Capital of the state of Maranhão, dating back to 1612, São Luís is the only Brazilian city founded by the French; it later passed under the Dutch occupation and finally dominated by the Portuguese who built it as we know it today. In 1997 it was declared by UNESCO a historical and cultural heritage of humanity for its colonial architectural conjunction, its houses with thousands of "Azulejos", typical hand-painted tiles and for its streets rich in popular culture. In São Luís there is a multi-ethnic society created by whites from Europe, black Africans and native Indians reflected in the varied cuisine, in the rich craftsmanship and finally in the musical rhythms, among which Reggae prevails to the point of having deserved the name of Brazilian Jamaica. The city of São Luís has over 990,000 inhabitants and offers sunny beaches for most of the year.