State · Luisiana e o Delta do Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi, the land of the blues: the Trilha do Blues in the Delta, the house where Elvis was born in Tupelo, the mansions of Natchez, the Vicksburg military park and the Gulf beaches.

In the photo: Longwood, Natchez

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

The state

Get to know Mississippi

Mississippi lies in the southern United States, between Alabama and the river that gives it its name. In the northwest, the Mississippi Delta is a cotton plain where the blues was born; to the south, the state reaches the Gulf of Mexico with a coastline of beaches and barrier islands. It is the birthplace of Elvis Presley, B.B. King and the writer William Faulkner.

The Trilha do Blues of Mississippi marks with signs more than 200 places connected to the genre's history. Clarksdale, in the Delta, has the Delta Blues Museum and live music venues; Indianola is home to the B.B. King Museum. Tupelo, in the northeast, preserves the two-room house where Elvis was born, with a museum and his childhood church. Oxford, a university town, preserves Rowan Oak, Faulkner's home.

On the riverbanks, Vicksburg has the national military park of the 1863 siege and the gunboat USS Cairo, salvaged from the bottom of the Yazoo River. Natchez, one of the oldest towns on the Mississippi, features pre–Civil War mansions open to visitors during the spring and fall pilgrimage seasons. The historic Natchez Trace Parkway connects Natchez to Tennessee.

On the coast, Biloxi and Gulfport have white-sand beaches, casinos and boats to the islands of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and Ocean Springs is a village of art galleries. Jackson, the capital, is in the center of the state. On the table: fried catfish, Gulf shrimp, Delta tamales and the Mississippi mud pie chocolate pie.

When to go

Spring (March to May) and fall (October and November) usually have mild days and are the times of the Natchez pilgrimages and several blues festivals. Summer, from June to September, tends to be hot and humid, above 32 °C. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November and mainly affects the coast. Mississippi is 3 hours behind Brasília (2 hours during daylight saving time).

Getting there

The state has airports in Jackson (JAN) and Gulfport (GPT), with domestic flights, but most visitors arrive via Memphis, Tennessee, or New Orleans, Louisiana. From Brazil, the trip usually involves a connection; confirm before booking. Clarksdale is about 1.5 hours by car from Memphis, Tupelo about 2 hours, and the Gulf coast about 1.5 hours from New Orleans.

Your questions

Frequently asked questions about Mississippi

How to do the blues route in Mississippi?

A common route leaves Memphis via US 61 to Clarksdale and continues through the Delta to Indianola and Vicksburg, stopping at the Trilha do Blues markers and museums. Three days allow for an unhurried trip, with live music at night in Clarksdale.

What to see in Tupelo?

The house where Elvis Presley was born, in 1935, with a museum, his childhood church and a chapel. The visit usually takes about two hours. Tupelo is roughly 2 hours from Memphis, on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

When to visit the mansions of Natchez?

Historic houses are more open during the pilgrimage seasons, in March and April and in September and October, when several private residences also welcome visitors. Outside those periods, some mansions are open year-round; confirm before you go.

What are Mississippi's beaches like?

The coast between Gulfport and Biloxi has a long stretch of white sand, with shallow water protected by the barrier islands. For clearer water, boats take visitors to Ship Island, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, from March to October.

Tap a state to see its destinations. Limites: U.S. Census Bureau / geoBoundaries (domínio público). Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.