Lençóis Maranhenses, the enchanting landscape of sand sheets

The Lençóis Maranhenses is a beautiful natural paradise located in Brazil right in the heart of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, in the Brazilian state of Maranhão. It is known for its infinite span of white sand dunes and small lagoons of rainwater that change shape, depending on the direction of wind.



This geological aerodrome is 600sqm and is unique in the world with nearly 45 miles of deserted beaches that extend to the inland for 30 miles. This is a rare phenomenon due to the abundant rainfall that in this area ceases from March to June and settles in the valleys between a dune and the other forming small water mirrors. The sand, carried onto the coast by the rivers, is pushed to the sides by the strong wind and the ocean.



Lençóis Maranhenses, which translated into Portuguese means "The Sheets of Maranhão" when seen from above seem like bedlinen stretched out in the sun, an infinite expanse of mobile dunes that advance 20 meters a year and are able to reach even 40 meters in altitude. It is a continuous moving soil, a landscape of green and blue lagoons trapped between the sand hills that blend together, then disappear and form once again according to the action of atmospheric agents.



Randomly discovered in the 1980s by some pilots covering the Belém-Fortaleza route, it soon became a national park to protect and preserve this delicate ecosystem. Some of these ponds, such as Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Bonita are regularly visited by tourists for the beauty of the water and the warm temperatures ranging between 72°F to 98°F throughout the year.



This is a magical desert oasis with floating lakes and rivers which will impress just about any visitor.

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