Historic Centre of São Luís (Praia Grande)
Centro Histórico de São Luís (Praia Grande)
A World Heritage old town with roughly 3,500 colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, their facades covered in Portuguese tiles. It is known as the “City of Tiles.”
The Historic Centre of São Luís was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1997 and is one of the best-preserved Portuguese colonial urban areas in Latin America. Around Praia Grande, old merchant warehouses and houses with wrought-iron balconies and lookout towers (mirantes) are found in clusters. Their facades are covered in blue, white, yellow and green Portuguese tiles, which were used to insulate against heat and damp. The old town has many slopes and is well suited to a half-day or full-day walk, linking tiled streets, museums, churches and squares. Some buildings are dilapidated, so take care at night and avoid quiet alleys.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Casa das Tulhas (Feira da Praia Grande)
- Museu do Reggae
- Museu de Artes Visuais
- Rua Portugal (Projeto Reviver)
- Casa do Tambor de Crioula
- Casa de Nhozinho
- Centro de Cultura Popular Domingos Vieira Filho
- Cathedral of São Luís