Baucau: the old Portuguese colonial pearl

The historic colonial old market of Baucau, with elegant Portuguese-style arches, remains one of the best-preserved colonial public buildings throughout all of East Timor.

A few minutes away, the natural pools of Osolata, fed by freshwater springs, offer a refreshing contrast to the tropical climate of the region.

Proceeding toward the coast, one reaches beaches almost deserted overlooking the Banda Sea, still far from mass tourism.

As evening approaches, local markets animate with brisk trade in coffee, cultivated in the surrounding mountains among the most prized in Southeast Asia.

Baucau, second city of East Timor after the capital Dili, preserves an entire Portuguese colonial historic centre built mainly in the nineteen-thirties, when the city was an important colonial administrative centre of the entire region.

The prized coffee of East Timor, grown in the mountains around Baucau with traditional and organic methods, remains among the most appreciated by international coffee roasters for the excellent quality of the final product.