Lençóis Maranhenses: in the beautiful sheets of Brazil

Slip into the sheets of the Nordeste in Brazil with the visit of the famous Lençóis Maranhenses near Barreirinhas!

In Brazil, in Nordeste , there is a beautiful place that few travelers have seen again: these are the Lençóis Maranhenses , literally the “ Flags of Maranhão”, white sand dunes with the infinite sprinkled with clear water lagoons. Discover through this article this magnificent place and possible excursions to live them in real.

The history of this sea of dunes

There is nothing comparable to the fascinating Lençóis Maranhenses of the Brazil . Its origin is therefore quite special. This place is located in the Lençóis National Park region, in the Maranhão area, on the north-eastern coast of Brazil at the gates of the Atlantic Ocean. What could be taken for a glamour is a real landscape populated with dunes measuring up to 40 meters high and fresh water basins.

The creation of this place is natural: the tide leads the sediments of the Parnaíba river to the beach for thousands of years, which by agglomerating have formed a desert of dunes. During the rainy season, usually between October and March, it can fall more than 2000 mm of water per year or more than in Iceland. This encounter between clay sediments and water creates this dotted landscape of water lagoons dwarfing between emerald green and crystalline blue. From the sky, the Lençóis look like sheets, hence their name “the Maranhão bed sheets”.

Visit the Lençóis National Park

What are the ways to get there?

The first step is to São Luís by the plane . Then, to get to Lençóis Maranhenses Park, there are several possibilities available to you.

• By bus: the most convenient

There are a few buses leaving the airport of São Luís and joining Barreirinhas , the main starting point of excursions. Private agencies also offer a private bus transfer from São Luís. Attention, it is not necessarily more expensive to go through an agency! It's about 4 hours' drive. 11km from Barreirinhas is Care which is a small fishing village from which some excursions also leave. For amateurs•rices of authenticity and calm, prefer Atins.

• By car

If your budget is more important, you can rent a car to get to the starting points mentioned above. On the other hand, you will not really save time on the bus because the roads are crashed and it is difficult to ride in Brazil. Also, it is not advisable to ride at night relative to safety.

Discovering this unique place in the world

Several tour formats with professional guide will be offered like those of the agency Taguatur .

• On a day

• 2 days and 1 night

• 3 days and 2 nights

In order to fully enjoy this incredible place, it is recommended to choose the 2nd excursion format. A good physical condition is still required. To reach the dunes, one 45 minutes drive in 4×4 on sandy trails through bushes, horses, and rivers. This journey will be unforgettable for you.

Arrived•e•e•s at the edge of the dunes, your walking trip Let's start. The 4×4 cannot go further for ecological reasons. Be ready•e•s to walk several kilometers by climbing and descending these countless dunes by discovering the lagoons. Hiking in the desert is a barely croyable activity. The view of this sea of dunes is striking, especially at sunset. You can also refresh yourself by swimming in these freshwater lakes in the middle of the desert.

Here are in a few words the main lagoons to visit. Near Barreirinhas, the lagoa Azul , the deepest with 3 meters of background and one of the largest lagoons in the park. lagoa das Gaivotas is a lagoon frequented by marine birds like sterns, also called sea swallows. lagoa Bonita , has an exquisite blue and is overlooked by a dune of more than 30 meters high. On the side of Atins, you will find the lagoa Verde and Tropical with an emerald green color!

You'll spend the night in one of them oasis the national park where some local communities still live. Painter and adventure are guaranteed!

For the second day of excursion, you can continue your journey on foot between dunes and lagoons or choose to make a boat tour on the Rio Preguiças mangroves, palm trees and small monkeys . During this tour you will have the opportunity to climb the 160 steps of the Lighthouse of Rio Preguiça, which will offer you a very beautiful panorama of the surroundings.

Other incredible experience: you can also admire the Lençóis Maranhenses from the sky . Several flights flying over the place in tourism planes are offered by agencies, such as Voar Fotografia Aérea or Paraíso do Caju , which gives you the opportunity to change the perspective of this desert.

What makes you dream a little more...

Visit the Lençóis Maranhenses: what budget do you plan?

If you take into account a two-day stay and one night on site, with the A/R transport from São Luís, you must count between 120 and 150€ per person. Do not hesitate to negotiate with 2 or 3 different agencies to get the best rate. However, what should not be done is to go by your own means to Barreirinhas and then negotiate on site. You will be stuck there and will have no choice but to pay the price you are asked... For the flight above the park, it will take about the equivalent of 75€ . The price may seem high, but is widely worth it. The landscapes and experience you will experience will be one of the best during your trip to Brazil.

Take your backpack

As mentioned above, this place is located in a desert where temperature can be around 40°. The conditions of visits are therefore special and it is important not to forget the following:

• One bottle of water and/or a filtering or non-filtering gourd, which you can fill in lagoons with drinking water.
• De sun cream clean, it’s better to respect the lagoons.
• One. hat or cap to protect you from the sun.
• Your swimsuit and beach towel.
• One. camera to immortalize this wonderful moment.

The tour in pictures...

To continue your journey...

If you stay in this area for a while, here are the other places to explore:

• The sublime colonial city ofAlcantara where time seems to have stopped
• São Luís, the capital of the region in the charming city centre
• The village Jericoacoara and its beautiful beaches
• Ilha Grande and its heavenly setting