After a string of recent World Heritage Site visits that were dominated by rainforest sites, I was feeling ready for a change of style. So, I distinctly anticipated my arrival in São Luis, the capital of Maranhão State, in Brazil, whose historic district was listed because it is said to consist of the best example of Colonial Portuguese architecture in the Americas. The List now contains many colonial city centers in Latin America, and I have seen a significant fraction of them by this point in time. In such circumstances there is always a risk of adopting a seen one, seen them all attitude, but each place invariably has some subtle differences from the others, and all are usually pleasant and fun places to visit. São Luis proved to be a good example of that.

In this case, I made a very good decision to stay in one of the few accommodations that is located within the historic center, and, by extension, right in the core zone of the WHS. Therefore, I could count my Site visit within moments of my arrival. The Pousada Portas da Amazona met expectations for a Colonial building, with a few squeaky floor boards, and slightly crooked staircases, but was also surprisingly affordable. My proximity to the interesting sites was a nice bonus and allowed me to see those sights, while also getting some rest, which I definitely needed.

In São Luis, most of the important sights consist of traditional Portuguese-style buildings clad in azulejos, decorative ceramic tiles that are common in Portugal, but not often seen in the New World. Wandering along the stone streets of the zone to appreciate them was made much easier because a reasonable number of those streets have only limited motor access, or, better yet, are closed off entirely. This obvious choice could have made a big improvement in the experience of visiting the other historic cities I have seen on this Tour, had a similar policy been in place in those locations. It certainly increased my level of enjoyment of this Site, and seemed to do the same for the city’s residents, who gathered in the streets nightly to socialize, enjoy live music, and sample the fares of numerous food vendors.

Though São Luis is not a spectacular WHS, relative to some others, I enjoyed my visit, and stayed for longer than I intended, in part because at the time I needed a more relaxed visit, but also because a sightseeing tour to a nearby park I had wanted to take was canceled due to a lack of customers, giving me an extra day in town.

Here are some examples of azulejos tiles from buildings in São Luis.