Timor-Leste’s second largest city, Baucau offers quite a contrast from Dili and is a lovely place to explore. Dili’s population is around 300,000 people, Baucau‘s is more like 16,000 people. There are two parts to the city, Old Baucau which has all the heritage and places that tourists are likely to visit, and the much larger New Baucau which is a pretty typical Timorese town.

There were two clear highlights for me in Old Baucau. Firstly the stunning Baucau Old Market, which was built by Portuguese between 1928 and 1934, as part of a grand master plan for the town. During WW2 it was partially destroyed before being rebuilt in the 1970s. It then fell into disrepair before being renovated in 2014 as a cultural centre.

It is a quite stunning building and had some of the loveliest formal gardens to be found in Timor-Leste.

My other highlight was found by accident and isn’t mentioned in any travel guides or blogs. Calvário is a collection of shrines on the hillside about 10 minutes walk from the centre of Old Baucau.

The shrines are interesting, and they’re in a spectacular setting, with huge views along the Baucau coastline, with Old Baucau close, and Watabo Beach in the distance.

I returned at the end of the day to witness an impressive sunset.

There is plenty more of interest here. Not many places are best known for a swimming pool, but Piscina de Baucau is the best in the country, though there isn’t a huge amount of competition to be honest. For 50c you can enjoy this spring fed gem from the Portuguese era.

But not on Mondays or Thursdays when they drain the pool…

Just along the road from the pool is an amazing tree overhanging the road.

Old Baucau is also home to the rather striking and attractive St. Anthony Cathedral.

Somehow it looks larger from the outside than on the inside.

Next door are a collection of related buildings with a couple of decent statues.

Pousada de Baucau is one of the most famous hotels in Timor-Leste. It was built in 1950s and is a rather fetching shade of dark pink. There are newer accommodation blocks to the side and behind the original hotel building.

Across the road is a small market, and there are a few statues of traditional Timorese figures around the streets.

To finish with the water fountain / roundabout that marks the start of Old Baucau, and a rather ancient looking truck found further up the road.