Considered the “Brazilian desert” due to its arid climate and its geographical aspects, the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is a unique place. Formed by numerous fine white sand dunes, interspersed by dozens of fresh and crystalline lagoons, the Lençóis Maranhenses stretch over more than 155,000 hectares and 75 kilometers of coastline, mostly formed by deserted beaches and entering 26 kilometers coast, which characterizes it as the largest field of coastal dunes in the whole of Brazil.
The area that corresponds to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park created in 1981 as a way to protect the diversity of local fauna and flora is the size of the city of São Paulo which helps us to get an idea of its immensity. The thousands of dunes that form the Park can sometimes reach 40 meters high which makes the landscape exuberant and exotic by the contrast between the desert formed by the dunes and, in winter, the several ponds interspersed in this blanket of white sand the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. In the dry season the image is transformed and the region becomes a great desert that also keeps its beauty. All mother nature’s work.
The rains that fall mainly between January and June, by accumulation, create the numerous lagoons with crystalline waters, some green blue, all very clear, some up to 4 meters deep and 2 km in length. The best known are Lagoa Azul, Lagoa Bonita, Lagoa do Peixe and Lagoa da Esperança. The winds, intense in the region, especially in the second half, cause the constant movement of the dunes for about 20 meters per year, making the landscape seen once more never the same.
The National Park, also known as the Great Lençóis is to the left of the river bank sloths in the direction of who descends towards the Atlantic ocean and is formed by the municipalities of Barreirinhas, First Cross and Santo Amaro. Walking through Lençóis is a unique experience, the landscape creates a mystical climate in the face of the grandeur and generosity of nature.
Diving in the lagoons of fresh and crystalline waters in the immense dunes and under a scorching sun, irremediably reminds us of the sensation of being in an oasis in the middle of Brazil. At night the sky falls on his head and the stars seem within reach of the hands. On a full moon night the spectacle is of light and magic, the climate of contemplation is unavoidable.
