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São Luís is the capital of Maranhão in northeastern Brazil, set on an island between the bays of São Marcos and São José, famous for its UNESCO-listed historic centre of tiled colonial mansions, the Bumba Meu Boi festival and as the gateway to the dunes and lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses.
Founded by the French in 1612, taken by the Portuguese in 1615 and held by the Dutch from 1641 to 1644, São Luís is the only Brazilian state capital founded by France. The cotton boom of the late 18th century brought great wealth, and so many of its mansions are faced in Portuguese azulejos that it is known as the city of tiles.
Visitors wander the cobbled streets of Praia Grande and Rua Portugal, tour Palácio dos Leões, and catch a show at the historic Teatro Arthur Azevedo. In June and July the city comes alive with Bumba Meu Boi. Boats cross the bay to Alcântara, and the white dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses are a few hours away by road.
The Historic Centre of São Luís has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 and covers about 220 hectares, with some 4,000 listed colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of its mansions are faced with Portuguese azulejo tiles, which protect walls from the humid climate.
Rua Portugal is a street in the Praia Grande quarter of the historic centre of São Luís, where tiled colonial mansions line the cobbles. The Museu de Artes Visuais opened here in 1989 behind a facade of 19th-century azulejos, and the old Mercado das Tulhas market has an entrance on the street.
Palácio dos Leões is the seat of the government of Maranhão, set on the promontory above the bay where the French founded São Luís in 1612. The governors' residence was begun here in 1626, rebuilt many times and fully restored in 2003, and two bronze heraldic sculptures flank its entrance.
São Luís Cathedral, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Victory, stands on Praça Pedro II in the historic centre of São Luís. Built by the Jesuits and opened in 1699, it became the cathedral in the 1760s and gained its two towers in the early 20th century. Its gilded baroque high altar is the highlight.
Teatro Arthur Azevedo in the historic centre of São Luís opened in 1817 and is the second-oldest theatre in Brazil. Built in neoclassical style during the cotton boom and later named after the Maranhão playwright Arthur Azevedo, it was rebuilt to its original design from 1989 and seats about 750.
Fonte do Ribeirão is a fountain in the historic centre of São Luís, set in a small square where three old streets meet. Built in 1796 to supply the city with water, it has five carved stone spouts, a statue of Neptune on top and windows into tunnels said in legend to hide a giant serpent.
Convento das Mercês is a former convent of the Mercedarian friars in the historic centre of São Luís, begun in 1654 and one of the oldest examples of colonial architecture in Maranhão. Restored between 1987 and 1990, it now houses a museum, a library of rare books and some 4,000 works of art.
Casa do Maranhão is a folk culture museum in the historic centre of São Luís, opened in 2002 in the old Customs House of 1873. Its costumes and panels tell the story of Bumba Meu Boi, Tambor de Crioula, the Festa do Divino and reggae, with displays on legends, tiles, boats and food.
Calhau Beach is one of the best-known beaches of São Luís, in the newer part of the city on the Atlantic shore of the island. The tides here can exceed seven metres, so the wide sands change greatly through the day, though local surveys have found the water unfit for swimming.
Ponta d'Areia Beach is a 2.5 km beach in São Luís, about 4 km from the city centre near the mouth of the Anil River, facing São Marcos Bay. Lined with bars and reggae clubs, it is busy at weekends, and its long coastal breakwater has become a popular place for a stroll.
Alcântara is a colonial town across São Marcos Bay from São Luís, reached by boat from the Praia Grande quay in about 1 hour 20 minutes. Once home to Maranhão's cotton elite, it was listed as national heritage in 1948 and keeps old churches, mansions and ruins such as the Matriz of São Matias.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park on the northeast coast of Maranhão protects about 90,000 hectares of white dunes behind a 72 km beach. After the rains, freshwater lagoons fill the hollows between the dunes. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2024, it is often visited from Barreirinhas.
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