Did you know that one of the most traditional carnivals in Brazil is in the interior of São Paulo? We’re talking about the Carnival of São Luiz do Paraitinga, a historic town in the Paraíba Valley, 171 kilometers from the capital. Known for its marches, it’s the ideal destination for São Paulo residents who enjoy the traditional blocos!
In fact, São Luiz is a hit not only with tourists from São Paulo, but also with foreigners. After all, the city has already been mentioned as having one of the best carnivals in the interior of Brazil by an article in the New York Times. Are you curious? Check out more details about the festivities below!
Get to know São Luiz do Paraitinga’s Carnival of marchinhas!
São Luiz do Paraitinga was founded in 1769 by bandeirantes. Nowadays, it has established itself as one of the historic towns in the interior of São Paulo, with its cobbled streets and colonial mansions. The origin of its carnival is uncertain, but we know that the revelry as we know it today began in 1982, with the emergence of the traditional Encuca a Cuca bloco.
With it, the city’s Carnival gained two of its most typical elements: marchinhas and giant puppets. The bloco’s aim was to represent, through music and puppets, legends that are part of the local imagination. The first to be honored, of course, was Cuca. But today, dozens of huge characters decorate the streets of São Luiz do Paraitinga during Carnival.
Some of the most famous current blocos are Bloco do Barbosa, Bloco Juca Teles, Bloco Maria Gasolina and Bloco do Saci. It is so famous that, despite having only 10,000 inhabitants, the small town receives up to 100,000 tourists during Carnival.
Tradition in São Luiz has already made international headlines
In 2008, an article in the New York Times cited the São Luiz do Paraitinga Carnival as one of the best in the interior of Brazil. According to the author, Seth Kugel, the city has one of the best “old-style” street parties in the region, keeping the old ones from the 20th century.
This is because the official rhythm of the party is the marcinhas de Carnaval. In other words, you won’t hear any axé, funk or pop here; in fact, it is forbidden by law to play modern music during the festivities. The measure was taken to preserve the history and culture of the Luizense Carnival, which was born out of the authorial marchinhas.
In fact, since the 1980s, more than two thousand authentic marchinhas have been created in São Luiz. So if you’re interested in a fun, historical and cultural Carnival, you know where to go!