Baucau

Baucau is Timor-Leste's second city, about 122 kilometres east of Dili and home to some 16,000 people, and its old quarter, Vila Antiga, is the most atmospheric piece of Portuguese colonial townscape in the country: pastel-washed buildings, arcaded facades, an old market hall and streets that step down the hillside, all softened by decades of tropical weather and bougainvillea. A spring feeds a public swimming pool in the middle of town, and a winding road drops several kilometres from the old town down to the coast, where long white-sand beaches meet a clear sea largely to yourself. The newer part of town above is busier and more workaday. The Pousada de Baucau, a large pink colonial hotel, looks out to sea from the old town, and the town is the seat of a Catholic diocese founded in 1996. Baucau makes a natural base for the far east of the country, and the contrast between the cool hillside old town and the hot coast below is part of its character.

What you'll find

• Vila Antiga - the pastel Portuguese old quarter and the domed old market.
• The spring-fed pool - the public swimming pool in the heart of town.
• The coast road and beaches - the descent to long empty white-sand beaches.
• The market - produce and daily life in the newer upper town.

When to go

May to November, the dry season, for the best roads and beach weather. The old town is cooler than the coast below it. Mornings are the pleasantest time to walk the old quarter.

Practical notes

Much of the old town is faded and some buildings are decaying, which is part of the atmosphere but not a restored heritage site. The road from Dili is long and slow, and the descent to the beaches is rough. Facilities are basic, English is limited, and the beaches, while beautiful, have little infrastructure, so bring what you need.

Nearby

The far-eastern beaches, Tutuala and Jaco Island lie further east; Dili is three to four hours west.

Key facts