Maranhão · Brazil
Where to stay in São Luís
São Luís is a city in Maranhão, Brazil, home to about 1,038,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- SLZ10 km · Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport
- Currency
- BRLBrazilian real
- Time zone
- America/Sao Paulo
- Language
- Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language
About
About São Luís
São Luís is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Maranhão. The city is located on São Luís Island, in the Baía de São Marcos (Saint Mark's Bay), an extension of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the estuary of Pindaré, Mearim, Itapecuru and other rivers.
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.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in São Luís
See
- São Luís's Historical Center
- Forte Santo Antônio da Barra
- Pescador Monument
- Parque Botânico da Vale
Do
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.
- Ponta d'Areia
- Calhau
- Olho d'Água
- Praia Araçagy
- Praia de São Marcos
- Praia de Carima
- Praia da Guia & Praia BomFim
- Wang Park
- Valparaíso Adventure Park
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of São Luís to stay in
Plenty of options within the Old Town, which is where most visitors wisely choose to stay. If you for some reason prefer a beach, Calhau has many pousadas (no budget options), beach bars and a few restaurants.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in São Luís
10 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Tree Towers São Luis | 6.4 km | |
| Brisamar Hotel & SPA São Luís | 4.4 km | |
| Calhau Praia Hotel | 7.2 km | |
| Costa Atlantico Hotel | 4.8 km | |
| Hotel Luzeiros São Luis | 4.7 km | |
| Ibis Sao Luis | 4.6 km | |
| Litorânea Praia Hotel | 7.1 km | |
| Pousada Tambau | 7.5 km | |
| Profissionalle Hotel São Luís | 3.0 km | |
| Stop Way Hotel | 3.9 km |
When to go
The best time to visit São Luís
São Luís has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; April is the wettest, with about 384 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to São Luís: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (SLZ), about 9.8 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
Bus station some 8 km southeast of the center, close to the airport in Avenida dos Franceses 5073 - right north of the intersection with Rua Tres. Telephone +55 98 3249-2488. The bus Socorrão 2 / Rodoviária(and others) takes you pretty straight to/from the waterfront of Old Town. Taxi R$25 from rodoviaria (fixed price), R$25-30 taximetro from centro (2013). Train three times a week to Parauapebas via Santa Inês, Açailândia, Marabá and others. The train station is in a street named: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce - next to Avenida dos Portugueses - some kilometers south west of the center.
Getting around
São Luís' public transit system is composed by a network of buses. A single ride ticket costs R$ 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.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
SLZ · Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in São Luís
Eat
Local dishes include Peixada(fish) and shrimp pie, and Arroz de cuxá -rice with herbs.
Drink
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.
Stay safe
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.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
São Luís: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit São Luís?
São Luís has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; April is the wettest, with about 384 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to São Luís?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (SLZ), about 9.8 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in São Luís?
Brazilian real (BRL).
Nearby
Destinations near São Luís
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.