Image: Scenery from the Emendadas Tour in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil.
Highlights
– How to explore Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil from Santo Amaro.
Time of Visit: May to June 2026
Duration of Visit: Four Nights
Description
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is a one of a kind destination in the world. It is surprisingly under the international tourist radar which is a blessing. There is no other place on earth where you find an expansive sand dune that seems to get whiter with each visit that has hundreds of seasonal freshwater lakes.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is located along the northern coast of the state of Maranhão, The park covers more than 1,500 square kilometers (580 square miles) of white sand dunes that stretch to the horizon. Despite resembling a desert, Lençóis Maranhenses receives substantial rainfall during the wet season which happens between December and March. Rain does still occur onwards but not in “buckets”. The rainwater collects between the dunes, forming hundreds of crystal-clear lagoons that range in color from deep blue to turquoise and emerald green.
The season of touring Lençóis Maranhenses usually begins in June and ends in August. By September, the lakes begin to dry.
The park’s name means “Bedsheets of Maranhão” because the endless rolling dunes resemble giant white sheets spread across the landscape. The scenery constantly changes as winds reshape the dunes and seasonal rains create and replenish the lagoons. Some lagoons persist for many months, while others gradually evaporate during the dry season.
The combination of bright white sand, vivid freshwater pools, and an ever-changing landscape creates one of the most distinctive natural environments in South America. It is a very memorable and special place. Not only because of the scenery but the people as well. They are one of the nicest and most chill that we met.
Activities
Tours
How To Sign Up
You have to sign up with a tour company to explore Lençóis Maranhenses. There are many tour companies and their prices are relatively close. There are half day and full day tours. The full day tours normally begin picking guests at their accommodations around 9:30 AM and drop off around 6 PM.
We signed up with a tour operator that our pousada host knew which made it convenient. We just told our host and he told the tour operator. Alternatively, there are tour operator offices scattered throughout town. We found one located at the roundabout where R. Oswaldo Cruz and R. Expranança intersected.
Park Entry Fee (Tax)
There is also a park entry fee (tax) that must be paid online. The fee is waived for seniors (60 years old and above). You have to scan the QR code posted on the tour vehicle to reach the park website. The park website generates a QR code that the rangers scan before allowing entry to the park. The QR code is needed even if the fee is waived.
Get the QR code while you have a cell or WiFI signal as there is no cell signal in the park. Our international cell plan was spotty and one of our new Brazilian tour buddies was so nice to get it for us using her cell phone. The entry fee was good for the three consecutive days we entered the park.
Available Tours
There are several tours available. The tours go to different parts of the park. The park has marked designated paths for 4×4 tour vehicles. Prior to the tours, we had a predisposition that the scenery and experience would be the same among the tours. We were wrong. Although it’s just sand dunes and lagoons, none looked the same. And the next tour seemed to be better than the previous.
We did only three tours just because we had no idea beforehand how many there were. If we were going to do it again for the first time, we would have stayed at least a week and done more than three tours plus maybe a rest day in the middle.
Here we describe the Betânia, Rancharia and Emendadas tours which were all done from the town of Santo Amaro do Maranhão. We did it in that order and capping the trip with the Emendada tour was just perfect.
Betânia Tour
The Betânia tour is one that we would consider a good introduction to see the park. We made four lagoon stops, a boat ride crossing the Rio Grande to our lunch venue in the community of Betânia and sunset viewing on top of a tall dune.
We drove about 30 minutes before stopping at our first lagoon. Our guide and driver set up one beach umbrella and the beach chair by the water’s edge. They also had a cooler with bottled water for us. We had about an hour to go swimming or hike up the dunes before moving on to the second lagoon to do the same thing.
Then it was lunch time after the second lagoon. We boarded a boat and motored about a kilometer (0.6 mi) upstream the Rio Grande to the restaurant. Judging from the number of people eating at the restaurant, the Betânia tour is probably the most popular as there were a lot of people. We were at the restaurant for about two hours.
We made one stop in the afternoon at two adjacent lagoons. We stayed here the longest until it was time for sunset viewing.
To us, the “wow” factor was there but not strongly. If you only have two tours to do, we suggest the next two tours.
Rancharia Tour
The Rancharia tour is another full-day adventure with a lagoon stop, lunch at a restaurant in a remote community, another lagoon stop and a sunset view. Its destination is deeper into the park in the southeast direction. We drove for at least an hour before stopping at the first lagoon which is named Rancharia.
We saw many jaw dropping landscapes along the drive and had roller coaster like rides as we went up and down dunes and made several water crossings. There was one dune that our vehicle almost couldn’t drive over as it was steep.
Unlike the Betania Tour where it was not common to see other tour vehicles. The Rancharia tour is remote and isolated. We saw just one other tour vehicle at the two lagoon stops. We can honestly say that the scenery was better than the Betania tour.
There was one lagoon that we passed but did not stop called Junco. The Junco lagoon must be part of a different tour as there were many people there. Junco probably has one of the most stunning turquoise color water we saw in the park.
Emendadas Tour
If there is one tour to do among the three that we did, Emendadas would be it. It was a spectacular experience and one that we wished would have not ended.
Unlike Betania and Rancharia, Emendadas start at 2:30 PM and we were dropped off at our pousada at 8:30 PM. Also, this tour has a walking component. Our guesstimate was about 5 km (3 mi) total. Walking in the sand barefoot was not bad as it was a slow pace with periodic stops to take photos. There were also a couple of waist deep short water crossings.
We drove probably for about 40 minutes before we started a 15 minute walk to Emendadas lagoon. Our guide accompanied us the entire time. We were given about an hour to do whatever at Emendadas before we continued walking to crest a number of dunes with panoramic views. Our final destination was a tall dune for a spectacular sunset view.
After sunset, we walked back in the dark to our 4×4 tour vehicle. This was the stargazing part of the tour. The stars were very visible as there was no light pollution. Just make sure to bring insect repellent to avoid swatting away the mosquitoes in valley sections where there was no wind. We did a 30 minute stop to stargaze before we departed.
Other Activities
There are ATV rides and we saw canoes on the banks of the Rio Grande. An ATV tour requires a guide to ride into the dunes.
How To Get There
The nearest commercial airport is in Sao Luis, about 240 kms (150 mi) or just under four hours drive. We rented a car and drove ourselves to Santo Amaro which is one of three gateway towns to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. The other two are Barrerias and Apin, both further to the east. Santo Amaro also has a bus station but it is far from the town center. You would need to ride a taxi if you get off the bus station to get to the center of town.
More About Driving
If you do decide to drive yourself, be aware that there are stretches of roads with potholes that are deep enough to ruin a vacation. At times, it felt like driving a slalom course to avoid the potholes.
There are also speed bumps in both small communities and on the highway. Some are not striped and hard to see which would surely make you slam the brakes.
To make it more exciting, there are also speed cameras and animals on the roadside. The animals are mainly horses and cattle which would cause serious damage. As such, driving at night is totally not recommended.
Fuels and Rental Cars
The rental cars in Brazil are flex fuel, meaning it can run on gasoline and ethanol. Ethanol is about 1 BRL ($0.20 USD) cheaper than the lowest grade gasoline called “comun”.
We rented a car four times in Brazil. First was a Fiat, then a Renault, a Fiat again and the last was a Renault. We used “comun” on the first three rentals and did not have any problems. We decided to try ethanol on the second Fiat before returning it. We noticed that fuel efficiency dropped by about 50% and the gas gauge did not register full when we filled it up. However, we did not notice any issues with the fourth rental car (Renault) using ethanol.
Van Transport
We know that van transports between Sao Luis and Santo Amaro exist because some of our Brazilian tour buddies used that service. Unfortunately, we do not have any information about it. Asking your host at Santo Amaro would be a good start to get information about van transport.
Sao Joao Celebration in Sao Luis
For the whole month of June, Sao Luis has a Sao Joao (St John the Baptist) celebration. We only knew about it the day we came back to Sao Luis to fly out the following morning.
From what a hotel employee told me, the city has events during the weekends, I guess what we are saying is that if you want to experience a cultural activity while in this part of Brazil, consider spending some time in Sao Luis before or after going to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. We did not know so we missed the opportunity.
Where To Stay
We stayed at Pousada Alvocer in Santo Amaro. Mr. Roberto runs the place that has six two bedroom apartments (downstairs) and nine studios (upstairs). The pousada is about a 15 minute walk to the city center where most of the restaurants and tour companies are located. Mr. Roberto speaks some English which is not common among the people in Santo Amaro.
We rented a two bedroom apartment which has a fully equipped kitchen. We wanted to cook our own dinner so we could just stay in the apartment after the tour which was very convenient.
Overall, we highly recommend Pousa Alvocer. Mr. Roberto is nice and helpful. The apartment was clean, the bed was comfortable, the WiFi worked flawlessly and breakfast was included.
How To Get Around
We saw taxis and even a car with an Uber sign in Santo Amaro. The taxis are very few so it would be hard to get one unless one was just passing by or you have the driver’s WhatsApp number.
Santo Amaro is a spread out town. Some of the streets are not paved and some have standing water after a rain. Walking during the day is hot but bearable in the evening. So when deciding where to stay, consider how you are going to get around as well.
Expected Expenses
Park Entrance (on line QR code) – we were told by our Brazilian friends that they paid 10 BRL ($2 USD).
Betania and Emendada tours – each is 170 BRL ($34 USD) pax, credit card accepted. Lunch not included.
Rancharia tour – 180 BRL ($36 USD) pax, credit card accepted. Lunch not included.
Lunch – the tour operator provided a menu before the start of the tour. We had to select the food that we wanted so they can inform the restaurant in the morning. The restaurants accepted credit cards but bring cash in case the credit card reader is not working. Menu prices varies but were reasonable.
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Summary
Lençóis Maranhenses is a place like no other on Earth. Vast white sand dunes with seasonal crystal clear lagoons offer spectacular scenery and unforgettable experiences. Visitors can swim in warm, freshwater lagoons surrounded by towering dunes, creating an experience that feels both surreal and refreshing.
The 4×4 excursions across the dunes provide an exhilarating way to see the landscape. Hiking between lagoons and watching spectacular sunsets from dune crests create a memorable experience.
We are really surprised that Lencois Maranhenses does not come up as a bucket list destination. It should be. Maybe it’s a good thing so that it’s spared from being ruined by mass tourism. We hope it will remain so. Not only is Lençóis Maranhenses one of a kind but the people of Santo Amaro are genuinely nice and have friendly smiles which makes for a wholesome and memorable experience.