Beautiful Olinda, placed on hill overlooking Recife and the Atlantic, is one of the largest and best preserved colonial cities in Brazil, and declared a Unesco World Heritage. From scalloped wooden eaves and windows fronted by wrought-iron balconies to heavy doors fitted with ornamental hinges, every street offers something to delight the eye. The top of the city's ladeiras offer a breaktaking view: in the foreground are churches and houses interspersed with coconus trees, and on the horizon the neighboring city of Recife and the dark blue ocean.

The carnival of Olinda is the liveliest in Brazil , also the one that has remained closest to a popular festival. In Olinda there is no private or exclusive clubs, there is no safety barriers in the streets and no one has to pay to have good time. Without regard for social class, age or sex, crowds of people dance through the streets to the music of "Frevo" bands.