RouteSão Luís

Alcântara: The Ghost Capital of Colonial Maranhão

Alcântara — across the bay from São Luís — was once the wealthiest city in colonial Brazil; the collapse of its cotton economy left it frozen in time with magnificent ruins of churches, mansions, and the country's finest colonial pillory

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1
Pelourinho from Alcântara
Alcântara pelourinho (colonial pelourinho) - a twisted baroque column of extraordinary craftsmanship - stands in the empty central square surrounded by ruined mansion facades; it is considered the finest colonial pillar in Brazil
2
Ruined Colonial Mansions
The 18th century cotton boom made Alcântara's senhores de engenho fabulously wealthy – their mansions, now slowly being overtaken by vegetation, represent some of the finest colonial native architecture in Brazil
3
Igreja de São Matias
The ruined Igreja de São Matias - its facade remains, its interior open to the sky - is Alcântara's most melancholy image; the combination of baroque stonework and tropical vegetation growing through it is unforgettable
4
Alcântara Boat Crossing
The boat trip from São Luís to Alcântara — 22 km across Baía de São Marcos — takes 1 hour on the passenger ferry; the crossing itself, with dolphins, mangroves and the skylines of the two cities, is part of the experience
5
Casa do Maranhão Heritage
Alcântara's Cultural Museum - Casa do Maranhão - in a restored colonial building presents the history of the city's rise and fall; the exhibits on the cotton economy, the slave trade and bumba meu boi are excellent
6
Alcântara Space Center
Alcântara Launch Center - on the coast near the colonial city - is Brazil's rocket launch facility; The proximity of a pioneering space base to colonial ruins creates one of Brazil's most surreal urban juxtapositions