Timor-Leste Places: 25 Best Places to Visit in Timor-Leste. The island of Timor-Leste is surrounded by coral reefs rich in marine biodiversity. Landmarks in Dili, East Timor’s capital, commemorate the country’s struggle for independence from Portugal and then from Indonesia. At the heart of Dili is the 27m-tall statue of Cristo Rei De Dili, which stands atop a hilltop overlooking the bay.
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1. Dili
Dili is East Timor’s capital and largest city. It is located on the north coast of the country and is the seat of the East Timor government. The main feature of the city is the large statue of the late President Cristo Rei De Dili, which stands atop a hill overlooking the bay.
Many of the city’s landmarks commemorate the country’s struggles for independence against Portugal and later Indonesia. The city’s museums and exhibitions on the conflicts can be found in Dili, such as the “Timorese Resistance Museum” and the “Chega! Exhibition”, which is housed in an old prison building. – Timor-Leste Places
2. Cristo Rei
The 27.0m high Cristo Rei sculpture of Jesus Christ is located on top of a globe on the top of a hill in the capital Dili, Timor Leste. The statue is one of the most important tourist attractions in East Timor and was designed and constructed by the renowned architect, Mochamad Syailillah. – Timor-Leste Places
3. Tais Market
This Market is one of the small daily markets that sell mostly traditional cloth. This Market is situated in the heart of Dili, the capital of East Timor. This weaving is an integral part of East Timor’s cultural heritage. Traditionally, this weaving is mainly used for ceremonial decoration, as a way to show respect and gratitude to guests, friends, and relatives, as well as for home decoration and personal apparel. – Timor-Leste Places
4. Dolok Oan
Jesus Backside Beach, also known as Dolok Oan Beach, is a public beach in the Hera Subcoast, a short distance northeast of Dili in East Timor. Jesus Backside Beach is part of the Wetar Strait south shore, immediately east of the cape of Fatucama. – Timor-Leste Places
5. Pura Giri Natha Dili
Located in the Taibesi quarter, south of Dili city center, close to the local market, Pura Giriinatha is East Timor’s biggest Balinese Hindu Temple. The temple sits atop a small hill but can be reached by car. – Timor-Leste Places
6. Ponte Presidente BJ Habibie
Bidau Santana is a 2-lane road bridge located in the second of Dili, East Timor’s capital city. The bridge is named after the former President of Indonesia, who in 1999 held a referendum on East Timor’s independence from Indonesia. – Timor-Leste Places
7. One Dollar Beach
One Dollar Beach, also known as Dollar Beach, is a long white, sandy, and clean public beach located on the north shore of the island of Timor Leste, northeast of the capital, Dili. The beach is often deserted, but it is also popular with beachgoers at other times. – Timor-Leste Places
8. Dive Timor Lorosae
Dive Timor Lerosae is one of the oldest dive shops in Timor and PADI’s only 5-Star Instructor Development Centre. Since 2000, we have been providing adventure and exploration to the people of Timor Leste. Most of the dive sites here have been discovered, explored, and named by us. We are always looking for new places to dive and continue to find amazing places to dive.
We always want to keep the divers happy and our staff and dive gear are always in perfect condition, being serviced by our qualified technicians. We offer accommodation packages with guest houses or private studio apartments. Call us for a tailored package that fits your style and budget. – Timor-Leste Places
9. Aquatica Dive | Timor Leste / East Timor
Aqua Dive Resort provides PADI-accredited dive courses from Beginner to Dive Instructor level, as well as daily guided snorkeling and diving excursions out of Dili. Aqua Dive Resort’s main dive locations are along the coast around Dili, from west Maubara to east Manatuto, as well as boat dives to the island of Atauro. In addition to a dive center in Dili, Aquatica also provides beachside accommodation. – Timor-Leste Places
10. Archives & Museum of East Timorese Resistance
The “Resistance Archive and Museum of Dili, Timor Leste” is a museum dedicated to the fight for independence of Timor Leste from Indonesia. The museum was inaugurated on December 7, 2005. The inauguration ceremony was held in Dili and was attended by several dignitaries. The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste and the President attended the inauguration. – Timor-Leste Places
11. Immaculate Conception Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Dili, Timor Leste, is the principal church of East Timor’s Roman Catholic archdiocese. The construction of the cathedral started in 1984 with funding from the Indonesian Government, amounting to approximately USD 235,000. The cathedral is located on a plot of 10,000 square meters and has a capacity of 2,000 persons.
On 2 November 1988, Dili’s new Catholic cathedral was inaugurated by Indonesia’s president, with the ceremony taking place in front of the cathedral’s altar, according to local media reports. The ceremony was officiated by the Archdiocese’s apostolic administrator of Timor-Leste, Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo. – Timor-Leste Places
12. Arte Moris
Arte Moris, which translates to “Living Art” in Tetun, is East Timor’s first fine arts school and cultural center, as well as the country’s first artists’ association. Based in Dili, Arte Moris was founded after the violent Indonesian occupation of East Timor, to use art as a tool for psychological and social rehabilitation in a country ravaged by violence, with a particular focus on aiding young people.
Arte Moris offers art classes to East Timorans, sponsors advanced students oversees the sale of artwork at its on-site gallery, as well as at two high-end hotels in Dili, and collaborates with professional drama troupe “Crazy Goat”. The art center was formerly housed on the former National Museum premises in Comoro, close to Dili. – Timor-Leste Places
13. Largo de Lecidere
The cheapest street food is sold under the shade of the trees. I highly recommend the coconuts at $1. There is no better refreshment on a hot summer’s day. Watch the young boys play football in the late afternoons down at the east end. – Timor-Leste Places
14. Church of Saint Anthony of Motael
The first church in the area dates back to 1800, but the present-day church was built in 1955. The church is dedicated to the patron saint of Timor-Leste, Anthony, and is one of the oldest churches in the country. It is located in the capital, Dili, and is East Timor’s only Roman Catholic church. – Timor-Leste Places
15. Xanana Gusmão Reading Room
The small museum and gallery, located in a historic Portuguese building, features art, photographs, and information about the late resistance leader and President of East Timor, Xanana Gusmaao. The complex also features a small library. The museum and gallery are open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm. – Timor-Leste Places
16. Atauro Island
Atauro is a small island and a municipality of Timor Leste, Timor Leste Region, East Timor, Indonesia. Atauro is one of the smallest islands in the Timor-Leste archipelago. It is located north of the capital, Dili. The island of Atauro lies on the Wetar segment, which is now extinct. The Wetar segment is part of the volcanic inner Banda arc, which lies between the island of Alor, Indonesia, and the island of Wetar, which is now uninhabited. – Timor-Leste Places
17. Baucau
Baucau is a city in Timor Leste, East Timor. It is the capital of the municipality of Baucau, which is located in the eastern region of the country. Baucau is East Timor’s second-largest city after Dili, which is located 122 km west of Baucau.
With a population of approximately 16,000 people, Baucau is one of the smallest cities in East Timor. In Portuguese Timor, the area around Baucau was an overgrown village. For some time, the city was also known as Vila Salazar. It was named Vila Salazar after the Portuguese dictator, António De Oliveira Salazar. – Timor-Leste Places
18. Jaco Island
Jaco Island is an island that is uninhabited and located in Timor Leste, East Timor. It is located off the easternmost tip of Timor Island and shares a land border with the country of Timor Leste. It is part of the smaller Sunda Islands of Southeast Asia and is part of the Timor Leste archipelago. – Timor-Leste Places
19. Tatamailau
Mount Ramelau also known as the Mountain of the Mother of God, is East Timor’s highest mountain and also the highest mountain on Timor Island. It rises to 2,986 meters or 9,797 feet above sea level. Mount Ramelau is a mountain massif located about 70 km south of Dili, East Timor’s capital, in the Ainaro district. When East Timor became a Portuguese colony in the early twentieth century, it was referred to as the ‘Highest Mountain of Portugal’, as the highest mountains of Portugal proper were of more moderate heights.
The name ‘Tatamaailau’ is of Mambai origin, meaning ‘Grandfather of All’, and ‘Ramelau’ means ‘Mount Ramelau’.The highest feature on the mountain is a three metre statue of the Holy Virgin Mary, which was brought from Italy and erected during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor in 1997. The Virgin Mary is the main attraction of the annual pilgrimage to the mountain, which takes place on 25 March. – Timor-Leste Places
20. Maubisse
Jelem MAUBISSI is a historical town situated in the hills about 70 km south of Dili, Ainaro District. Jelem Maubissi is one of the most visited tourist spots in East Timor and a weekend getaway for people from Dili. It has a population of 6,229 people. – Timor-Leste Places
21. Matebian
Mount Matebian is a mountain in East Timor, Indonesia, commonly referred to as “Mata Bia”, “Maté Bian”, “Gunung Boica”, “Gunung Mata Bia,” “Gunung Matabai”, “Meme Malabia”, “Malobu”, “Gunung Matebeanfeta”, or “Mountain of Souls”. It has a topographic prominence of 2316 m and 2022 m, although it is sometimes listed as 2372 m. – Timor-Leste Places
22. Ira Lalaro
Ira Lalaro is the largest freshwater lake in East Timor. It is located in the Mehara Subdistrict, Tutuala District, Timor Leste Surubec, and Suro Bec. It is the largest lake in Timor Leste and the largest in East Timor as a whole.
Iralalaro is a closed water system, which includes the waters of the lake and the Irasiquera River. The waters of the lake lie within a large polje. The area of the lake ranges from 10 to 55 square kilometers, the area of the polje from 3.9 to 21.2 square kilometers, and the area of the catchment basin ranges from 406 to 157 square kilometers. – Timor-Leste Places
23. Same
The town of Same is located in the same administrative post in the eastern part of Timor-Leste, 81 km from Dili, the country’s capital. It has a population of approximately 7,413 inhabitants and is the seat of the Manufahi municipality district formerly known as the Same district in Portuguese Timor during the Portuguese colonial period.
It was named after the town of Same, which was the capital of the district. The town of Same was named after the former Governor of Portuguese Timor, Filomeno de Câmara De Melo Cabral, during the time of the Portuguese Estado Novo. – Timor-Leste Places
24. Nino Konis Santana National Park
Nino Konis Santana National Park is the first national park in East Timor. The park was inaugurated on 15 August 2007 and covers an area of 1,236 sq km. The park connects important bird breeding sites such as Lore and Mount Paitchau. The park is also connected to the lake Ira Lalaro and Jaco Island. – Timor-Leste Places
25. Suai Administrative Post
Suai administrative post, formerly known as Suai subdistrict, is an administrative post located in the municipality of Cova Lima, Timor Leste, Timor-Leste, East Timor. Suai administrative post is also known as Camenaça administrative post or administrative center. – Timor-Leste Places
