Tips and tricks
One of the most unique places in Brazil is Lençoins Maranhenses. Lots of people know the beautiful waterfalls of Foz do Iguaçu but haven’t heard about this marvelous place. Lencois Maranhenses consists of a desert/ dune area located on the north coast of Brazil and it extends up to 40 km inland. With an area of more than 1,500 km² or 16145 sq feet, Lencois Maranhenses is the only desert in Brazil which makes it very special. Yet this is not the only thing that makes this area so unique. When there is rainfall in this area, lots of lagoons will be formed between the many sand dunes. These blue or green colored lagoons provide a gorgeous view and if you like you can swim in them. A marvelous place in my view.
How to get there?
This otherworldly national park is located in the north of Brazil and you can only get there by taking a flight to São Luis and a transfer to the town of Barreirinhas. There are buses you can take but it depends on what time you arrive if it is practical or not. We took a little bus (transfer) and we were picked up from the airport and brought directly to the pousada we stayed at. From São Luis it is at least 4 hours to Barreirinhas and from there you can get a transfer to the town of Atíns. Barreirinhas is larger and has more amenities and the restaurants are many. We stayed one night in Barreirinhas before going to Atíns. If you go to Atíns you can go with a 4×4 car or take a boat. The little town of Átins is very remote and there is no asphalt road. If you are planning to go to Atíns I recommend not bringing a suitcase but only take a backpack. We left our little suitcases at the pousada because we would come back there anyway.
We took a boat to Atíns and the transfer from the port to our awesome pousada was included. We had an awesome place! We slept in a traditional boat that was changed into a room. When we went back we asked our accommodation to bring us back to the port (it is just a little beach where they will bring you and pick you up) and that was no problem at all. Most likely you can book a transfer through your pousada.
How to book your tours
There are lots of things to do here and because most people don’t speak English it can be a bit daunting to find everything you want to do and book it in advance.
We booked some of the tours online but our pousada helped us book some of the tours as well. Most accommodations will ask you if you want to do something beforehand. If you want to add something while you are there, you can also do that and they are more than happy to help. In the next blog about the tours you can find more information about where and how we booked our tours.
When should you go?
The best time is to avoid the dry season because when there is not enough water the areas between the dunes will dry up. In the period May- September there will be lakes between the dunes when the rain has fallen. It really is spectacular.
What to pack for Lençoins Maranhenses?
It depends on what tours you will do, what you will need. But the area is well known for the lakes so definitely bring your swimwear, flip flops and a quick dry towel and a dry bag to put your wet stuff in. Bring summer clothes because it is going to be hot! Sunscreen and/or UV protecting clothes is advised especially if you do a longer tour. Read the full blog here;
And lastly bring your (waterproof) camera or phone to take pictures of this amazing place. Check out the shop for some amazing pictures of Lençoins Maranhenses.
To fully explore this area you should go at least 4 days but better is 5 days. We enjoyed it a lot and we still wanted to do more things but we didn’t have more time. The nature here is awesome and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as we did!
Because of all the sand this is not accessible from wheelchair users or people who have trouble walking.
Is this national park accessible for wheelchair users?
National park*
No, sorry to break it to you but it is very hard to move around here. Even if you are able to walk just a little bit the roads are super bumpy. If you are able to walk a bit you might be able to do a 4×4 tour with a jeep but as I just mentioned, it is a hard drive. The pleasure flight could also be an option. It is super nice.
Café’s and restaurants
Bad, unfortunately it is very sandy and so the people are not well prepared for people who are disabled. Lots of restaurants have stairs or high steps going inside. Restaurants with a terrace are your best option here.
Public transport
Bad, but you can always use taxis here.
Toilets
Bad, the people are not well prepared for people who are disabled and there are almost no bathrooms for people in a wheelchair here.
*And other attractions
Items I love while traveling
Dry bags
These bags I use all the time for different things. I do my laundry in them, use them as a hamper or bring them with me to the swimming pool or beach. Easy to clean and multiple ways to use them.
Collapsible handheld fan
I don’t know about how you deal with heat but I need a bit of cooling down when I’m traveling. This easy (and cute) fan is my go to for when I am too hot. It can be charged with usb which is super practical.
Quick dry towel
Even when I go to a hotel I love to bring my microfiber towels. I use them for my hair, for when I go to a beach or swimming pool and I use them to get even more water out of my clothes after laundry.