Historic Centre

Restored colonial centre of churches, squares, and 19th-century houses along the Paraitinga River.

The historic centre is the reason to stop in São Luiz do Paraitinga rather than simply drive over the Serra do Mar. Around Praça Oswaldo Cruz and the surrounding streets are churches, old houses, the municipal market, and the public spaces where the town's festivals take over.

Some buildings are reconstructions after the 2010 flood, but that is part of the story rather than a reason to dismiss them. The centre shows both the old coffee-era town and the civic effort to put it back together.

things to do sight architecture
A story
In January 2010 the Paraitinga River flooded the town and destroyed several historic buildings, including the main church. The disaster helped trigger national heritage protection for the centre, and much of the visible townscape was reconstructed in the years that followed.