Lencois Maranhenses

The Lençóis Maranhenses is one of the most surreal landscapes in Brazil, a national park of vast, rolling white sand dunes in the northeast that, despite looking like a desert, fills each year with thousands of crystal-clear turquoise and emerald lagoons. Fed by seasonal rains that collect in the valleys between the dunes, the sheets of white sand and blue water stretch to the horizon, an otherworldly sight best seen in the dry months after the rains.

What's there

• The white dunes - the rolling sheets of pure white sand.
• The blue lagoons - the thousands of turquoise rainwater pools.
• Swimming in the lagoons - a dip in the warm, clear pools.
• The sunset over the dunes - the sand and water glowing at dusk.

When to go

The lagoons are full and at their most spectacular from around June to September, a few months after the rainy season fills them; by late in the year they dry up, so timing is everything for the famous blue pools.

Things to know

The famous lagoons exist only for a window of a few months after the rains, roughly June to September, and are dry the rest of the year, so timing is crucial. It is remote, reached via São Luís, a long road transfer and a 4x4 into the dunes. Facilities are basic, and it is hot and shadeless on the sand.

Nearby

São Luís, itself a UNESCO colonial city, is the gateway; the Delta of the Parnaíba is nearby.

Key facts