Car rental São Luís Airport, Maranhão - explore Brazil in a hire car

Compare offers of car hire São Luís Airport

Discover the fascinating state of Maranhão in the Brazilian Northeast in a hire car picked-up from São Luís Airport serving the state capital.

VW Gol is amongst the cheapest rental cars at São Luís Airport

See map of Maranhão state in Brazil.

São Luís (or São Luiz) Airport - SLZ is officially known as Marechal Cunha Machado Internacional Airport, although amongst the local population the name Tirirical Airport is still commonly used.

The main airlines at São Luís Airport are the Brazilian carriers TAM, Gol and Azul operating daily flights to major domestic destinations, amongst them São Paulo-Guarulhos, Belo Horizonte-Confins, Salvador de Bahia and Rio de Janeiro-Galeão.

The airport is located approx. 6 miles southeast of São Luís city centre.

Rent-a-car companies São Luís Airport, Maranhão
Car hire at São Luís Airport is available from large providers such as Hertz Car Hire Brazil and Avis Rent-A-Car, as wells as from the local, Brazilian renters Localiza, Movida and Unidas Rent A Car.

Car rental prices in Sao Luiz Airport, Brazil (Sao Luiz Airport - SLZ)
The offers of cheap car hire at São Luís Airport are a rare treat.

Do compare prices for car hire as the rates available at major car hire companies are often higher than rates available for instance on the Cartrawler search engine.

You may be able to find a small car from around £150 per week, but if demand is high, even the cheapest cars for hire in Sao Luiz Airport, Brazil will start at around £170-180. The cheapest offers for car rental in Sao Luiz Airport are usually available in the economy class (VW Gol, GMC Celta, Opel Corsa or similar). Small city cars (mini class), are not easy to find at this Brazilian airport and are rarely the cheapest ones. 

Free mileage is, in general, included in the car hire rates. Cross border travel in a Brasilian rental car from Sao Luiz Airport is rarely allowed - please refer to 'rate details' on the particular offer.

For an off-road adventure in Maranhao, a variety of SUV cars are available to rent.

Dacia Duster, an SUV to rent at Sao Luiz (SLZ) Airport

Tourist attractions of São Luís, Maranhão
The capital of the Maranhão state is a place rich in history and culture.

Founded in the 17th century by French, occupied shortly by Dutch and finally reclaimed by the Portuguese, the city of São Luís boasts many well preserved examples of colonial architecture, being its historic quarters enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See map of São Luís city centre.

Amongst the most interesting historic landmarks of São Luís are: the Arthur Azevedo Theatre, the Granary House, the Palace of the Lions and the old slave market, a Cafua das Mercês, today a Slavery Museum.

Folklore and popular festivities of São Luís, Maranhão
Visitors to São Luís may find interesting the folk culture of the state of Maranhão. One of the most interesting manifestations of the local traditions is the Bumba-meu-boi, a folkloric pantomime, also referred to as a popular opera taking place during the St. Anthony, St. John and St. Peter’s festivities, the Festas Juninas, celebrated in Brazil in June.

Also the Carnival festivities of São Luís are a rather original spectacle, much different to the general idea of the Brazilian carnival, being tambor-de-crioula dance alluding to the slavery times, one of the essential elements of the celebrations.

Best beaches of São Luís
Several excellent beaches are found along the nearly 20 miles of São Luís Beaches, being the most popular ones Ponta da Areia, São Marcos, Calhau, Olho d’Água, Travosa and Praia da Guia.

Please note that great wind conditions between the months of June and December make São Luís a perfect location for surf and sailing sports.

See map of São Luís beaches.

Although the city has an efficient public transportation system, a São Luís hire car is usually the most convenient way of reaching the more remote beach locations, with the additional benefit of extraordinary views of the Atlantic, available from the coastal motorway.

São Luís - the Gate to Amazonas
Because of its relative proximity to the Amazon River delta, São Luís is sometimes referred to as ‘gate to Amazonas’. This denomination may be difficult to understand by looking at the map, as the state of Maranhão is separated from Amazonas by the vastness of the state of Pará.

See map of Brazil states.

However, the western areas of Maranhão state belong to the Amazon ecosystem, especially in the coastal zone stretching west of São Luís towards Pará, known as Floresta de Guarás (Guaras Forest). Here, within a relatively short driving distance from the large metropolis of São Luís (approx. 280 miles), you will be able to get a taste of unspoiled nature and unique wildlife of the Amazon rainforest.

See Floresta dos Guarás (Guaras Forest) on the map of the Maranhão state.

East of São Luís, there is another paradise of pristine nature, the Lenções Maranhenses National Park, attracting tourists with the breathtaking landscapes of white sand dunes and desert-like plains dotted with fresh water green lagoons.