Praça Benedito Leite is the main public square of the historic centre, flanked by the cathedral, the city hall, and some of the finest colonial buildings in São Luís. The square is the city's civic heart — demonstrations happen here, festivals begin here, and on ordinary days the benches fill with office workers eating lunch and elderly men playing dominoes.
The square is surrounded on all sides by azulejo-covered facades, and standing in the centre and turning slowly gives you a 360-degree panorama of the colonial city at its best. The statue in the middle is of Benedito Leite, a governor of Maranhão who served in the early 20th century. Come in the late afternoon when the light softens and the square comes alive with the end-of-day movement.