Alcântara is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Maranhão. The city has a population of 22,112 and an area of 1458 km2. The municipality is 30 km away from the state's capital, São Luís. Founded by French explorers in the 16th century, Alcântara was later conquered by the Portuguese, who used the small village as a base to take São Luís from the Dutch in 1646. The city was declared by the Brazilian government as a National Historical Patrimony.