São Luís do Paraitinga, Brazil 5.81

São Luiz do Paraitinga is a municipality in the eastern part of the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The name Paraitinga comes from the Tupi language meaning clear water). The city is a major tourist destination of the Paraíba Valley region, particularly, due to its Historic Centre, declared a national heritage site, and its Caipira traditions, including the Folia do Divino and the Carnival of Marchinas.HistoryThe city was founded in 1769 by bandeirantes originated from Taubaté, Mogi das Cruzes e Guaratinguetá and became a municipality in 1773. It obtained city recognition in 1857 and in 1873, it was recognized as an imperial city, meaning that it was one of the 12 most important cities of Brazil at that time.It 2002, São Luiz do Paraitinga was declared as an estância turística of the São Paulo state, a title that identifies a resort town of the state and gives it certain financial benefits in order to advance tourism.In the first days of 2010, the city was struck by a flood of the Paraitinga river, which made it lose eight historical constructions, including the São Luiz de Tolosa Church, the city's main church, built in the 19th century.