Lençóis Maranhenses: when the lagoons fill and how to get there

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, on the coast of Maranhão, holds rainwater lagoons between huge white dunes. The landscape is at its best, with full lagoons and steady weather, from May, and visits peak in July. The nearest bases are Barreirinhas and Santo Amaro, and Barreirinhas is about 4 h 30 by bus from São Luís.

Why go

Lençóis Maranhenses is a field of white sand dunes stretching inland from the Atlantic, with blue and green lagoons in the hollows between them. Nowhere else in Brazil looks like it.

The lagoons are rainwater. They have no inlet or outlet and are fed only by rain. Temporary lakes form in the rainy season and shrink or vanish in the dry season. That cycle is why timing matters more here than almost anywhere else in Brazil.

The World Heritage Committee inscribed the park in 2024 under criteria (vii) and (viii), for its natural beauty and geological processes. The park covers more than 155,000 hectares and was created in 1981. Its coordinates are 2°32′S 43°04′W.

Getting there

São Luís, the state capital, is the gateway. Fly into São Luís, then take a bus or transfer to Barreirinhas or Santo Amaro.

The park lies in three municipalities: Barreirinhas, Primeira Cruz and Santo Amaro do Maranhão. The park office is in Barreirinhas.

By bus. Buses leave the São Luís bus terminal several times a day, morning, afternoon and evening. Crisbell and Expresso Guanabara run the route, and trips arrive at Barreirinhas Posto Leal. Fares can rise to around R$ 95 at busy times.

By van or private transfer. Vans and private transfers from São Luís hotels and the airport are faster than the bus. The road time is about 3 h 30 on the paved highway, depending on which town you head to. Book through your pousada or an agency.

To Santo Amaro. The road to Santo Amaro was paved in 2017, which made it the nearest access point from São Luís. Primeira Cruz is reached mainly by river.

By air. Azul ended its flights to Barreirinhas in 2025. Fly to São Luís and continue by road. For flights to São Luís, see domestic flights in Brazil. For buses in general, see long-distance buses in Brazil.

Check before you go: Bus times and fares change by season. Confirm the day’s departures at the São Luís bus terminal or with Crisbell and Expresso Guanabara, and book ahead for July and holiday weekends.

Coming from the Ceará coast? Read the Rota das Emoções page.

When to go

Go between May and September for full lagoons. July is the peak month for visitors, and June and August are good alternatives with fewer people.

The rainy season usually runs from about January to June. Rain fills the lagoons gradually, so early in the year they are still low. From May the landscape is at its best, with full lagoons and steadier weather.

September and October bring strong wind, which draws kitesurfers. Lagoons begin to drop as the dry season goes on, and by the end of the year many are low or empty. Some lagoons keep a good water level through the dry months, such as Lagoa do Junco.

Check before you go: Water levels vary from year to year with the rains. Ask the park office in Barreirinhas or your tour operator how full the lagoons are before you book, especially for trips outside May to September. For regional rain patterns, see best time to visit Brazil.

Where to base

Barreirinhas has the largest visitor infrastructure. Santo Amaro is closer to the dunes, and Atins is the quiet village option.

• Barreirinhas is a riverside town on the Rio Preguiças, with the most pousadas, restaurants and tour agencies.
• Santo Amaro do Maranhão is smaller, with dunes starting close to town.
• Atins is a village at the mouth of the Preguiças, inside Barreirinhas municipality. It is a base for kitesurfing and for walks into the dunes from the east.

The full comparison is in Barreirinhas vs Atins vs Santo Amaro.

What to do

Most visitors take guided 4x4 tours into the dunes, a boat trip down the river and, for the adventurous, a multi-day trek. Plan at least three days.

Day tours from Barreirinhas

Tours leave Barreirinhas in 4x4 vehicles authorized by ICMBio and drive as far as a support point at the edge of the dunes. From there you walk over the sand to the lagoons.

• Lagoa Azul has the park’s largest concentration of visitors and vehicles. It is the most popular half-day tour.
• Lagoa Bonita sits on one of the park’s highest points, with wide views over the dunes. Its support point is at residents’ houses.

Tours from Santo Amaro

• Lagoa da Andorinha has the largest concentration of visitors and vehicles in that sector.
• Betânia can be reached by land or by water on the Rio Grande.
• Lagoa das Américas is reached by boat tours from Santo Amaro.

The Rio Preguiças

Boat trips run down the Rio Preguiças from Barreirinhas toward the sea. They stop at small dunes beside the river, a fishing village and a lighthouse with views over the coast, and end near Atins and the sandbar of Caburé.

Scenic flights

Small planes offer short sightseeing flights over the dunes from Barreirinhas. From the air you see the pattern of the lagoons best. Ask agencies in town.

Guides

A visitor may walk the access trails with an authorized guide, but a guide is not compulsory on the main day-tour trails. Most visitors join a guided tour anyway, because only authorized 4x4 vehicles can drive to the support points.

The Travessia dos Lençóis

The Travessia is a multi-day trek on foot across the dunes from Atins to Santo Amaro do Maranhão. Support points are at Baixa Grande, Queimada dos Britos and Betânia, where you sleep in hammocks at residents’ homes. ICMBio rules for the trek:

• A maximum of 10 people per guide.
• Pre-booking at a support point, plus an entry registration form for each group.
• No glass containers, campfires or unauthorized motor vehicles (buggies, quads, UTVs).
• A waste collector on overnight treks.

Book the Travessia through a registered agency or guide, who arranges the support points.

Visitor pressure

Visitor numbers have grown fast, from 73,303 visits in 2017 to 151,786 in 2019. Vehicle impact on the dune field is a known problem. In 2024 UNESCO asked Brazil to develop a tourism management plan based on the park’s carrying capacity, and ICMBio is studying a daily visitor limit. Choose quieter lagoons, stay on the marked routes and follow your guide.

Who lives and hosts here

Communities live inside and beside the park, and tourism is an important source of income for them. In Queimada dos Britos and Baixa Grande, residents offer hammock lodging and meals to trekkers.

The Canto dos Lençóis is a traditional community that fishes and raises animals. Its residents offer rustic lodging, meals and toilets to visitors. Ask before you photograph anyone. Pay hosts directly for meals and beds, and treat their homes as homes.

Costs

Getting to the park is cheap. Tours, lodging and transfers are where most of your budget goes.

The park charges no entry fee. Tours are priced per person in shared 4x4s, and private tours cost more. Compare two or three agencies in Barreirinhas, and check what each tour includes. For other parks, see Brazil’s national parks: fees.

Practical tips

• Walk barefoot on the dunes, but carry sandals for hot sand at midday.
• Bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and plenty of water. There is no shade.
• Pack a dry bag for your phone and camera.
• Take sunset tours. The light is best and the sand is cooler.
• Leave no trash. Carry it out with you.

Skip it if

• You can only travel in January or February. The lagoons are usually still low then.
• You want the park quiet in July. July is the peak, and Lagoa Azul and Lagoa da Andorinha carry the most visitors.
• You dislike heat, glare and walking on sand. The dunes have no shade.
• You have only one day. The trip from São Luís takes most of a day each way.

For health, the Brazil vaccines page covers yellow fever and other vaccines for Maranhão.