Alcântara, a colonial village that stopped in time, is close to São Luís. This is the ideal day trip for those who are going to spend more days in the region before heading to the Maranhão mountains.
Little Portuguese-style houses, stone streets, tiles, buildings that exude the landmarks of the past and a historical area that is more preserved and pleasant than that of the capital.
This text is a complete guide for you to get to know Alcântara: what to do, how to get there, when to go, where to stay and what are the main tours in this historic city in Maranhão.
Where is Alcantara?
Alcântara is Maranhão. The city, which has national fame due to the Brazilian Space Agency base located there, it is separated from São Luís by São Marcos Bay.
The distance between the two cities can be covered in 1h20on boats that leave daily in both directions.
What to do in Alcântara, Maranhão
Alcântara is the type of tourist destination that I fall in love with. Small, rustic and charming, full of stories to tell.
But something was missing. After wandering around the alleys for a while, we realized that there was nothing open in the city and that few people ventured onto the streets.
I don’t know if it’s like this on any holiday or if the fact that it’s Good Friday contributed to leaving the city deserted.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, Alcântara was one of the richest cities in Maranhão. Its streets have seen barons, slaves, palaces and sinhás who dressed up for mass.
There was even a dispute between rich people to see who could build the most worthy house to receive Dom Pedro II, who, by the way, never showed up there.
After the abolition of slavery, the city fell into decay and all that remains of that past are the ruins, the memories that span generations and the peaceful life of a forgotten interior.
Even with everything closed, it was clear that tourist structure is not the region’s strong pointa problem that I also noticed in the Historic Center of São Luís.
Don’t expect to find charming restaurants and bars, souvenir shops or art and decoration objects, as is the case in other similar destinations in Brazil and abroad.
Among the main local attractions are the historic buildings themselves. A Carmo Churchconsidered the most beautiful and important in the city, was built in the Baroque style, in the 17th century, and has internal panels made of Portuguese tiles.
The Carmo Church is located in Big Street. Next door, you will notice some ruins and mansions that belonged to the wealthier people.
The ruins are of the palaces that would be built to receive the Emperor and that ended up causing discord between two filthy rich gentlemen.
Going up Rua Grande, in an open field nearby, there is Saint Matthias Churcha 17th century building that was never completed, although in the past it was still used by the inhabitants to celebrate masses and other types of religious activities.
Almost in front of the open space, there is an alley full of history. And the Rua da Amargura, where some well-to-do gentlemen used to live. There are also the ruins of the Black Palace, where enslaved people were traded.
The origin of the street name is not known for sure. Some say it’s because this was the path enslaved people took before corporal punishment.
Others claim that it is because it was there that mothers said goodbye to their children who were going to study in Lisbon.
Going down to Ladeira do Jacaré towards Porto, you will also find the small and bucolic Church of Desterro. It’s a little white church, with a bell on the door, located on a nice street.
Legend has it that whoever makes a wish and rings the bell three times will have their wish granted. This is a great place to take photos, as there is a good view of Livramento Island.
The list of Alcântara attractions also includes Alcântara Historical House Museumwith a simple and small collection, and, of course, several beaches: Itatinga, Baronesa and Ilha do Livramento.
But was it worth the effort to get there, even though everything was closed? The great attraction of small towns like this is wandering the streets, photographing the alleys, seeing the ruins and local life. There is no bad day for that.
Of course, if you can avoid going on a holiday, so much the better. It wasn’t our case. And I still believe that the best opportunity is the one you have.
The Alcântara Launch Center: what the space base is like
If the name Alcântara isn’t strange to you, it might be because you’ve heard about the place in the science and technology news. This little town that looks like it came out of the “Brazil Colony” chapter of your history book serves as a launch base for rockets for the Brazilian Space Program.
The place was chosen for its privileged position, just two degrees from the equator. This location is ideal for activities of this type, as it generates savings of up to 40% on fuel.
The base is not open for visits, but you can get in touch with this history and learn more about the Brazilian Space Program at House of Aerospace Culturein Nossa Senhora do Rosário square.
There, models and prototypes of the rockets are on display. Entry is free.
When to go to Alcântara
The dry season occurs between June and December. In June, even, Alcântara is usually crowded, due to the June festivities. The Festa do Divino, in May, is another highlight in the city.
That said, Alcântara can be visited all year round and it is perhaps more important to study the best time to visit Lençóis Maranhenses, this is a destination that is greatly impacted by the climate – and is usually combined with São Luís and Alcântara.
How to get to Alcântara
In the middle of a long holiday and with the city empty, there was no easy way to get to the other side of São Marcos Bay, where the village is located. In general, access is via boats or catamarans leaving from Praia Grande Pierin the Historic Center of São Luís, close to the bus terminal.
The times change according to the tide, but, in general, there is a catamaran that leaves the capital in the morning (between 7am and 10am) and one that returns from Alcântara around 4pm. On that fateful day, no boat was going to make the journey.
“You can go by car, take the ferry and on the way back take the catamaran that leaves there at four”, suggested a man who worked there. He was the one who informed us about this alternative means of transport.
“Is there a way to go back?”
“He has. There’s always a way to come back, you won’t stay there.”
I don’t even need to say that there was no catamaran to return anything, right?
Even if it was true and our return was guaranteed, we didn’t have a car to get to the Ponta da Espera Terminalferry departure point, about 20 minutes by road from there.
Luckily, a couple of travelers who had the same problem offered us a ride. The problem is that everyone in the city had the same idea and, when we arrived at the ferry terminal, we faced another hour of queuing under the sun before boarding.
Thus, the trip to Alcântara, which should have only taken 1h20 and some swings, took us three hours. When we disembarked on the other side of the bay, in Porto Cujupe, it was another 50 minutes on the road until, finally, we caught a glimpse of the city’s cute little houses.
As boat and catamaran schedules may vary each day, the best way to plan your visit is by calling the Waterway Terminal (98 3232 0692) the day before or before leaving home. Even so, plan to arrive early at Cais Praia Grande.
Those who go this way disembark at Porto do Jacaré, close to the city center. Right there, it is possible to hire guides, who wait for tourists to disembark, for a guided tour of Alcântara. The crossing should cost around R$25.
If you need to do like me and go by ferry, departing from Terminal Ponta da Espera to Cujupe, you can check prices and departure times here.
Is it worth staying in Alcântara?
Except at certain times of the year, such as the Festa do Divino, Alcântara works best on a day trip from São Luís.
It may also be worth staying there if you are taking a long trip through Maranhão or if you are interested (and authorized) to get to know the Alcântara Space Center in depth.
Where to stay in Alcântara
There are not many hotels in Alcântara: Booking only lists one, Gengibre, which is located in a mansion in the heart of the historic center. It operates on a hostel basis (simple, rustic, without much comfort) and has daily rates for R$150.
Another alternative is to search outside of search engines: word of mouth in Alcântara may indicate other homestay options.
