Lençóis Maranhenses

LençóIs Maranhenses National Park, Created 1981, UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 2024 · Barreirinhas, Maranhão

Lençóis Maranhenses is a field of white sand dunes on the northern coast of Brazil, roughly 1,500 square kilometres of them, and for part of each year the hollows between the dunes fill with rainwater and become thousands of clear blue and green lagoons. The sight looks like a desert and is not: the region gets heavy rain from about January to June, and a layer of impermeable rock under the sand holds the water. The lagoons are fullest from around June to September, then shrink and many dry out by the end of the year. The park, created in 1981, was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2024. Most visitors base themselves in Barreirinhas, a few hours by road from São Luís, and ride open 4x4 trucks across a river and through sand tracks to the edge of the dunes, then walk up to swim in lagoons like Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Bonita. Atins and Santo Amaro are quieter bases, and a boat down the Preguiças River reaches the coast. There is no shade anywhere in the dunes, and timing the season is everything.

Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses, Barreirinhas, MA, Barreirinhas, Maranhão, Brazil

Seasonal in practice, and the season is the whole trip. The rains fall roughly January to June and fill the lagoons, which are fullest roughly June to September; by November and December many are low, green or dry, and a visit then can be a disappointment. The park has no gate or fixed opening hours in the usual sense, but vehicles are only allowed on set tracks and visits are made with licensed operators in open 4x4 trucks. Tours leave Barreirinhas in the morning and in the early afternoon, and the afternoon trip that stays for sunset is the most popular and most crowded. The river crossing on the way can delay trucks when the ferry raft is busy. The Preguiças River boat trip is a full-day outing that leaves in the morning. In the rainy months, storms can cut tours short, and some sandy tracks become impassable. Transfers from São Luís take several hours each way, so arriving on the same day as a tour is tight. Confirm current tour rules with your operator.

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