Remarkable Features
Although born French and somewhat proud of it, São Luís has little evidence of the presence of its founders, except for street names and a few monuments - such as the beautiful Palácio La Ravardière - and a certain culinary delicacy. The main features of the city have been inherited from the Portuguese: The amazing glazed tile houses and the innumerable surnames of Portuguese origin, among other influences.

In 1997 São Luís was granted the title of Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO, a tribute to the preservation of its magnificent and homogeneous 18th and 19th century colonial architectural setting in Latin America. There are more than 3,500 buildings of precious historical and artistic value, reflecting the way of living of the rich families in town.

São Luís is bathed by the warm waters in the bay of São Marcos and the Atlantic Ocean, and is constantly bathed in sunlight.

Main Attractions
The city's infrastructure also provides all the conditions for business development, including exports: two ports of large gauge ships (one of them is the 2nd largest in the world), plenty of power supply, railroads and highways, large urban and periphery building free areas, incentives and other attraction factors.

Service network is ample and meets the most diverse requirements of inhabitants and visitors. The city has four large shopping centers (in addition to smaller ones), a good number of hotels, from charming inns to greater hotels, restaurants from varied specialties, from typical to exotic, as well as international cuisine. A modern and large convention center is coming soon.

The island is 905 km² and boasts 15 beaches such as Ponta d'Areia, São Marcos, Calhau, Olho d'Água, Araçagi and, west of São Luís, the Praia da Guia - the only one with a view of the city's mansions.

There is a lot to do in São Luís. A good start could be to walk through the Historic Center which is, on could say, obligatory, There is lots to see among the stone streets, alleyways and staircases: tiled mansions, viewpoints, portals, terraces, churches, fountains and monuments. If the visitor prefers nature you only have to remember that you are on an island surrounded by beautiful beaches,

Ponta d'Areia, Calhau, Olho d'Água and Araçagi are some of the options. Dining well is another excellent request in the center of São Luís where you can try out almost everything the exotic maranhense gastronomy offers. Cuxá rice, fish dishes, shrimp pies, regional fruits and sweets and much more. For those who can't go without partying June is the best month by far in the capital. Square dancing and bumba-meu-boi time, negro drums and the country festivities. This is when the festivals in honor of Saint Anthony, Saint John, Saint Peter Saint Marçal occur, and São Luís becomes one big, happy place.

Maranhão also has the riches of Tambor de Mina, Dança de São Gonçalo, Festa dos Cachorros and other examples of popular culture throughout the year, such as June festivals and Carnival. When they finish celebrating he New Year at the beach, with shows, rockets and flowers to Iemanjá, the Carnival bands are already out on the streets. In June, warming "arraiais" (country festivals) fill the City's districts, where more than a hundred groups of "bumba-meu-boi", as well as "quadrilhas" (square dancing), "dança do coco" (the coconut dance), "cacuriá", among others, perform.

Alongside the manifestations of popular culture São Luís also dances and has fun to beat of the reggae roots. The Jamaican rhythm arrived on the island on the short-wave radio (coming from the Caribbean), and really turned the heads of the Maranhenses.

Gastronomy
Fish with vinegar sauce - Fish and sea food are the base of the Maranhão dishes. Prepared in the form of stews, soups and pies the fish, such as snook and yellow fish are generally accompanied by cuxá made from dried shrimp, manioc flour, toasted sesame seed and vinegar, a slightly bitter herb. The cuxá may also be served with rice in the traditional rice-with-cuxá which does not include manioc flour. Desserts based on regional fruit creams like cupuaçu and bacuri.

Jesus Guaraná - Created in 1920 by the pharmacist Jesus Norberto Gomes (in the back garden of his home, to please his grandchildren), the drink is a success in the State. Pink in color, with a cinnamon aroma and very sweet, the formula is a secret closely guarded by the inventor's family. The legend says there are 17 ingredients, including several Amazon herbs. The characteristic color comes from the tree bark extracts. The Jesus Guaraná slogan has been the same for decades: "the pink dream". Where to drink it: in the bars and restaurants across the State.