Walking through the streets of Sao Luis Historical Centre is like experiencing literarious and religious sceneries. Taste the local cuisine and see how Maranhão welcomes its visitors. The city is an island that enchants for its beauty, legends and history. Surrounded by warm water beaches all year, São Luis, City Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2007, offers visitors centuries-old streets with colonial buildings and tiles.
Itinerary: Departure from the hotel, past the Calhau beach, San Marcos, Ponta Dareia and Jansen Lagoon, to the Historical Centre, walk through the cobbled streets of hewn stone. On the tour you will visit the main points of the city, places that keeps evidence of the history of São Luis:
Pedro II Square: also known as Largo do Palacio and stands out for being the starting point of the city. It was there that the French built a fort, which eventually became the Palace of the Lions (seat of the state government). In addition, they built works that left a rich architectural ensemble for the city.
Other important constructions of the place are the City Hall Building, the Episcopal Palace, founded by the Jesuits in the 17th century, the Se Catedral and small townhouses. Finally, the place also houses a light source installed in front of the Cathedral and a bronze sculpture of Mãe DAgua, by Newton Sa.
Benedito Leite Square: After undergoing a recent renovation, Praça Benedito Leite is ready to receive tourists, with a new floor, renovation of the pavement and bandstand, new lighting, the recovery of the statue of Benedito Leite and the entire infrastructure of the place, besides the planting of Pau-Brasil (brazilwood), oiti and ipês.
City centre: Pass by many historical streets such as Rua do Giz, Rua da Estrela, Rua Portugal and get to know curiosities and many other stories.
Catarina Mina Alley: The staircase of 35 wide steps in limestone stones, dating from the 18th century, was named in honour of a beautiful slave who, from the hard work and “favours” given to Portuguese colonels, bought her own manumission.
Tulhas House: Built in the mid-18th century to function as a kind of granary, Casa das Tulhas is one of the main markets for the purchase of products from Maranhão in the city of São Luís.
