Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses and its shifting lagoons

Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses near Barreirinhas in Brazil is a vast dune field where seasonal rain paints thousands of freshwater lagoons across the sand.

Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses in Maranhão, north-east Brazil, is a protected landscape where white sand dunes and seasonal lagoons create a shifting pattern of water and sand on the Atlantic coast. Established as a national park in 1981, it spreads across municipalities including Barreirinhas and has since gained international recognition as a World Heritage Site for its unusual combination of dunes, freshwater pools and coastal ecosystems.national park in Maranhão

Dunes, lagoons and an Atlantic shoreline

Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses stretches along the eastern coast of Maranhão, east of the Baía de São José, where Atlantic surf meets a broad belt of pale sand dunes.national park in Maranhão state Sand covers much of the park, forming dune ridges that rise above wide, shallow depressions.

During the wet months, rainwater collects in basins between the dunes and forms temporary freshwater lagoons that dot the sandscape in green and blue shades.rows of quartz dunes and lagoons A compact sediment layer beneath the sand prevents the water from draining away, so pools remain for part of the year as clear, swimmable bodies of water framed by white sand.compact impermeable layer beneath the dunes

A protected mosaic between three Brazilian biomes

The park lies in a transition zone where the Amazon, Cerrado and Caatinga ecoregions meet, and that position gives Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses a varied mix of plant and animal habitats.transition zone between three biomes Within the protected area, dunes and lagoons sit beside mangroves and coastal scrub, while rivers such as the Preguiças run through the surrounding landscape to the Atlantic.

The Brazilian government created the park by decree in 1981 to preserve this dune field and its freshwater lagoons as an integral conservation unit.created by Decree 86,060 in 1981 In 2024 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognising the scale of the dune system and its combination of coastal, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2024

Barreirinhas and access to the dune lagoons

Barreirinhas stands on the Preguiças River inland from the Atlantic shore and functions as a main gateway town for Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses.Barreirinhas as hub for the park From the town, vehicles adapted to sand and dirt tracks travel towards sectors of the park where lagoons cluster among the dunes, and river boats follow the Preguiças towards coastal communities such as Atins at the park’s edge.access via Preguiças River and Barreirinhas

Within the park boundaries, sandy terrain and wide expanses of dunes mean that routes follow established tracks or guided paths rather than marked streets. The combination of soft sand underfoot and exposure to sun and wind makes walks between lagoons feel like crossing a coastal desert, although the landscape forms part of a humid, lowland belt rather than a true desert in climatic terms.largest dune field in South America

Visiting Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses lies on the eastern coast of Maranhão in Brazil, with Barreirinhas serving as a principal access point by road and river from the state capital São Luís.
• Inside the park, terrain consists largely of soft sand dunes and shallow lagoons, so walking involves stretches on sand without shade and climbs up and down dune slopes.
• The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the Brazilian real.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses

Where is Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses?

Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses is on the Atlantic coast of Maranhão in north-east Brazil, in a region reached through gateway towns such as Barreirinhas.

What should visitors expect on a visit?

Visitors encounter a wide area of white sand dunes interspersed with seasonal freshwater lagoons, reached by vehicles and boats from Barreirinhas and neighbouring municipalities.

What makes Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses distinctive?

The park combines one of South America’s largest dune fields with thousands of temporary lagoons, set within a protected transition zone between three major Brazilian biomes.