The Lencois Maranhenses National Park located in Maranhão state, in northeastern Brazil, is one of the most marvelous and unique places in the world! An area encompassing about 1000 square kilometers of white silky sands intercepted at regular intervals by endless cool oases of turquoise lakes will make an adventurer’s heart skip a beat!
Read on for 10 fun facts about this other-worldly National Park and how to combine it with other incredible destinations in Brazil!
Lencois Maranhenses
1) Lencois Maranhenses National Park is a national park in northern Brazil’s state of Maranhão, in South America.
2) Lencois Maranhenses was formed over thousands of years, as the sand from riverbeds was deposited at the mouths of rivers and brought back to the continent by winds and sea currents.
Lencois Maranhenses
3) Lencois Maranhenses National Park covers an area of 1550 square kilometers (600 square miles) and includes approximately 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) of coastline and stretches as far as 50 kilometers (31 miles) inland.
Lencois Maranhenses
4) The best time to visit the park is roughly from May to September, when it’s sunny, yet the lagoons are still full.
Lencois Maranhenses
5) Lencois Maranhenses National Park cannot be entered by any vehicle type except 4-wheel drives.
6) Visitors can explore the park via 4×4 vehicle or by doing a barefoot trek camping out under starry skies and swimming in the magic lagoons (we happily offer this trek- please contact us if interested).
Lencois Maranhenses
7) The blue-green freshwater lagoons of Lencois Maranhenses National Park are formed by the 1194 to 1524 millimeters (47 to 60 inches) of rain that falls each year.
8) Lencois Maranhenses National Park sand dunes can reach heights of 40 meters (131 feet).
Lencois Maranhenses
9) Lencois Maranhenses National Park became a national park in 1981.
10) Fisherman, during the wet season, fish in Lencois Maranhenses National Park, but work in agricultural sites during the dry season, when most of the lagoons have dried up.
Lencois Maranhenses
Lencois Maranhenses can easily be combined with these other great destinations in Brazil:
- 4-Day Rio de Janeiro Essentials Adventure
- 6-Day Secrets and Spices of the Amazon
- 3-Day Iguazu Falls Discovery
- 7-Day In the Footsteps of the Elusive Jaguar
- 9-Day Sao Paulo, Paraty and Rio de Janeiro
Lencois Maranhenses
Want to plan your next adventure to Lencois Maranhenses? Don’t see what you want? Contact us!
Your friendly Brazil expert,
Gretchen