Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is a protected area in northeastern Brazil that covers around 380,000 acres and is famous for its vast white sand dunes and seasonal freshwater lagoons. The dunes were formed from sand being carried down rivers in the interior of Brazil toward the Atlantic Ocean that then gets pushed back onto the shoreline by ocean currents and heavy tides depositing it along the beach. During the dry season, strong winds blow the sand back east up to 50km inland to form crescent shaped dunes up to 30m high that are constantly shifting over time.
Although the landscape looks like a desert, the park sits near the Amazon basin and receives up to 2,000 mm of rain per year. Underneath the sand sits a dense layer of impermeable rock and underground clay. Because this underground layer blocks the water from draining away, heavy rainwater builds up in the valleys between the dunes, creating thousands of temporary, crystal-clear pools ranging from the size of a small pond to the size of a lake.
I was fortunate enough to go right after the rainy season so the lagoons were freshly formed and could be seen every couple hundred feet. It was truly a breathtaking sight and one that never got old even after a three day trek through the seemingly same landscape the entire time. Somehow each new lagoon would have a slightly different shade of blue, or be positioned differently against the sand dunes, to inspire awe and wonder.
Getting In
The easiest way to get to Barreirinhas (the gateway city to Lençóis Maranhenses) from Jericoacoara is by private 4WD transport. I later found out there is a bus from Jijoca two days a week but I didn’t have that kind of time to wait; and the private transport wasn’t too expensive. We left Jeri at 9:30 and the ride took around seven hours with our lunch stop. The ride went through rural Brazil driving through tiny villages in the middle of nowhere. It was hard to picture what these peoples’ daily lives were like, but I imagine it’s somewhat similar to living in central Indiana.
The car was me, Oriane (my French friend), a young French couple, and a Brazilian guy. The three French were blabbering in French the whole time and I had a nice conversation with the Brazilian guy. He was working on his English so it was good for his confidence to speak with me. He was also in tech so we talked that world. We stopped halfway through at a set price buffet, rather than per kilo. In addition to the self service buffet, there were guys walking around with sticks of meat where they would cut off slices for you.
Barreirinhas
I wasn’t sure my plan of attack for Lençóis Maranhenses before my arrival. I had done a little research but figured I would wing it. I had three days in total and was leaning toward doing a one day tour and a two day trek. We got in around 5pm and after checking into my pousada, I walked into town to go tour shopping for the following day. Most of the agencies were closed, or some that I googled didn’t even exist. I finally found an agency to talk about tours, and they told me the three day trek was much better than the two day trek. They didn’t speak any English so I was stumbling my way through the negotiation in Portuguese. Originally I was worried I wouldn’t have time for the three day trek because I had a flight out of São Luis at 12:40am, but they told me that they can provide transport from where the trek ends on day three directly to São Luis. This certainly made the three day trek more appealing. They started at one price and when I showed hesitancy they lowered it. I said give me 30 minutes to think about it. I sat by the water and messaged Oriane asking how much she paid for her three day trek (this was her plan all along so she had already signed up for the trek in advance). She told me what she paid and it was the same price the agency was offering (after they had lowered from the higher price). Okay perfect I’m not getting ripped off. I wasn’t sure what kind of group I would be assembled with through this tour agency, especially after being put in a random group months before in the Uyuni Salt Flats when booking on the fly and not from a recommended agency, but figured screw it the dunes will be amazing regardless. Plus I didn’t really love the vibe of Barreirinhas so I’d rather just spend all my time inside the national park. I had only booked the one night at the pousada so that worked out perfectly. I went back to the agency and said let’s do it. They wanted me to pay in cash but that’s fine I could go to the ATM. They said no worries just bring it tomorrow morning by 8:30.
I had some hesitancies about the agency, but was feeling satisfied with my decision to do the three day trek. Time for dinner. All the restaurants along the river had the same menu serving sushi, pizza, burgers, and seafood. What is this the Cheesecake Factory? I just ordered a burger because it was the cheapest thing on the menu. It wasn’t amazing but got the job done. I paired it with bacuri juice, which was an interesting tasting Amazon fruit. Not my favorite either. I went back to my pousada and watched the U.S. beat Bosnia in its first knockout round game.
Lençóis Maranhenses Trek Group
I got to the agency a little before the 8:30 time they told me to arrive so I could ensure my spot. I handed the guy my cash and when I asked for a receipt or at least some form of verification that I also paid for the transport from Santa Amaro to São Luis on day three, he goes “tranquilo não é necessário.” Okay I’m just going to trust the process. Then I sat waiting at the agency for 30 minutes before finally he called me and said the rest of the group is here. I was ready for the group to be a bust, but to my pleasant surprise, it was all backpackers including Oriane. Cool! My expectations from this agency were low, but it all turned out to be great.
We were a group of ten including myself and it was mostly French people – my friend Oriane plus five 22-23 year old kids Evan, Yenis, Melchor, Margot, and Antony. Then we had Manu, a Dutch girl who was friends with Oriane that I had also met in Salvador. She was an absolutely hilarious character and I really enjoyed her sense of humor and complete lack of filter. Finally there was a couple who lived in Amsterdam but the guy, Bruno, was from Brazil; and the girl, Julia, was from Poland.
Overall we had amazing group chemistry and it was one of those tour where everyone vibed. Throughout the three days I had good conversations that had depth with every single person in the group, except Margot because her English wasn’t quite as strong. She spoke some English but was definitely more shy. Julia, Bruno, Oriane, and I were the old folks of the group in our thirties so we connected on different levels given where we were at in our lives. But the French kids and Manu kept us young with impromptu dance parties in the sand, handstand competitions, coordinated dance lessons, and their nonstop energy. They loved running down the dunes and nose diving into the lagoons then running right back up and doing it again.
There was a number of times where the French would revert to speaking French amongst themselves even when the whole group was together. It didn’t bother me too much but it very much annoyed Manu. If you have a group of Dutch people together, and there is one person who doesn’t understand Dutch, then they do a good job speaking in English even to each other so that way everyone is involved in the conversation. Whereas with French people (or at least this particular group), they would tell stories and have discourse in French then occasionally include the English speakers. One on one they were all great at having English conversations, but once they got in a group they became a little less inclusive. To be fair if I was on a three day tour with a group of Americans who also all spoke Spanish, and Spanish was the common tongue with other people, I’m sure at times we would still revert back to speaking English in front of the group. Anyways language and group dynamics can always be interesting. I am fortunate (and unfortunate) that English is almost always the common language. I always saying being a native English speaker is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because we can go anywhere in the world and people are likely to speak our language. But it’s a curse because we aren’t good at learning other languages since everyone speaks English; we aren’t forced to do so out of necessity.
Lençóis Maranhenses Trek Day 1 (3.52 miles; 433 feet elevation gain; 404 feet elevation loss)
The first day of the trek wasn’t much hiking, it was mostly spent transporting us deeper into the dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park with a few pit stops along the way. The morning started with a boat ride from Barreirinhas down the Preguiças River heading toward the small town of Atins on the Atlantic Ocean.
After about 30 minutes on the boat, our first stop gave us a glimpse of the crystal clear blue rainwater lagoons that would be the theme of the next few days. These particular lagoons were very crowded since it was a common stop for day tours. Still beautiful nonetheless and it gave us a taste for what’s ahead. The contrasting colors of the white sand dunes, dark blue and turquoise lagunas, green trees, and light blue skies would become the norm. Plus it was nice to cool down with a quick swim.
And monkeys!
Then it was back on the boat for another 20 minutes to stop number two. This was the least interesting of them all and was more an opportunity for the little river village to make some money off the tourists. Oh well that’s all part of it. There was a lighthouse where you could climb the staircase and get some fringe views of the park.
Another 10 minutes on the boat and we arrived at stop three for lunch. We had time before eating for another swimming cool down in the Atlantic Ocean; it was freaking hot! The lunch was incredible and probably the best fish I ate the entire trip! The fish tasted so fresh and was cooked to perfection with crispy skin on the outside and a juicy inside. The group was really getting to know each other at this point and we were starting to develop that strong group chemistry that continued throughout the trek.
We got back on the boat one last time for about 10 minutes before arriving in the town of Atins. Then it was onto our next mode of transportation – a 4×4 truck that had seats built in the bed. It was a fun 45 minute ride through the vast and endless dunes as the driver whipped it up and down the hills treating the ride like it was a roller coaster. No traffic jams here. Finally by 3:30 we got to the place where we would start hiking. It was cool that we got the boat and driving through the dunes experience. That checks off what you get from the day tours alone.
I had brought my hiking shoes because when I hear the words three day trek then I assume I need hiking shoes. But it turned out we were doing the entire hike barefoot. It made sense in sand dunes, I just didn’t know that’s actually how it would go down. Everyone else had gotten the memo that shoes weren’t needed for the trek, but since I had booked from the agency the night before in my poor Portuguese, they provided me zero information. Oh well I can just tie them to my backpack.
Even though the air was hot, the sand was surprisingly cool. It was also very soft and reminded me of being on Siesta Key beach. As we started walking, I immediately had that soul satisfying feeling looking around these landscapes with sand dunes and lagoons as far as the eye could see. It was breathtaking! And this was truly a unique trek like nothing else I had ever done.
It was cool to see our fresh footprint tracks in the pristine sand. And by tomorrow the tracks will probably already be gone, swept away by the wind. Walking through untracked sand reminded of getting a fresh powder line when skiing. Well it’s not nearly as exciting but there’s still something so mentally satisfying about going over untouched terrain and being the first one who makes the tracks.
We walked up and down a few sand dunes and passed a few lagunas with a range of shades of blue depending how the sunlight was hitting the water. After about an hour of walking, we stopped for a refreshing 20 minute swim. There was only one other group at this particular lagoon. Now we’ve really escaped the crowds!
We continued our walk in search of a high dune to perch on for sunset. It was cool to see all the other groups off in the distance deciding which dune they were going to climb for the sunset. This whole place is a choose your own adventure path. It’s just an open sand dune; there’s a million ways to go. The guide was playing Brazilian music while waiting for the rest of the group, we just started an impromptu samba dance party. The vibes were high!
The sunset that night was slightly blocked by the clouds but we still got some very nice colors – the yellows, oranges, and bright reds were out to play.
We got to the lodging compound around 6:30pm and were introduced to the hammockery where we would be sleeping. The property had multiple open air, roofed buildings with rows of hammocks lined up. The property was also home to a variety of farm animals – pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, dogs.
This was the night one stop for all the groups that had started the trek that day and there must have been at least 40-50 people in total. We all took pre-dinner showers and the water was surprisingly lukewarm. While waiting for dinner, I chatted up a guy from São Paolo in another group who spoke great English. He loved reggae and always wanted to visit the U.S. during the Reggae Roots Festival in California. The fish dinner that night was not nearly as good as the one for lunch, but it got the job done. Afterwards there was a bonfire under the stars where I had a nice convo with Oriane. Then it was off to hammock sleeping.
Lençóis Maranhenses Trek Day 2 (9.4 miles; 1,237 feet elevation gain; 1,342 feet elevation loss)
Breakfast was at 5:30 but people were already rustling around by 4:30. The hammock sleeping wasn’t great but I slept better on night one than I ultimately would on night two.
We were on trail by 7 and it was another day of going up and down sand dunes and seeing endless lagoons. The surreal beauty and landscapes can’t be captured in a photo due to the vast nature of the dunes. It’s still photogenic nonetheless but it’s the type of place you need to see with your own eyes to truly feel the grandeur of the area. This sand hits different with the naked eye.
This day is best described through photos but the high level overview is that we would hike for 1-1.5 hours then stop at a lagoon and swim for 20-30 minutes. We stopped at three lagunas in total.
It was in the lower 90s and the sun was beating on the sand, so the swim breaks were always the perfect refreshing stop to cool down from the heat.
In addition to walking up and down the dunes, there were also countless water crossings. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I had solid conversations with pretty much everyone in the group about travel, sports, life, telling stories, cracking jokes, you name it. Bruno is also a software developer so we nerded out on tech talk for a bit. After months of travel, we both appreciated being able to have that type of conversation and brain stimulation.
We arrived at our second accommodation just after noon so there was more time to chill and relax today before our sunset dune hike. This refuge was much smaller and it was just and one other group staying here.
We swam in a nearby river while we waited for lunch. Lunch was grilled chicken, rice, beans, and pasta. It was decent but I was still dreaming about that fish from the day before. Afterwards I watched the “local TV” aka pigs, goats, chickens, ducks hanging out while a woman was washing the dishes. Everyone else took a nap during the afternoon but I hung out by the river reading and listening to music.
Around 4:30 we went back into the wavy sand dunes and walked about 30 minutes to swim in another lagoon before sunset.
Today we had an amazing sunset where we got to watch the red fire ball disappear into the dunes followed by exploding colors in the sky. It was magical! The line of sight across the horizon goes forever.
Once again the French kids were on one. It started with handstands, cartwheels, and backflips; and eventually led to Antony teaching this absurd coordinated dance that had so many steps that I’m not sure how he kept it all straight.
Even one of the guides joined in the fun showing off how his capoeira skills have helped him do infinite cartwheels.
We didn’t get back to the refuge until after dark. That night the conversations were flowing over chicken torta dinner. The refuge had the Argentina – Cabo Verde game on thanks to Starlink. It felt wrong to care about watching TV that far in the middle of nowhere but when the game was tied, we all had our eyes glued to it. Of course everyone was rooting for Cabo Verde. Other than just being the darling underdogs, the Brazilians are rivals with Argentina and always root against them; and the French wanted Argentina out to avoid playing them in the finals again. It was one hell of a game and amazing how close Cabo Verde got to winning. Then it was bedtime for me as we had a 3am wake up the following morning.
Lençóis Maranhenses Trek Day 3 (8.3 miles; 741 feet elevation gain; 741 feet elevation loss)
3am came way too quickly. I had a horrible night’s sleep in the hammock struggling to get into a deep sleep. Although maybe it was best just to rip off the bandaid early since I was getting good sleep anyways. We were a big group and very slow moving; always running behind. The other group left more than 30 minutes before us for sunrise. The guides were relaxed about our slow pace the first few days, but they were a bit more pushy on the final day. I think they were just ready to be done and go home.
We started hiking around 4:15 and walked for about an hour before settling on a dune facing the sunrise.
The colors started appearing over the infinite horizon and it was truly a thing of beauty. There was just the right amount of clouds to give the sky textures and layers as the colors became brighter and brighter.
It was one of the most beautiful (if not most beautiful) sunrises I’d ever seen. There was about 45 minutes of different colors appearing in the sky before the sun slowly started poking out. It was incredible! We were taking photos, dancing, laughing, and appreciating the moment. Antony gave part two dance lessons to expand on the previous day’s class.
We couldn’t have asked for a better sunrise experience! Sometimes sunrise experiences can be a little disappointing but this one was 1000% worth the 3am wake up.
We started walking again by 6:15am and everyone was in great spirits after the sunrise experience we just had. I had some deep convos with Julia about books, writing, history, and life experiences. She said that it was “the deepest conversation she’d ever had with an American” so I felt honored to hold that title. I was telling her about my blog and how writing helps me release my thoughts. She also likes to write and told me that one of her podcasts said that you should try to write two pages every morning when you first wake up to help activate the brain and get your morning thoughts out of your mind and onto paper. Even if you have nothing in particular to write you can say things like “Just having my coffee. I don’t know what to write. Blah, blah, blah.” Because in the end these morning writings aren’t for anyone but yourself so who cares what it says. Some days will be incredibly meaningful and others will be garbage, however just doing the exercise is a good way to stimulate the brain. I am really hoping to introduce this habit to my routine once I get settled again after my travels. I even started really getting crazy with it thinking that I could do it in Spanish, but maybe that’s biting off too much. Step one is to develop the habit. Doing backpacker travel is great for the memories and experiences, but I also really hope to use it as a way to develop better long term habits and improved ways of thinking. We’ll see; it’s always easier said than done.
The last day was the longest of them all mileage wise. You would think after seeing the same type of landscapes for a few days in a row it would good old, but it was still as impressive as ever; maybe even more beautiful.
The lagoons were getting bigger than ever and the dunes wavier. Also the color of the water seemed more turquoise. This part of the dunes must get exposed to more sunlight, or maybe it has less algae. I’m not really sure how all that works.
We got to our first swim session of the day and Manu started teaching aquatic twerking classes. Yes it was as fun as it sounded. We were all giggly and just high on life. Top notch energy.
We walked for a few more miles where Manu and I had a mixture of heart to heart talks and silly jokes. She really is one of the funnier people I’ve met on the trip. Then we reached our final lagoon and last opportunity to swim. The guide said it was his favorite of them all and I could see why. It was absolutely massive and the water was a gorgeous shade of blue.
This lagoon had the biggest dune of them all for running into the water and the French kids were having the time of their lives. At one point they all somersaulted down it. I wish I got a video of that because it was so funny but I still got a good one.
Swimming in the lagoon one last time, I reflected on what an amazing three day trek this was. It was such a cool and unique experience through surreal landscapes – hiking barefoot in wavy sand dunes, walking by at least 50 natural rainwater lagoons (maybe 100 I have no idea, I wasn’t counting), swimming in eight lagoons, seeing an amazing sunrise and sunset over the endless horizon, and sharing memories with an incredible group. A few days before I wasn’t even going to do this tour, then I reluctantly booked with an agency I was skeptical of, and this was the end result. This is what I love so much about the backpacker style of travel. The unexpected adventures that turn out to be the best experiences.
We got picked up by a 4×4 truck that took us on a 30 minute ride to Santa Amaro as we passed by many more lagoons. This place just never ends! We had an early lunch together before saying our goodbyes.
My big backpack had been successfully been transported to Santa Amaro, and it turned out that Oriane and I were on the same bus to São Luis. This all went seamlessly too. The bus driver asked everyone on the bus where they were staying for direct drop off. Wow what service! It ended up being 5.5 hours with stops before arriving at my hostel around 6:30. My flight was at 12:40am, but I still got a hostel so I could shower and get a few hours of sleep. No way I was going directly to the airport to sit for six hours.
It was rainy in São Luis and very depressing after being in the paradise that is Lençóis Maranhenses. Life isn’t all sand dunes and lagoons. It was the 4th of July, and the most American I could be was to get burger from a spot nearby the hostel. It was cooked a perfect medium rare and tasted better than most burgers in the U.S. Then it was time to shower and get a few hours of sleep.