Sao Luis’s spectacular buildings!

Solar Sao Luis
Two buildings in Sao Luis will make your eyes shine with wonder; one is the largest building with Portuguese Tiles in Brazil, the other, the façade of Mercês Convent.

Teatro Arthur de Azevedo
This theatre, founded in 1817, and the second oldest theatre in Brazil, is situated in the same street as the Museu Histórico e Artístico do Maranhão. Because of the proximity of the two centres, the Theatre was drawn into the magic world of the “bumba-meu-boi” (a traditional folk dance).

Do visit Maranhao’s Handicraft Centre-“Centro de Comercialização de Produtos Artesanais do Maranhão – CEPRAMA.
This Centre houses the best of the rich artwork of Maranhão State. Bags and rugs made from Murity Palm fibre, a common tree within the region, table cloths with lace finishing, and masks are just some of the products on sale.

Just listen to those bells!
The sounds of the city! Occasionally, the ring of the bells chiming in the city churches, Remédios, Desterro, Sé, Carmo, Santo Antonio, São João, Sao Pantaleão and São José do Ribamar, blend with each other, creating almost a drum beat rythm. Another sound, which can really blow your mind, is the Jamaican Reggae music which blasts from enormous loud speakers, and quite possibly reaches the Caribbean!

Do try this superb food!
Maranhão is not only famous for its architecture, but also its culinary skills, as celebrated in the prose of Odilio Costa Filho and in the verse of Arthur de Azevedo. In Sao Luis, enjoy the Prawn Pie with Cuxa (Myrtle) flavoured rice, the Peixe-Pedra (Stone Fish) or the beef stew. For desert, try a preserve of Murici (Barbados Cherry) accompanied by a Jussara juice, Jussara being the local name for Açai (Açaizeiro).