Imperatriz is a city in western Maranhão. Second largest of its state, with some 260,000 inhabitants (2020), it provides a peek into a quite distant Brazil. Imperatriz is the starting point for ecological tourism in several places in the south and southwest of the state of Maranhão, including the cities of Carolina and Riachão and Chapada das Mesas.

Understand

Imperatriz is second largest economic, cultural and population center of the state and the main region that binds the southwest of Maranhão, northern of Tocantins and the southern of Pará. The history and development of Imperatriz gave it several titles including the "Gateway of the Amazon" and "Capital of Energy." The city is a center for mining, mainly in the reserve of Ciriaco, a neighboring region.

Climate

Imperatriz has a typical tropical savanna climate, and is well known for its changeable weather conditions, with a wet season, during spring and summer months (November to April), and a dry one, during fall and winter months (May to November). In fact, July and August are the hottest and coolest months at once, when temperatures can range from 13 °C (55 °F) to over 40 °C (104 °F) within a single day, but the “feels like’ is always over 36–42 °C. Occasional cold snaps can make temperatures drop to as low as 12 °C (54 °F), often made to feel cooler because of the windchill, but temperatures below 15 °C (59 °F) are rare. This has a lot to do with why Imperatriz has a reputation for "four seasons in one day". It is not a city known for its stable weather patterns. The city has been described by locals as a city where you "wait five minutes and the weather will change".

Get in

• Good bus connections. The highway towards Belém is unsafe at night.
• Aeroporto de Imperatriz (IMP  ^IATA). A regional and national airport served by LATAM and Azul airlines from Belém and Brasilia. (updated Dec 2021)
• The train between Parauapebas and São Luís stops at Açailândia, about 80 km to the north.

See

• Timbira Archeology and History Research Center, Rua Godofredo Viana at Rua Monte Castelo. A museum of the material and immaterial culture of the southern region of Maranhão. (updated Dec 2021)

Do

• Freitas Parque Aquático, on the banks of the BR-010 close to the Exhibition Park, is a modern water park.
• During the summer season, the beaches on the Tocantins River appear. They have a large structure for cleaning, security (on land and water), lighting, a stage and sand courts.
• In the south of Maranhão and near Imperatriz, you can visit the Três Marias Waterfall, Macapá Waterfall, and Santa Luzia Ecological Park

Chapada das Mesas National Park

• 1 Chapada das Mesas National Park. This 160,000-ha park is extremely rich in species of animals and plants. The waterfalls that stand out are São Romão and Cachoeira da Prata. São Romão has the largest volume of water in the region. These waterfalls are difficult to reach: doing so requires the help of local guides and 4x4 trucks. Other attractions are trekking to Morro das Figuras (with cave inscriptions) and ecological trails, such as Morro do Chapéu.  

Buy

There are 3 shopping malls: Timbira Shopping, Imperial Shopping and Tocantins Shopping.

Indigenous handicrafts, mainly krikati, are very common in the city. In indigenous production stands out ceramics, ornaments, objects in straw, clay and weaving. Rural handicrafts such as harnesses, garishes and agro products also stand out. In public buildings such as the Casa do Artesão, there are several options available. There is also the Praça de Fátima, where handicrafts are sold.

Eat

In the city, restaurants serve dishes developed with regional products into the local menu. An example is the baião de Dois, rice with cuxá, as well as local cakes and sweets. The beef and cassava barbecue also stands out. Fish also have their gastronomic importance, with pacu, golden, painted and tambaqui being very common. Dishes that are also common are those made with pequi, such as rice or chicken with pequi, in addition to the panada, regional food very common in the region, found in many parts of the city.

Among those mentioned, there is the traditional panelada, sold in an environment that sell homemade food and in traditional stalls on Avenida Bernardo Sayão, occupying the space popularly known as the “Four Bocas”. In addition to the pot, you can also eat free-range chicken, roasted in a pan, chambari, goat, sarapatel and cooking.

Accompanied by flour, rice, pepper and lemon; the main dish served at “Quatro Bocas” is the panelada; made from the guts, stomach and feet of the ox. More than a typical eccentricity, the dish became famous for being available for sale 24 hours a day and, contrary to what one might imagine, the flow of consumers increases during the night and into the night.