São Paulo, June 19 (EFE).- A desert of white dunes conceals thousands of freshwater lagoons with crystal-clear water: this is the surreal landscape of Lençóis Maranhenses, a paradise that is causing a sensation on social media and has become a symbol of sustainable tourism in Brazil.
The phenomenon only occurs in an ecological transition area between the Amazon, Caatinga, and Cerrado biomes. It is the result of the accumulation of fresh water from tropical rains on an impermeable sedimentary rock surface covered by fine white sand.
The absence of pollutants and organic sediments keeps the water transparent, and, by reflecting sunlight, the sand gives the lagoons blue, green, and turquoise hues.
With shifting dunes that can reach 40 meters high, this landscape dominates 90,000 of the 155,000 hectares of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, which spans four municipalities in the state of Maranhão, in northeastern Brazil.
Exuberance and sustainability
The park, which received more than 440,000 visitors in 2024, according to officials, is “a powerful showcase of the country’s potential as a destination for ecotourism and sustainable tourism.” In addition, it conveys the image of a “lush, preserved, and welcoming” Brazil, which has an emotional impact due to its “rare beauty” and “cultural richness,” said Marcelo Freixo, president of the Brazilian International Tourism Board (Embratur), in an interview with EFE.
The most visited lagoon is Lagoa Azul, in the city of Barreirinhas, but Lagoa do Buriti Amarelo also stands out for its reddish tones with a touch of vegetation.
The largest in the park is Lagoa da Gaivota, in Santo Amaro, which remains full throughout the year and where it is possible to surf on the dunes.
In addition to countless lagoons and deserted beaches, tourists can admire sunsets, starry skies, and abundant fauna and flora, with endemic species such as anteaters, turtles, armadillos, and sloths.
“Tourism is a green industry that, if done sustainably, can contribute to preserving heritage sites like this and the communities that surround them (…) Tourism can be for this century and the next what oil was for the 20th century,” added Freixo.
Culture and gastronomy
The unique experience of exploring the Lençóis includes walks through the dunes, which are cool and compact due to the water; boat trips on the Preguiças River; and visits to local communities rich in culture and gastronomy.
The fishing village of Mandacaru, for example, is home to a 54-meter lighthouse, one of the region’s main viewpoints.
Caburé, a picturesque peninsula between the Preguiças River and the Atlantic Ocean, offers swimming in fresh and salt water, as well as local dishes such as free-range chicken, goat with coconut milk, and fish.
For a more “complete and safe” experience, it is advisable to hire local guides, according to Cristiane Figueiredo, head of the park managed by the Ministry of the Environment through the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).
“Each restaurant, or hammock area, has a particular characteristic of the traditional local people,” she told EFE.
International appeal
Although it offers a variety of stunning landscapes throughout the year, the high season for foreigners is currently between August and September.
For Freixo, these tourists, mainly French, German, Portuguese, British, and American, as well as South Americans, find in the destination “the perfect combination of stunning nature and adventure” and are won over by “an authentic experience.”
“This image is essential for attracting tourists who value authenticity, nature, and environmental responsibility, and it encourages them to return to Brazil to discover other equally amazing destinations,” he said.
On the other hand, the park’s recognition as a World Natural Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in July 2024 is boosting its international reputation.
That same year, it ranked fourth among the most searched Brazilian tourist destinations by foreigners on the internet, just behind Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, and Iguazu Falls on the border with Argentina, according to data from the Similarweb platform published by the magazine ‘Tendências do Turismo’ in 2025.
According to Freixo, the more than 12,000 internet searches recorded “reinforce its value as a tourist asset of global prestige” and corroborate the efforts of Embratur, together with other agencies and airlines, to improve the destination’s connectivity.
“Brazil has incredible and unique destinations from north to south. That is precisely its tourist differential. Only here are there paradisiacal beaches, waterfalls, the Amazon, the Pantanal, and, of course, a flooded desert like the Lençóis Maranhenses,” he concluded. EFE
Embratur supported Agencia EFE for the dissemination of this content.