Attractions and Places to visit São Luís

The highlight of the city is the Historical Centre, with over 3,500 colonial buildings from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This part of the city contains many structures built using Portuguese tiles, giving São Luís the name ‘City of Tiles’.

On Praça Dom Pedro II (public square) are the Archbishop’s Palace and the Jesuit Cathedral, both important monuments of the city. A short distance away, on Avenida Dom Pedro II, is a market with local arts and crafts. On the same street is Palácio dos Leões (Palace of the Lions), now a state art gallery.

The liveliest time in São Luís is from May to June, with local festivals such as Bumba-Meu-Boi, a folk dance; Divino Espírito Santo, a religious procession; and others like Tambor de Criuola and Tambor de Mina. São Luís is also known as the ‘Capital of Reggae’, with many clubs and bars playing this popular music.

Try sailing in a ‘catamaran’ on the rivers Anil and Bacanga, which flow through the town.