São Luís: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
São Luís is a city of 917,237 people in Brazil (Maranhão), 29 m (95 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (SLZ), 10 km (6 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 277 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in São Luís runs from about 12 h 1 min a day in late June to 12 h 18 min in late December (computed for -2.53° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
São Luís is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (SLZ), 10 km (6 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,828 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to São Luís: every airport, routes and times
Buses to São Luís · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 277 places to stay in São Luís. Of the 117 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (63), and 2 are five-star. Across 66 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8 out of 10. Guests have left 86,920 reviews in total.
Hotels in São Luís: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Teresina, 330 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- São José de Ribamar, 27 km — car rental · tours
- Timon, 328 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Parnaíba, 284 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Caxias, 279 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Paço do Lumiar, 22 km — tours
- Bragança, 319 km — buses · car rental
- Codó, 219 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Bacabal, 197 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Paragominas, 343 km — buses · car rental
Common questions
Which airport serves São Luís?
Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (SLZ), 10 km (6 mi) from the centre.
How big is São Luís?
About 917,237 people live in São Luís (GeoNames).
What time zone is São Luís in?
America/Fortaleza, currently UTC-3.
What currency is used in São Luís?
The Real (BRL). Traffic drives on the right.
How many hotels are there in São Luís?
Our booking partner lists 277 places to stay in São Luís, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near São Luís?
Teresina (330 km), São José de Ribamar (27 km), Timon (328 km), Parnaíba (284 km), Caxias (279 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.