My Brazil

Lençóis Maranhenses, the Brazilian paradise of dunes and lagoons

The blend of dunes and lagoons that only exists in this area of Brazil is an ideal and unforgettable excursion for the family.

By Ronny Hein

If you want to fly over them, which is possible by twin-engine airplane (the kids will love it), you’ll see the strange and wonderful planet that is the Lençóis Maranhenses like no one else. An area of 155 thousand hectares, the size of the entire city of São Paulo, made up of sand dunes and freshwater lagoons, forming an unparalleled painting. Without a plane, the ideal is to stay in Barreirinhas, a simple town, but with the advantage of being the closest and most equipped in the region. In about an hour on a kind of tourist truck (or a little less if you want a private tour), your family will be at the foot of the sand wall that marks the beginning of the dunes. 4×4 vehicles must be authorized to enter the national park. Not everyone can drive between sand dunes and ever-changing landscapes.

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Prepare your calves: the ascent is steep, your feet (and legs) sink into the soft ground, but the reward is immediate: in just a few minutes, you’ll see the first of hundreds of lagoons that beckon for an immediate dip. Crystal clear, formed by rainwater, fuller and more abundant between May and September, they are the perfect counterpoint to the relentless heat of the shadeless, cotton-white dunes. There are no children who can resist. Nor adults. This is one of the best times to return to childhood and have fun with family, rolling down the sand dunes, racing each other (run diagonally from the top to the water, not vertically, to avoid falling or getting hurt).

Enjoy this activity for as long as you want, but wear a hat and protect your skin with UV shirts. There are other excursions, other lagoons, you may even want to try them, but this is the essence of a visit to the Lençóis planet – more than enough to justify the difficulty of reaching them. From São Luís, the capital of Maranhão, it’s 260 kilometers of unremarkable road. If you’re coming from Jeri, on the so-called Route of Emotions, it will take you at least two days, with 4×4 adventures along the beautiful coast of Ceará, the lush delta of Parnaíba (Piauí), until you reach Atins, situated at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Preguiças River, through which you can take a boat to Barreirinhas. However, this isn’t just one trip. It’s three! Only embark on it if you have plenty of free time.

Because navigating from Barreirinhas to Atins is another must-do program. There are beaches where you can swim in the river with your children, there are samples of the Lençóis ecosystem, and in Atins, a town that constantly contends with the sands that insist on covering it, there are excellent restaurants – none comparable to Luzia’s and its incomparable shrimp. This experience is obligatory. For sports enthusiasts, Atins has several schools and an ideal beach for kiteboarding practice.

In Barreirinhas, there’s little to do except buying souvenirs, arranging your tours, and lazily watching the Preguiças River itself. The best hotels, with pools, meals included, and entertainment for children, are Porto Preguiças and Encantes do Nordeste, located by the river but far from the village.

Don’t expect any special gastronomic experiences from the place (except for the already mentioned shrimp in Atins) and no glamour either. But then again, who needs that next to Brazil’s most original tourist attraction? Another thing: although prohibited within the national park that encompasses the area, there are motorized quad bike tours on parts of the beach near Atins. Children will love it, but the environment much less so. What consoles us is that these are deserted, arid beaches with no infrastructure because the sea is rough and devoid of natural life (turtles). It’s best to avoid venturing among the dunes without a guide, as it’s not always possible to gauge the real height behind a mound of sand. Local tour agents will offer you tours of lagoons with various names, but they all look alike. The important thing is to be among the dunes and lagoons, immersed in both if possible. There’s also a boia-cross for children on the Formiga River, located in the village of Cardosa. Don’t expect adrenaline because the current is gentle: you’ll have peace and tranquility, slowly drifting through the waters of this fishless river.

At the end of the trip, with your eyes tired from so much beauty, you can tell any friend in the world that your family saw and enjoyed a unique place, unlike any other on Earth. If you’ve also flown over the Lençóis, you’ll definitely post the most beautiful photos of your life.