The enigmatic and otherworldly terrain of Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

Upon first glimpsing the sparkling pools of paradise that define Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, it’s easy to wonder if you're dreaming.

Vivid blue lagoons, numbering in the thousands, lie beneath towering sand dunes that stretch over 598 square miles. Each lagoon seems to call out, inviting travelers to cross the desert and plunge into their refreshing depths. This scene could easily be a vision of paradise itself.

At first glance, Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park may appear to be a figment of the imagination, but this stunning destination, located 1,662 miles north of Rio de Janeiro in Maranhão, is as real as it gets. With its dramatic sand dunes interrupted only by vivid blue lagoons that emerge between March and September, it’s one of the world’s most surreal landscapes and a rare, untouched gem.

While Rio, Iguaçu Falls, and the Amazon dominate Brazil’s tourist scene, the northern state of Maranhão attracts only the most devoted travelers, those seeking the path less traveled.

Travelers who make the journey north often pair a visit to Lençóis Maranhenses with a tour of São Luis, the historic colonial heart of Maranhão’s capital. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 150 miles west of the park, is renowned for its beautifully restored buildings adorned with intricate Portuguese tiles known as azulejos.

Another must-see is the charming village of Alcântara, situated across São Marcos Bay from São Luis. This cinematic village offers a fascinating blend of preserved, ruined, and restored mansions, homes, and churches, all laid out on picturesque cobblestone streets. Alcântara is also home to colonies of bright red ibis (guarás), which turn the landscape into a fiery spectacle at dawn.

Lençóis, meaning 'bedsheets' in Portuguese, may seem like an odd name for a national park – until you see it from the sky. From above, the vast dunes resemble rolling sheets draped across the world’s most stunning waterbed.

Beyond its lagoons, the park also features stunning beaches, mangrove forests, and a rich array of wildlife, including turtles and migratory birds.

Freshwater lagoons

The striking landscape of the park is shaped by sediment carried by two rivers – the Parnaíba and Preguiças – to the Atlantic Ocean, which are then pushed back inland by powerful winds, creating the dramatic dunes up to 31 miles from the coastline during the dry season.

Despite its desert-like appearance, Lençóis Maranhenses is too wet to be classified as a desert. The rain actually creates the freshwater lagoons, which are unable to drain due to a layer of impermeable rock beneath the sand. This natural wonder is most visually spectacular between July and August.

Reaching Lençóis Maranhenses is no easy feat.

The easiest route is to fly into Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport in São Luis, then take one of four daily buses for the five-hour journey east to Barreirinhas, the main gateway to Lençóis Maranhenses. Alternatively, Santo Amaro, located hours east of São Luis, provides another access point to the park.

For the adventurous, a more challenging route involves traveling from Jericoacoara in Ceará state, about 240 miles east of Barreirinhas, by a mix of buggies and public transport.

The park’s vast size and remote location on the edge of Brazil make it a surprisingly uncrowded paradise. Visitors can explore through multi-day treks, scenic flights, skydiving (only in August), and the most popular option: 4x4 day trips.

Whether you explore the vast wilderness on foot or by 4x4, you’ll have the space to yourself, with no worries about kicking up sand in anyone’s face.

A park all to yourself

Organized tours will always take you to the iconic Blue Lagoon, but the real magic lies in finding your own hidden pools of cobalt blue, away from the crowds.

Ask your guide to steer clear of other tour groups and take you to a secluded paradise. There’s nothing more rewarding than having a crystal-clear lagoon to yourself after trekking across the sun-baked dunes.

Among the dunes, you’ll find two remote villages. Caburé, located 64 miles northeast of Barreirinhas, is a small sand peninsula nestled between the river and the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s a popular lunch stop for those on river tours, but staying overnight here feels like an undiscovered gem. After the day-trippers leave, you’ll find the sands almost empty, shared only with a few tourists, if any. The small rustic restaurants and inns, known as pousadas, can feel like a deserted fishing village by sunset.

Atins is a larger village nestled among dune vegetation, home to a noticeable international crowd and several inviting pousadas. The appeal of this remote village, about a -hour boat ride from Barreirinhas, is the ability to access the more secluded parts of the park. It’s also the perfect spot to unwind, whether you’re looking to relax for a few days or escape to write a novel.

Both villages serve as fantastic bases for exploring the park over several days, with small daily excursions to distant lagoons and the chance to return each evening to breathtaking sunsets and deliciously fresh seafood dinners.

Both Caburé and Atins can be reached by boat along the Preguiças river from Barreirinhas. This scenic water route into Lençóis Maranhenses is bordered by mangroves, sand dunes, and lush palm groves, including acai palms, the source of the Amazonian berries that make one of Brazil’s most delicious treats.

Navigating the river’s winding path through such dreamlike landscapes is the perfect way to relax and explore Brazil’s northern frontier. Appropriately, the river’s name means “lazy” in Portuguese.