Cities / South America / Brazil / São Luís

Best walking routes in São Luís

10 routes ranked on sights, efficiency, hills & length — real foot distance and elevation.

4.4 scoreHills 1/104.4 kmBest Aug–Oct
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Ranked routes

Same score for every walk. Click a card to expand details on the map.

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#1
Viewpoint

One Hour in São Luís: A Short Walk

1 hour

6 stops2.1 km1 h 10 min

2.1 kmdistance1 h 10 minwith stops6stops+20 mgain
4.3 sights7.4 efficiency0.3 hills9.5 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 30 min+ up to 2 h 5 min insides+20 m climb along route
  1. Palace of the LionsUNESCO
  2. Mercado das Tulhas
  3. Catedral de São LuísUNESCO
  4. Teatro Arthur Azevedo
  5. Museu Histórico e Artístico do Maranhão
  6. Tambor de Mina
4–28 m

Photo: ViewpointMTur DestinosPublic domain

5.5/10
#2
Viewpoint

Self-Guided Walking Tour of São Luís

Walking tour

11 stops5.1 km2 h 15 min

5.1 kmdistance2 h 15 minwith stops11stops+51 mgain
3.0 sights7.7 efficiency0.9 hills8.6 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 10 min+ up to 2 h 25 min insides+51 m climb along route
  1. Praça Gonçalves Dias
  2. Museu Histórico e Artístico do Maranhão
  3. Ribeirão Fountain
  4. Teatro Arthur Azevedo
  5. Praça João Lisboa
  6. Palace of the LionsUNESCO
  7. Mercado das Tulhas
  8. Convent of Mercy
  9. Pedras Fountain
  10. Tambor de Mina
  11. Casa das Minas
4–33 m

Photo: ViewpointPrburleyCC BY 4.0

4.8/10
#3
Viewpoint

Old Town of São Luís in 2 Hours

Old town

8 stops4.6 km1 h 50 min

4.6 kmdistance1 h 50 minwith stops8stops+33 mgain
3.6 sights7.1 efficiency0.6 hills7.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h+ up to 1 h 45 min insides+33 m climb along route
  1. Praça Gonçalves Dias
  2. Ribeirão Fountain
  3. Teatro Arthur Azevedo
  4. Praça João Lisboa
  5. Catedral de São LuísUNESCO
  6. Palace of the LionsUNESCO
  7. Convent of Mercy
  8. Casa das Minas
4–27 m

Photo: ViewpointPrburleyCC BY 4.0

4.7/10
#4
Viewpoint

São Luís Old Town Walking Tour

Old town

11 stops4.6 km2 h 10 min

4.6 kmdistance2 h 10 minwith stops11stops+44 mgain
3.0 sights7.4 efficiency0.7 hills7.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h+ up to 2 h 50 min insides+44 m climb along route
  1. Praça Gonçalves Dias
  2. Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
  3. Ribeirão Fountain
  4. Teatro Arthur Azevedo
  5. Praça João Lisboa
  6. Catedral de São LuísUNESCO
  7. Fort Sao Luis
  8. Palace of the LionsUNESCO
  9. Convent of Mercy
  10. Church of Saint Joseph of the Exile
  11. Casa das Minas
4–25 m

Photo: ViewpointMarcus SoaresCC BY-SA 3.0

4.5/10
#5
Viewpoint

Churches & Cathedrals of São Luís Walk

Churches

8 stops4.1 km1 h 55 min

4.1 kmdistance1 h 55 minwith stops8stops+32 mgain
2.2 sights8.3 efficiency0.5 hills8.3 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 55 min+ up to 1 h 20 min insides+32 m climb along route
  1. Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
  2. Igreja de São João Batista
  3. Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
  4. Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
  5. Catedral de São LuísUNESCO
  6. Convent of Mercy
  7. Church of Saint Joseph of the Exile
  8. Casa das Minas
4–31 m

Photo: Viewpointclecio muller frança lealCC BY-SA 4.0

4.5/10
#6
Viewpoint

São Luís in One Day: Walking Itinerary

One day

25 stops7.1 km4 h

Inside visits push a full day to ~5 h 5 min.

Inside: Palace of the Lions (~45 min) + Catedral de São Luís (~20 min). Estimates only.

7.1 kmdistance4 hwith stops25stops~5 h 5 minfull day+57 mgain
2.4 sights7.8 efficiency1.0 hills7.1 length
Open in Google Maps 1/4 ↗Open in Google Maps 2/4 ↗Open in Google Maps 3/4 ↗Open in Google Maps 4/4 ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 35 min+ up to 7 h 15 min insides+57 m climb along route
  1. Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
  2. Praça Gonçalves Dias
  3. Casa de Cultura Josué Montello
  4. Igreja de São João Batista
  5. Museu Histórico e Artístico do Maranhão
  6. Ribeirão Fountain
  7. Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
  8. Palace of the LionsUNESCO (inside ~45 min)
  9. Fort Sao Luis
  10. Maranhão House
  11. Museu Casa de Nhozinho
  12. São Luís's Historical Center
  13. Mercado das Tulhas
  14. Praça Benedito Leite
  15. Sacred Art Museum of Maranhão
  16. Palácio de la Ravardière
  17. Catedral de São LuísUNESCO (inside ~20 min)
  18. Praça João Lisboa
  19. Teatro Arthur Azevedo
  20. Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
  21. Convent of Mercy
  22. Church of Saint Joseph of the Exile
  23. Pedras Fountain
  24. Tambor de Mina
  25. Casa das Minas
4–33 m

Photo: ViewpointLéo Brégula from Campinas, BrasilCC BY 2.0

4.3/10
#7
Viewpoint

São Luís Museum Walk

Museums

5 stops1.8 km50 min

1.8 kmdistance50 minwith stops5stops+25 mgain
2.7 sights8.7 efficiency0.4 hills5.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 25 min+ up to 3 h 40 min insides+25 m climb along route
  1. Museu Casa de Nhozinho
  2. Maranhão House
  3. Sacred Art Museum of Maranhão
  4. Museu Histórico e Artístico do Maranhão
  5. Casa de Cultura Josué Montello
4–31 m

Photo: ViewpointLyssuel Calvet from São Luis, BrasilCC BY 2.0

4.3/10
#8
Viewpoint

São Luís Loop Walk from Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo

Loop

18 stops6.0 km2 h 55 min

6.0 kmdistance2 h 55 minwith stops18stops+72 mgain
1.9 sights7.9 efficiency1.2 hills6.7 length
Open in Google Maps 1/3 ↗Open in Google Maps 2/3 ↗Open in Google Maps 3/3 ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 20 min+ up to 5 h 10 min insides+72 m climb along route
  1. Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
  2. Praça João Lisboa
  3. Praça Benedito Leite
  4. Mercado das Tulhas
  5. São Luís's Historical Center
  6. Museu Casa de Nhozinho
  7. Maranhão House
  8. Fort Sao Luis
  9. Sacred Art Museum of Maranhão
  10. Palácio de la Ravardière
  11. Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
  12. Praça Gonçalves Dias
  13. Casa de Cultura Josué Montello
  14. Tambor de Mina
  15. Pedras Fountain
  16. Igreja de São João Batista
  17. Museu Histórico e Artístico do Maranhão
  18. Ribeirão Fountain
3–33 m

Photo: ViewpointMarlon Bianco MatiasCC BY 3.0

4.1/10
#9
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of São Luís in 2 Hours

Hidden gems

8 stops3.7 km1 h 35 min

3.7 kmdistance1 h 35 minwith stops8stops+25 mgain
1.4 sights7.5 efficiency0.4 hills9.4 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 50 min+ up to 2 h 30 min insides+25 m climb along route
  1. Church of Saint Joseph of the Exile
  2. Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
  3. Palácio de la Ravardière
  4. Praça Benedito Leite
  5. Maranhão House
  6. Fort Sao Luis
  7. Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
  8. Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
2–25 m

Photo: ViewpointPrburleyCC BY 4.0

4.0/10
#10
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of São Luís: Off-the-Beaten-Path Walk

Hidden gems

11 stops5.2 km2 h 5 min

5.2 kmdistance2 h 5 minwith stops11stops+43 mgain
1.2 sights7.7 efficiency0.7 hills5.3 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 10 min+ up to 3 h 10 min insides+43 m climb along route
  1. Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
  2. Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
  3. Palácio de la Ravardière
  4. Praça Benedito Leite
  5. Fort Sao Luis
  6. Maranhão House
  7. Church of Saint Joseph of the Exile
  8. Pedras Fountain
  9. Igreja de São João Batista
  10. Casa de Cultura Josué Montello
  11. Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
5–32 m

Photo: ViewpointWeber ferreira santanaCC BY-SA 4.0

3.4/10

Hills: higher = steeper along the walk. Stairs (when shown): metres of mapped stairways near the route — approximate, not a step countvisit times are estimates.

São Luís walking stats

From the 10 rated routes111 stops total25 unique places.

Most climbSão Luís Loop Walk from Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo+72 m along route
Most stops / kmSão Luís in One Day: Walking Itinerary3.5 stops per km
Least climbOne Hour in São Luís: A Short Walk+20 m along route
Most stairsSão Luís Loop Walk from Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo~87 m mapped stairways (approx., not step count)
Longest / shortest7.1 km1.8 kmSão Luís in One Day: Walking Itinerary / São Luís Museum Walk
Places on routes25unique stop ids
How we score. Same formula for every route: Sights 50% (how notable the stops are)Efficiency 25% (less backtracking between stops)Hills 10% (how steep the walk is)Length fit 15% (distance vs the kind of walk). Stairs stay a fact in metres, not a quality bar. Avg score in the hero is the mean across all ranked walks.

São Luís FAQ

Short answers from this city’s data.

Best first-visit walk?
One Hour in São Luís: A Short Walk (2.1 km, 1 h 10 min with stops) ranks #1 here.
Best months to walk São Luís?
Aug–Oct are usually the nicest months for walking.
Shortest walk?
São Luís Museum Walk1.8 km, walking 25 min.
One hour in São Luís?
One Hour in São Luís: A Short Walk: walking 30 min, with stops 1 h 10 min, 6 stops.
One-day plan?
São Luís in One Day: Walking Itinerary: 25 stops, ~4 h on-route; suggested insides on marked stops; full day ≈ 5 h 5 min. Visit times are estimates.
Stairs and hills?
Hills is 10% of the score (higher = steeper along the walk). Stairs are not scored — when shown, they are metres of mapped stairways near the route (approximate; not a step count). Example: stairways ≈ 0 m.
Can I change stops?
Yes — open in Maps, edit, then paste into Lineo for a cleaner order.
Why are some Google Maps links split?
Google Maps caps how many stops fit in one directions link (we use 11). Longer walks are split into numbered buttons (1/2, 2/2, …). Open them in order — each part starts where the previous one ended.