If you want to explore the dunes of Lençoins Maranhenses, the easiest place you can stay in is the larger town of Barreirinhas. There are more amenities here and many restaurants to choose from. But the smaller town of Atíns is well worth the effort. The larger town has more restaurants and amenities and from there you can do lots of tours. There are some tours that you can not do from Barreirinhas but you can do them from Atíns. It is a small town without any asphalt roads, therefore you can only use a 4×4 or a quad or have a lot of trouble walking through the sand. Walking is hard but possible if you are in good health. You will be able to surf here (kite and wind) and there are schools and rental places all over the town. Most Pousadas offer lunch and dinner but there are some restaurants that you could visit. We had a great pousada and the food was really good and thus we didn’t go out to a restaurant.
How to travel to Atìns?
4×4 jeep
There are two ways to travel to the little town of Atìns. You can get a transfer with a 4×4 jeep and they will pick you up from your accommodation and bring you to your next stay. Be aware that when you travel by a 4×4 jeep it will be a long and very bumpy ride, about 4 hours long. The terrain is a low bush area around the dunes and not over them. It is still nice to see the different types of vegetation. But I definitely recommend the second option. You can book your transfer here.
Speed boat
We heard that the more beautiful and faster way to travel is to take a boat transfer. There is a little port in Barreirinhas and we took a boat from there to Atíns. The last part from the port to our pousada in Atìns was included with a 4×4 jeep. We had an awesome place! When we went back to Barreirinhas we asked our accommodation if they could bring us back to the port in Atìns (it is just a little beach where they will bring you and pick you up) and that was no problem at all. Most transfers to Atìns are easy to book through your stay but you can also reserve it here.
After we booked our transfer we heard that you could book a tour to go on the river and see the mangrove forest. But after we did the transfer we realized that we already saw everything that you would see during the tour. If you book a river tour of course you don’t go as fast and there is a guide who will give information about the vegetation. We already had a lot of information about the mangrove forest when we visited the Amazon rainforest andso we decided not to do a river tour. If you go in the morning there are some longer stops at 2 places but because we went later in the day we only had 5 minutes for people to leave the boat. You can ask your tour operators if there are stops available and how long they will be. We asked our accommodation in Barreirinhas if they knew a good tour operator for the transfer. Here is the one we had.
The speedboat is only accessible if you are able to take some stairs. If you are a wheelchair user unfortunately you are not able to use the speedboat.
Other information
Because I speak Portuguese it was easy for me to book the transfer but it can be tricky when you don’t speak the language. Most people speak little to no English. You can try to ask them first but don’t be surprised when they don’t speak any other language than Portuguese. You can of course use Google translate but if you can try to learn some Portuguese beforehand it will absolutely help you while you are here.
The boat transfer was about $R200 p.p. for a return trip.
The port in Barreirinhas is here and the port in Atìns is here. It is not really a port but a little beach. When we went back we had to wait a bit longer than the time it should have gone but don’t worry they eventually will come.
If you have them, wear your flip flops so your shoes don’t get wet while getting out of the boat in Atìns.
Take note: Make sure you don’t bring a suitcase to Atìns because this small town is isolated and without asphalt roads, the sandy roads are impossible for roller carry-ons. I suggest opting for a backpack. We left our small suitcases at the pousada (which was really cool)since we knew we’d return there anyway.
Usually with the boat transfer, a transfer to your accommodation is included but you will need to get to the port on your own accord when you get back. Most pousadas will have a quad or 4×4 available and if you ask them if they could bring you back to the port it will not be a problem. (Check with them if there are additional costs for that.)
Atìns is definitely not a good place for people in a wheelchair or when you have mobility difficulties. The sand makes it extremely hard to move around. If you are able to walk a little bit there are some things you can do from Barreirinhas, for instance you can do a tour with a 4×4 jeep to see the beautiful scenery or if you enjoy flying you can definitely do the pleasure flight over the dunes.
I hope you will be able to go and see this exceptional national park.
Is this area 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
Collapsible sunglasses case
My sunglasses are a great way to accessorize my outfit and I want it to stay without scratches. This case is great for you in your purse or backpack. When you don’t use it, it folds flat which is great.
Sennheiser noise canceling headphones
The sound of traveling can be overwhelming. These Sennheiser noise canceling headphones I have used for more than 4 years and I still love them. 25h of battery, great noise canceling and the sound is wonderful. They pack small and they are not too heavy.
Sun hat for ponytail or bun
On days where I want to look a bit more put together I use this great sun hat, also with a whole for my bun or pony tail. Love it!!!