If you like history, visiting Alcântara is a natural thing to do when you visit São Luís, the capital of Maranhão. The best way to reach it is by buoat. The city is well-known for its colonial architecture, museums and laidback atmosphere.
The Alcântara area is also where the Brazilian Space Agency has a Launch Center.
Alcântara history is troubled by successive invasions and conflicts as Portuguese, French and Dutch explorers tried to colonize current-day Maranhão. Native populations suffered enourmously and had been all but decimated by the mid-seventeenth century.
As in São Luís, there are buildings in Alcântara which date from the seventeenth century, although not in such great number and not as well preserved. IPHAN, the Brazilian Institute for the Preservation of Historic, Artistic and Cultural Heritage, listed the city's architecture as a National Heritage Site in 1948.
St. Matias Church (Gomes de Castro Square), Carmo Church (Grande Street), and the Historic Museum (Gomes de Castro Square) are worth a visit.
Some of the ruins in the downtown area include the ones on Rua da Amargura ("Bitterness Street"). One of them, known as the Black Palace, was the Slave Market.
At Casa da Cultura Espacial, at Rosario Square, you can see models of rockets launched from Alcântara by the Brazilian Space Agency.
The way to reach Alcântara from São Luís is by boat. On the official Maranhão State website, there is information about the companies, the sea terminal the boats depart from and schedules under Transportation.
Unfortunately, as of the time of this writing (June 2008), there have been recent complaints about the companies that operate the boats. Some Brazilian travelers comment that the boats suffer from lack of maintenance.
If you are in São Luís, consider going to Alcântara only if you have updated information from your hotel, for example, about a better company or recent improvements.
Folklore is one of the reasons to visit Alcântara during Festa do Divino, or Pentecost, celebrated in traditional ways that date back to the origins of Brazil.
On the Maranhão State website, click on Culture to read about the Bumba-meu-Boi celebrations in São Luís in June.
