Resistance Museum

The oldest church in Timor-Leste. Originally from around 1800, the current building dates to 1955. The church played an important role in the independence struggle. In 1991, when independence activists demonstrated against the Indonesian occupation, they were offered protection in the church. At night, the Indonesians stormed the church and shot activist Sebastião Gomes. After his memorial service, a demonstration started in front of the church which ended in the Santa Cruz massacre, in which at least 271 people were killed by Indonesian security forces.

Set in a prison used during Portuguese and Indonesian times, you can visit the dark cells in which prisoners were held. There's also an exhibition on the struggle for independence and the persecution of Timorese people during the Indonesian occupation.

Site of the Santa Cruz massacre on 12 November 1991 when at least 250 Timorese were murdered after a funeral procession for activist Sebastião Gomes, who was shot in Motael Church. You can see the graves of Sebastião Gomes, as well as of British cameraman Max Stahl who had filmed the massacre and later requested to be buried here.

A memorial to Sparrow Force, an Australian unit that fought the Japanese in Timor for several years, plus an exhibition on the unit and on the Timorese experience of the war. Good views over Dili and a café open on weekends.

The statue of Jesus that stands on a headland to the east of Dili. Rumour has it that, when the mainly Muslim Indonesians built the statue as a gift to the mainly Christian Timorese, they designed it so that Jesus would be facing towards Jakarta. The statue is about 20 metres tall and stands on a globe of earth. The route from Dili along the beach and up the steps to the Jesus statue is popular with exercising internationals and local fishermen, and passes several niches representing the stations of the cross. The view from the statue across the bay to Dili should be spectacular, but is mostly blocked by trees.

Aka Backside Beach. The beach directly behind the Jesus statue, it's a scenic, inverted c-shaped coastline with near-transparent waters much better than the one at Areia Branca. If driving, head east towards Baucau on the road that crosses the ridge near Ramos-Horta's house and look for the turnoff on the left. Otherwise, you walk up the steps towards Cristo Rei and then, halfway up, go down other steps to the beach.