Transportation in Sao Luiz

By Road

The route followed by the BR-135. This is the only way to get to the island of St Louis by land. Through this highway connects the city with some cities, the closest are: Fortaleza, Belém and Teresina.

By Bus

The bus remains the local public transportation in Sao Luiz, and in Brazil it is common to find them chugging along. From Sao Paulo you can take a bus from any of its four bus stations. In Sao Luiz there is a bus station 8 km from the Historic City Centre. Getting around Sao Luiz becomes easier with private tour operators like Rodoviária. Conveniently, they provide pick up and drop facilities from an accessible point such as the Old Town's waterfront. Regular trips to the neighbouring cities of Belem and Fortaleza are operated by a number of Sao Luiz tour operators like Boa Esperança and Transbrasiliana.

By Train

The railways surprisingly never found favour in a large country such as Brazil. The Agencia Nacional de Transportes Terrestres, the modal transport organisation, maintains the schedules for all trains on its website. Another website hosted by Associação Brasileira dos Trens Turísticos (in Portuguese) also lists vital information.

The two main railway lines are Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais) to Vitoria (Espírito Santo) and São Luíz (Maranhão) to Paraupebas (Pará). There is also a train that runs three times a week to Serra dos Carajás via Santa Inês and some other stations. About 30 tourist trains run throughout Brazil.

By Air

The international airport in St. Louis is only 13 km from the city. It operates 16 flights distributed by the national airlines Gol,TAM, BLUE Company and TRIP. The main destinations, both departure and arrival, are the region southcentral Brazil like the capital Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte, but cities such as Recife, Fortaleza and Belem has guaranteed  your boarding with two or three scales.

The times of most flights are in the afternoon, and most landings are made at 11:00, 13:00 and 14:00 hours. The flights Tam and Gol 1970 3182 coming from Brasilia are the busiest, so book your seat in advance.

Taxis are available on site, as well as car rental companies such as Localiza, a national company. The airport is under renovation and is far from the bus stop, but if you want the bus route is 901 St. Cristovao / Alemanha District every 45 minutes from the airport to the terminal of the Praia Grande. If you want a private transfer, book on our site.

For transport from the airport to the city (or from the city to the airport), we recommend Green Path Transfers, who offer eco-friendly airport transfers in hundreds of destinations around the world.

Visit our partner Air Valid for Airline Reviews and Information about Brazil.

Getting Around Sao Luiz

Because of Sao Luiz' wide reach, bus travel to explore the far corners of the city is not a very practical option. If you would like to try it, bear in mind that buses in Sao Luiz to the old city are marked ‘Praia Grande'. Those that go towards the beach are marked ‘Ponta D'areia' or ‘Praia Calhau'. The buses are a great form of transportation in Sao Luiz.

Taxis in Sao Luiz are also fairly affordable. But a general precaution that the first time traveller should follow is to notice whether the meter has been switched on. Carefully monitor the rates to avoid being ripped off. You can also use the services provided by Associação São Paulo de Taxi and Use Taxi. With a reliable track record, they make arrangements for tourists to be picked up and driven around the city.

Walking is a good way to explore the city in all its magic. Make it a combination of walking through its historic center. Walking in Sao Luiz will get you closer to all the architectural wonders that dot the cityscape.