatua.com.br. Olinda's fêted seafood

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