Liquiçá

Why visit?

To the west of Dili, Liquiçá is renowned for beautiful beaches, great snorkelling & diving, and historic Dutch and Portuguese colonial buildings in Aipelo, Liquiçá, and Maubara. All the main sights can be visited in a day from Dili, but there are a number of attractive beach resorts in Liquiçá which would warrant spending longer here. For more information on the history of Liquiçá an excellent book Arquitectural Patrimony of Portuguese Origins of Liquiçá was published by the Secretary of State for Arts and Culture in Timor-Leste in 2014, and can be read for free online.

Top three experiences

Exploring the historic remains of Aipelo Prison and Maubara Fort
Enjoying the reflections, birdlife and tranquillity of Lake Maubara
Relaxing at one of the beachside resorts in Liquiçá

Top places to stay

Lauhata Beach Escape, Liquiçá (+670 7740 1111)
Alma Do Mar Resort, Liquiçá (+670 7351 3343)

Top places to eat and drink

Geecko Kafe, Railaco (+670 383 0022)
Lauhata Beach Escape, Liquiçá (+670 7740 1111)
Uma Knua, Liquiçá
Tia Janer Restaurant, Maubara Fort (+670 7842 2467)

Sights

Aipelo Prison – Built by the Portuguese in 1889 (and expanded in 1914), Aipelo Prison was used to house criminal and political prisoners from across the Portuguese colonial empire, including from as far away as Macau, and was in operation until 1939. It was the site of torture and common mistreatment of prisoners, including mixing broken glass with inmates’ food. Appropriately Aipelo means ‘bitter water’, referring to the abuses that took place here. During WW2 the site was used as a command centre by the Japanese, before it fell into disrepair. In 2012 the site was restored and information panels (a rarity in Timor-Leste!) were installed. The planned museum, shop and restaurant have yet to be built, and the front gate appears locked most of the time, but the site can still be easily accessed and explored.

Liquiçá town– Liquiçá is the largest town in the municipality, home to around 5,000 people, and many historic buildings in various states of disrepair. The town was heavily damaged by the Indonesians when they left in 1999, and was the site of one of the most notorious events of that period. On 6 April 1999 up to 200 Timorese were massacred by Indonesian militia as they sheltered in a priest’s house next to the Church São João de Brito. The bodies of many of the victims were disposed of in Lake Maubara. The church has since been restored, with a bell tower added in 2016, and opposite is the well maintained Parque de Liquiçá, home to an Uma Lulik (traditional Timorese sacred house) and various monuments and statues. The attractive former residence of the colonial administrator of Liquiçá is across the road from the park, and was restored in 2023. At the eastern end of town is a memorial to a hero of the Timorese independence movement, with blue tiled steps leading up to a painted bust. There are a number of beachfront restaurants and hotels, from which you may see dolphins swim by in the morning, or around dusk.

Seroja Military Cemetery Liquiçá – Approximately 2km to the east of Liquiçá town is the coastal Seroja Military Cemetery Liquiçá, home to a red and white monument to Indonesian soldiers and Timorese sympathisers who died during the occupation. Since 2019, 99 tombs have been relocated from this cemetery to the Indonesian Military Cemetery in Dili (opposite the Santa Cruz Cemetery) as part of a programme to rationalise the number of Indonesian cemeteries from 15 to 2 (in Dili and Baucau) to allow better preservation and maintenance.

Maubara – About 50km west of Dili, Maubara has plenty of interest to explore. It is best known for the Dutch Fort built in 1756, which was swapped with the Portuguese for the island of Flores in 1859. The impressive walls and a couple of cannons remain, and inside are huge trees and a late 20^th century building home to a small local restaurant and handicrafts store run by a local women’s collective. Opposite the main entrance can be found more wonderful handicrafts.

Close by is Maubara Church, built between 1887 and 1897 in neoclassical style. Maubara Cemetery is a little further along the road. A short drive (requiring a 4WD or motorbike) inland is Pousada de Maubara, a 19^th century Portuguese fortified structure, turned impressive house. It is currently being restored by the Maubara Mos Bele Association to turn it into a hotel. There is little beyond Maubara until you reach Atabae in Bobonaro, other than a scenic coastal road.

Lake Maubara – To the east of the town, this beautiful lake is well worth stopping at, to enjoy the tranquillity and reflections. Covering up to 8 hectare during the wet season, it is home to thousands of birds including Australian Pelicans, and the occasional crocodile! The lake and surrounding area have been identified as an Important Bird Area.

To the immediate east of the lake is the Jeju Timor-Leste Friendship Forest. This initiative was started in 2017 to help combat climate change and develop eco-tourism, supported by the Jeju Special Self Governing Province of Korea, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Timorese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. One of the outcomes was the development of biomass fuel for cooking stoves. They planted a lot of trees in 2018 and 2019 and developed an attractive resort, with many well crafted huts. Unfortunately it appears that the resort was never operational, and as of 2024 the site is fenced up and seemingly abandoned.

Sea turtle project at Kaitehu – The local community at Kaitehu protect and hatch sea turtles at Kasait, by Ulmera in Liquiçá. The centre can be visited and if you’re lucky you may get a tour and chance to see the turtles. Check their Facebook page for details of the next release, but note that it may be different to your expectations. There tends to be a scrum of adults and children ‘helping’ the young turtles reach the sea. Releases usually happen from 5pm one Saturday a month and are free to attend. Kasait is only 30 minutes west of Dili but public transport is a challenge, so either take your own transport or organise through a local operator.

Tibar Bay Port – The largest infrastructure project in Timor-Leste’s history opened in September 2022, replacing Dili Port as the main port for the country. It was the country’s first public-private partnership, with Bolloré Group gaining a 30 year concession to build and operate the container port. The view of the bright red cranes is particularly impressive when approaching the port from Liquiçá.

Tibar Mangroves – Nationally significant mangroves underneath impressively large trees. The site was established by Tibar Bay Port in 2022, and handed over to the local community in 2024. There are extensive boardwalks, allowing easy exploration of the whole mangrove area. Off the boardwalk to the left of the entrance can be seen a natural spring at low tide, which is the best time to visit to see various creatures living in the mud. There are decent toilets on-site. Entry is 50c for children aged 12 and under, and $1 for adults. The site is open daily 9-7. The mangroves in Hera are also worth visiting for a contrast. Tibar is a larger site but Hera has more established mangroves, and monkeys!

Bazartete – A small village about 30-40 minutes drive inland from Aipelo is home to a number to a sizeable a church and shrine, and an attractive waterfall. The road is sealed but narrow and winding, and locals have built a couple of lookouts with impressive views. The road from Bazartete to Liquiçá town was under construction in late 2024 and nearly impassable.

Beaches – Liquiçá has many lovely beaches. In order of distance from Dili some of the better known ones are Ulmera Beach (which has beach huts), Sandy Bottom (good snorkelling and diving opposite the Star Concrete factory, with an unexpectedly large number of public toilets in red shipping containers), Ai Pelo Beach (by the historic prison), Liquiçá Beach (by Liquiçá town), and Maubara Beach (opposite the historic fort). All are free of crocodiles.

Snorkelling & diving

Known sites for snorkelling include Sandy Bottom across from the Star Concrete factory, Bubble Beach before the entrance to Liquiçá town (by Seroja Military Cemetery Liquiçá), and Maubara Beach opposite the church and fort. All of these sites can also be dived, with plenty to see the deeper you go. These are all shore dives.

Getting there

Liquiçá is one of the easier places to get to in Timor-Leste, from Dili buses regularly leave from the Tasi Tolu bus station, on the #10 microlet route. To travel up the road to Ponta Acoilo through Tibar take a tom-tom (basically an electric tuk-tuk) which cost a fixed fee of 50c, tap the metal bars to get off, like a microlet.

Getting around

As usual in Timor-Leste it is easiest to have your own transport. The road is generally in good condition and suitable for 2WD vehicles and scooters. You could use local buses to travel between the three main historic sights (Aipelo, Liquiçá, and Maubara), but it will take some time.