Safari to Lencois Maranhenses

a unique and fascinating place to explore

Set 150 km (90 miles) east of Sao Luis in the north of Brazil, lies the remarkable Parque Nacional Lencois Maranhenses.

At 1550 square kilometres (600 square miles) and containing 70 km (43 miles) of coastline, Lencois Maranhenses is a substantial conservation area.

The area is mainly comprised of coastal sand dunes which, during May-Aug (following the rainy season), host an incredible network of seasonal lagoons, teeming with a wide range of fish species, which miraculously appear out of the sands.

As well as the dunes, the reserve also contains some important oasis (restinga) and mangrove ecosystems.

The reserve is home to 133 species of plants, 112 species of birds and at least 42 species of reptiles.

There are four particularly rare and iconic species, namely scarlet ibises, neotropical otters, oncilla cats and West Indian manatees.

Sao Luis

Set on the northern coast of Brazil, around 2700 km (1650 miles) north of Rio, Sao Luis is a substantial city of around one million people.

Although the city is attractively set on an island and has some considerable historic architecture (it was actually founded by the French in 1612), it’s not somewhere that tends to feature in many trips.

The main reason to pass through the area is when using the city’s airport to access some of the more interesting and alluring sections of this coastline.

The best time to visit the Lencois Maranhenses area is generally considered to be during Jun-Aug, when the lakes out in the dunes tend to be at their best.

The later you can leave it in that window, the better chance that the rains will have subsided. However visitor numbers do peak during August.

The lakes may also be present during May and September, but it’s probably best to stick to those core months if you can.

The area is classified as having a tropical wet and dry climate, with two clearly defined seasons …

Aug-Jan : dry season

During the Aug-Jan dry season the daytime temperatures are relatively high at around 29C/84F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures hold up around 24C/75F. However the rainfall is relatively light, at around 25mm (1”) per month. Sunshine is right up at 9 hours per day (around 80% of daylight hours).

Feb-Jul : rainy season

During the Mar-Jul rainy season the daytime temperatures are marginally higher at around 30C/86F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures are even higher at around 25C/77F. The rainfall is very high, in the region of 300mm (12”) per month. Sunshine is 7 hours per day (around 60% of daylight hours), meaning that there is usually a fair bit of cloud around (especially during Feb-Apr).

Getting there

The city of Sao Luis is served by Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (SLZ), which has direct flight connections to Sao Paulo and Brasília.

From the airport it is a road transfer of around 3 hours east to Lencois Maranhenses.

Where to stay

Although there are lots of places to stay in the Lencois Maranhenses area, there’s a real shortage of good options.

Most people stay in the large inland town to Barreirinhas, where many of the lodges have the advantage of being alongside the pretty Rio Preguicas, but the town itself has little appeal and the approach to the national park tends to be more busy.

We generally prefer the shaggy little ocean-front settlement of Atins, which is quieter and more scenic, as well as being more convenient if you’re also interested in kite-surfing and wind-surfing. There’s just one small lodge that we like to use here.

unfortunately the area is rarely included in trips