Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses and its shifting lagoons

Between Barreirinhas and the Atlantic, Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses spreads a vast field of dunes and lagoons across Maranhão’s eastern coast.

Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses in Maranhão is a protected landscape where pale sand dunes and rain-fed lagoons form a striking pattern along Brazil’s northeastern coast. Created as a national park in 1981, it covers a broad strip of shoreline and hinterland between Barreirinhas and the Atlantic Ocean, with dunes that rise and shift above a series of temporary freshwater pools.

Dune seas and seasonal lagoons

Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses is best known for its wide field of mobile dunes that run for tens of kilometres along the Atlantic coast of Maranhão. The protected area covers around 155,000 hectares, making it one of Brazil’s larger coastal parks, and a substantial part of that surface is taken up by dunes broken by lagoons that collect between their ridges.155 thousand hectares These sand formations give the park its name, evoking bedsheets spread over the land.

The lagoons are a defining feature of Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses, appearing between the dunes as rainwater gathers in the depressions. They vary in size and shape, bordering stretches of white sand that rise and fall with the wind. During wetter months the contrast between bright sand and clear water is especially visible, creating a succession of pools separated by dune crests.dunes and crystal-clear pools

A national park on Maranhão’s eastern coast

Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses lies on the eastern coast of the state of Maranhão, in northeastern Brazil, facing the Atlantic Ocean and extending inland from the shoreline. The park reaches across the municipalities of Barreirinhas, Santo Amaro and Primeira Cruz, all connected to its dune and lagoon landscape.three municipalities of Maranhão Barreirinhas serves as a principal access point, with roads linking the town to the park’s outskirts.

The Brazilian government established Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses as a national park by decree in June 1981, securing protection for its dunes, lagoons and associated coastal ecosystems.created by Decreto nº 86.060 de 02 de junho de 1981 The park sits in a transition zone influenced by several Brazilian biomes, including Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazon forest, and within its boundaries visitors encounter mangrove areas, coastal scrub known as restinga and stretches of beach running beside the dunes.bioma marinho costeiro with manguezal and restinga

Wildlife and the experience of crossing the sand

Although the dunes and lagoons dominate most views across Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses, the protected area also shelters wildlife adapted to its mix of sand, water and vegetation. Turtles and migratory birds use the region’s beaches, mangroves and lagoons, while small fish and aquatic species inhabit the seasonal pools that appear between the dunes.turtles and migratory birds The combination of coastal habitats and inland sand fields gives the park an unusual ecological character among Brazil’s protected areas.

Moving through Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses involves travel over soft sand and, in many areas, crossing uneven ground shaped by wind and water. Approaches from Barreirinhas and other nearby settlements lead onto the dunes, from where paths continue on foot or by authorised vehicles across the sand. Visitors encounter broad horizons, sloping dune faces and occasional sections of firmer terrain near vegetation or water bodies, with the sense of distance amplified by the open landscape.principal tourism destination of Maranhão

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, Brazil, with Barreirinhas acting as a main gateway connected by the MA-402 road.
• Much of the park consists of soft sand dunes and lagoons, so visits involve walking over uneven sandy terrain and, in places, climbing and descending dune slopes.
• The park includes coastal areas facing the Atlantic Ocean, and some excursions combine dune crossings with sections along beaches or near mangrove-fringed channels.
• 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 located?

Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses is in northeastern Brazil, on the eastern coast of Maranhão, spanning areas around Barreirinhas and neighbouring municipalities.

What should visitors expect on a visit?

Visitors encounter extensive sand dunes, seasonal freshwater lagoons and sections of beach and vegetation, with travel involving vehicle approaches and walking over soft sand.

What makes Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses distinctive?

The park’s combination of a large dune field with rain-fed lagoons, set beside Atlantic beaches and mangrove-lined channels, gives it a distinctive landscape among Brazil’s coastal protected areas.