In northeastern Brazil, the journey begins in São Luis, a tropical city. A four-hour bus ride leads to Barreirinhas, a quaint fishing town. Here, an adventurous 4×4 journey awaits, taking you to the National Park of Lençóis Maranhenses.
The park features breathtaking white sand dunes spanning hundreds of thousands of acres. Thick jungle forms one border, while the Atlantic Ocean lies on the other. The name Lençóis means ‘bedsheets’ in Portuguese, aptly describing the appearance of dunes from above.
Scaling these dunes is not easy. Each step sinks deeper into the soft, fine sand. Reaching the top offers views akin to a science fiction landscape. In July, after the rainy season, over 35,000 freshwater lagoons dot the dunes. These pools provide a refreshing respite after the exertion of climbing.
The scene resembles a vast desert, yet the reality is different. Situated near the Amazon rainforest, this UNESCO World Heritage Site receives about 50 inches of rainfall annually. That’s more than twice the rain in London. Standing atop a dune in Lençóis, you feel worlds away from city life.
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