Beco Catarina Mina, Historical alley in São Luís, Brazil.

Beco Catarina Mina is a narrow street in the Historic Centre of São Luís that runs from Avenida Pedro II to Travessa da Alfândega, ending at the walls of the City Hall. It is lined with craft shops, bars, restaurants, a travel agency and the Museu Huguenote Daniel de La Touche, housed in a mansion that belonged to Catarina Mina. A wide 18th-century staircase of 35 steps made of lioz stone, a costly Portuguese limestone used in churches and palaces, connects Rua de Nazaré and Rua de Portugal.

The alley developed as a connecting passage in colonial São Luís and was named after a Black woman who had purchased her own freedom and built a successful merchant business. In 1930 officials renamed it to honor a figure from a political uprising, yet the original name persisted in local use and memory.

The alley is named after a Black woman who became a successful merchant in the 19th century, a rare honor in São Luís Historic Center that reflects her importance to the community. People today use this passageway as a living part of the neighborhood, mixing local commerce with the memory of her story.

The stone staircase is walkable but sturdy shoes are recommended, especially during rain when the steps can become slippery. The narrow passageway gets crowded during peak hours, so visiting early morning or late afternoon allows for easier movement and better observation of the details.

The mansion that belonged to Catarina Mina now houses the Museu Huguenote Daniel de La Touche, devoted to the arts, culture, history and memory of the French founding of São Luís. The building thus links the story of an African-born freedwoman with the city's French colonial origins.