São Luís is the second capital in Brazil with the highest percentage of black people: 71%, behind only Salvador (with about 80% of the population). The evident blackness of the capital of Maranhão was not so explored by tourism, which insisted on showing a whitened narrative of the city. With the growth of interest in Afrotourism, the city began to attract travelers with the appreciation of stories and places of black culture.
Currently, São Luís is at the top of the interests of Afrotravelers who want to travel in the coming months. The city appears in the lead as a dream destination for black people who want to travel, alongside Recife (with 20%), according to a survey commissioned by the diversity consultancy AFAR Ventures. If, at the beginning of the last century, São Luís tried to sell itself as the “Brazilian Athens”, for being the birthplace of poets, the capital of Maranhão is now established as the “Brazilian Jamaica”, for listening to reggae and offering places like Bar do Nelson and Novo Quilombo, where people hear the rhythm of Bob Marley dancing together.
The city is also the stage for the tambor de creole, a joyful dance of African origin, and the tambor de mina, a religion of African origin in which voduns and caboclos are worshipped. There are also the bumba meu boi festivals that peak in the month of June, when there are celebrations of the June festival, in a very unique São João, with the presence of African ancestry. In cuisine, the highlight is the cuxá rice, made with the leaves of the vinegar plant, which has a striking taste and is present in many dishes in the region.
historic center
The historic center of São Luís is a must-visit place, with narratives such as that of Catarina Mina, a woman who was enslaved and who, when freed, bought several properties in the region, today having an alley and a cultural center that bear her name; Maria Aragão, a communist doctor who in the 1960s fought for social causes and against the military dictatorship and is honored with a square and a memorial; and Maria Firmina dos Reis, the first Brazilian novelist who lived in the 19th century and wrote about the evils of enslavement, the writer currently has busts in her honor.
The three black women are part of the stories told by Instituto Da Cor ao Caso, which, in November 2021, launched a tourist itinerary called “Caminho Ancestral”. The tour tells the black stories of the city, as well as an exclusive itinerary about Maria Firmina dos Reis. “It is essential to talk about our ancestry that resists and remains present in everyday life and in the cultural, social and political construction of São Luís, which is a black city. in the capital of Maranhão, but which unfortunately were made invisible by structural racism”, says Anita Machado, director of the institute.
Another character whose history is seen again by tourism is Tibira, an indigenous person who was executed in 1614 with the consent of religious from the Catholic Church on account of his sexual orientation. Tibira has gained a monument that is still little remembered by local guides, but which begins to gain more visibility with the emergence of new itineraries. Among the museums, highlights are the Cafuá das Mercês, the Museu do Negro, which tells stories of local black characters, as well as a replica of the city’s Pelourinho, the Reggae Museum and the Domingos Vieira Filho Popular Culture Center (Casa da Festa ).
Fonte do Ribeirão, on the other hand, is one of those places of strong energy and with a past of pain and hope for the black people, who continue to have their youth gathered in the surroundings. There are also new ventures led by black people such as Cozinha Ancestral, by cook Leila Oliveira, where you can try meals prepared on a wood stove in the backyard of a cozy house. Tebas Café, which hosts events and is part of a coworking, with a social business of an architecture office. On Rua Grande, close to the Central Market, stores selling religious items are concentrated, which is why it is also known as “Rua da Macumba”.
Freedom
The city of São Luís included the debate on Afrotourism in the I Municipal Tourism Seminar, held in November 2021, and is preparing organizations from the Liberdade neighborhood, considered the largest urban quilombo in the Americas, to receive tourists. “African heritages are visible in the tradition, culture, identity, history and gastronomy that are part of São Luís. We understand the importance of Afrotourism for the development of the territory of Liberdade and, also, as a new tourist product for the city “, considers the Secretary of Tourism of São Luís, Saulo Santos.
Liberdade currently has at least 25 points of tourist interest. Most of them are in the surroundings of Rua Thomé de Souza, which houses several terreiros and centers of “oxen”, such as the Floresta and the Boi de Leonardo. The complex has attracted the attention of visitors who want trips beyond the beaches. There are also terreiros such as Yle Ashe Ogum Logbo and Yle Ashe Oba Yzoo.
In the neighboring city, Alcântara, it is possible to see the tambor de creola, the tambor de mina and some quilombola communities. On the other side of the island that is home to São Luís, fishing communities such as Raposa offer navigation with food from the sea. There are also landscapes known as “fronhas” which are lagoons formed in sand dunes, similar, but smaller, than the Lençóis.
So many attractions show that São Luís is more than a passing place, with a pulsating historic center, effervescent cultural life and unique black history and culture such as those of Bairro da Liberdade. It is worth a visit to the island of charms with an Afrocentric look!
