This Brazil tour is an awe-inspiring trek across the sand dunes of Lencois Maranhenses National Park. This park is bursting with white sand dunes that resemble "lencois," the Portuguese word for "bedsheet," and clear freshwater lagoons. Enjoy swimming, hiking, and the exploration of several small towns within the park on this Brazil trip. Unique in landscape and adventure, Trekking Lencois Maranhenses National Park is sure to delight travelers wanting to hike through this unique and beautiful ecosystem on foot.
Highlights
Trek through a myriad of dunes and pristine lagoons
Swim in warm clear freshwater pools leftover from heavy rainstorms
Explore the community of Baixa Grande, located in the borders of the park
Walk the charming streets of Atins, a small coastal fishing village
Activities that provide a reasonable level of physical challenge and elevate the heart rate. Focused on more active pursuits including multisport tours. Travelers may be active 5-7 hours total each day. Recommended for travelers with active lifestyles.
Arrive in Sao Luis de Maranhao and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to explore Sao Luis de Maranhao, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its magnificent colonial architecture. Treat yourself to coffee in a cafe or wander the streets of this lively city.
Morning departure to Barreirinhas, with a stop for breakfast, where a four-wheel drive vehicle take you onward to the entrance of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. This National Park was named for the immense dunes which spread across its landscape like a bedsheet, lençóis in Portuguese. Lençóis Maranhenses is divided into two distinct regions: Grandes Lençóis and Pequenos Lençóis. Stop to eat lunch and continue on a four-wheel drive vehicle up to the starting point of the trek. The three hour trek (approximately 2.5 miles) takes you on foot through a myriad of dunes and clear blue lagoons. Stop along the way to swim in these clear, freshwater pools and watch the sun as it dips below the sand-line. Set up tents and partake in a unique dining experience on the slopes of the dunes.
Breakfast is served on the dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses, and the trek continues along the sand and lagoons for about 3.5 hours (approximately 3 miles). Choose to swim in the freshwater pools or relax on the sand as you make your way. The pools are left from heavy rainstorms between January and June, eventually becoming warm and crystal clear. Your destination is Baixa Grande, a small town within the borders of the park. Eat lunch in Baixa Grande and spend the afternoon exploring the community. Tonight's accommodations are unique - hammocks in a small cottage in the fishing village.
Eat breakfast in the village and resume trekking across the park. Admire the valleys and hills made by the ever-changing sand formations as you walk about 3.5 hours (approximately 3 miles) to the coast of Rio Negro. Explore the beach and get picked up by a vehicle which takes you to the small fishing village of Atins. The afternoon is yours to relax on the beaches surrounding Atins or walk the quaint and charming streets of this small coastal town.
Take a free morning in Atins to rest after your trek across the dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses. In the afternoon, embark on a boat to travel along the coast to Rio Preguicas. At the entrance of Barreirinhas, another national park, transportation is waiting to return to Sao Luis de Marandao for the night.
Day 6: Depart Sao Luis de Maranhao
1 Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and transfer to the airport for your connection to your next destination.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 176 reviews on
9 hours ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.