Must see attractions in São Luís

Set in the former customs house built right on the river mouth, this informative and colorful museum is dedicated to Maranhense culture and features a…

At the eclectic and fascinating Casa do Nhôzinho, you can see a collection of ingenious fish traps, rooms featuring Maranhão indigenous artisanry, and…

A small, bright museum covering the history of reggae music in Maranhão. In addition to displays dedicated to the local artists and promoters who bought…

The Palácio dos Leões is the state governor’s palace, built in the 18th century on the site of the original French fort. It still houses state government…

An impressive 19th-century mansion housing four fascinating floors of exhibits on São Luís’ festivals – Carnaval, Bumba Meu Boi and Divino Espírito Santo …

This 19th-century market building now trades in an interesting variety of typical Maranhão crafts and foods, from dried prawns and Brazil nuts to an…

This hip new cultural center in a stylishly renovated colonial mansion in the heart of the historical center features rotating exhibitions of high-quality…

In this building that once housed a slave market (notice the absence of windows), the Museu do Negro exhibits relics of slavery, including a replica…

In a restored 1836 mansion, the Museu Histórico e Artístico is set out as it might have been in days of yore, displaying all the furnishings, valuables…

São Luís's grand neoclassical theater was constructed in 1817 by two homesick Portuguese merchants who missed the dramatic spectacles of Lisbon. It's the…

Contains interesting exhibits of artifacts – from ancient ax heads to contemporary feather adornments – from Maranhão's indigenous cultures past and…

There’s a fine collection of old azulejos (decorative ceramic tiles), engravings, sculptures and paintings at the Visual Arts Museum, which has been…

São Luís' 17th-century cathedral looks along Av Dom Pedro II from its top end. Inside are ceiling frescoes decorated with babaçu (palm) motifs and a fine…

The Palácio de la Ravardière dates back to 1689 and is now the Prefeitura (City Hall). A bust of São Luís’ French founder, Daniel de la Touche, stands…