São Luís is the capital of the Brazilian state of Maranhão. It's known for its colonial Historical Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a common stopover for visiting the stunning Lençóis Maranhenses.
São Luís's people, history and culture is marked by a distinctive fusion of Portuguese, indigenous Brazilian and African elements, such as its highly popular local version of the Bumba meu boi festival, happening yearly in June and July. The reggae music from the Caribbean is also immensely popular in São Luís, often referred to as the "Brazilian Jamaica". São Luís was founded by the French invaders in 1612, and taken over by the Portuguese in 1615. It was subsequently conquered by Dutch invaders in 1641, and finally, retaken over for good by the Portuguese in 1644.
São Luís' public transit system is composed by a network of buses. A single ride ticket costs R$ 2.70 and a multiple ride ticket costs R$ 3.10 (2018). Multiple rides use bus interchange stations called Terminals or a Bilhete Único smartcard and have theoretically to be done on the same direction to qualify for transfer free of charge. The main bus interchange is located in the west of the Historical Center, at Av. Sen. Vitórino Freire.
1 São Luís's Historical Center. The city's main attraction. Founded in 1612 by the French, it has been gradually expanded until the 20th century, incorporating mostly Portuguese architecture adapted to the local climate. The azulejo titles, with insulating properties, are an example of adaption to tropical climate. The place is a testimony to the city's past wealth as the home of the cotton aristocrats, although many buildings are in sorrow shape. (updated Oct 2020) Igreja da Sé - Av. Pedro II - Centro. Palácio dos Leões (Lions Palace - seat of the Governor) - Av.
São Luís' urban beaches do not match the beauty of those found in other Northeastern capital cities, such as Maceió or Natal, neither are known for their cleanness. However, they are a still a nice place to experience Brazilian urban beach life. The city's beaches suffer from an enormous tidal variation - the sea reportedly recedes close to 1 km on some spots at low tide, and at high tide there is no dry sand left 1 Ponta d'Areia, R. do Forte s/n. São Luís' western-most and most popular beach with a pier extending out into the bay, not far from the city center, but also probably the most polluted and sometimes overcrowded. There are several restaurants and reggae bars around the beach.
Local dishes include Peixada(fish) and shrimp pie, and Arroz de cuxá -rice with herbs. In Old Town: La Pizzeria. Real Italian style, probably the best in the state Pizza for 2 R$17-29. Bar e Restaurante Marlon, R. João Vital, 119 - Old Town. Serves late lunch. Set meals R$5-10. Dom Francisco, Old Town. Lunch R$20 per kilo, dinner à la carte.
Maranhão has its own version of the guaraná soft drink, called Jesus (nothing religious, it was the inventor´s name). It is pink and rather sweeter than the others. Many small bars around Old Town, but quite dead on Sundays, when most action goes along the beaches. Another area is along the Lagoa da Jansen, near the beach Ponta d'Areia. A third is on the beach of Calhau. Night buses go past these areas every half hour on weekends. Kabão (on the seafront 2 km west of old town). Big open air Bar do Porto. Reggae spot by the boat terminal Bar do Nelson (near the end of Avenida Litorânea, Calhau). Weekends. Bar come club, mostly reggae, some live. Drinking on the street outside.
São Luís is safe enough by Brazilian standards, although roaming the empty streets of the Historical Center at night should be avoided. As with anywhere else in South America, not displaying expensive possessions (such as professional cameras, smartphones and stacks of cash) avoids trouble.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €46 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Sep, São Luis typically sees ~32°C daytime highs and 8 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-09-08. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy