In no other Brazilian City did the Portuguese make so much to use to their tile-producing art. Besides decorative, the tiles protected mansions walls from the salty sea winds and heavy rain. Tiles f all kinds, featuring rich color and drawing patterns, gave Sao Luis the title of “The Tile city”.

The Praia Grande neighborhood - the old provincial commercial area - is an astonishing sample of the opulence of past centuries. On Portugal street, you’ll be delighted with the old, tile walled mansions and the narrow streets, alleys and hills paved with cantaria stones, which the Portuguese used as ballast in their vessels.  Sao Luis presently preserves its colonial architecture and history in harmony with a modern, 20th century urban landscape. Its beautiful beaches, happy nightlife and delicious cuisine based in seafood, as well as the unique local culture, are definitely a must-see.



Lençois Park

A huge desert on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, countless dunes and crystal clear lagoons. Paradise does exist, and it is called Lençois Marahenses National Park.

The landscape is unbelievable. Pre-Amazonic forest meets enormous dunes that move and change shape at the winds’ will. Thousand of lakes appearas a result of the rains in the beginning of the year (here we have300 times more rain than the Sahara). The lagoons are sometimes many kilometers long and five meters deep, given the golden, sandy landscape a special color pattern.

The best gateway to the Lençois is the nice town of Barreirinhas, 371 km far from Sao Luis. From Barreirinhas to the dunes, navigating along the Preguiças River gives you an idea of the adventure ahead, as you will see fishermen communities and natural beauties that have remained untouched for centuries.



Alcantara

The magic of Alcantara is only one hour by boat away from Sao Luis, on the other side of Sao Marcos Bay. It is a unique place. In Alcantara, mansions and ruins remain a memory of the time in winch the city was one of the richest in the Empire. Nowadays, the future is just a few kilometers away, in a modern, spatial base.

As you will get off the boat and go up to the Jacare Hill, you will find the Main Square (Praça Da Matriz) with a breathtaking view of the ruins of Sao Matias Church, a portrait of a time when the local rural aristocracy. The calm city becomes festive and hectic during the celebrations of the Divino (The Holy Ghost, in May) and Sao Benedito (in August), as a great number of people come from Sao Luis and other nearby towns.

Celebrated since colonial times, the Divino Festival encapsulates devotion to the Holy Ghost and homage to the Empire.