We can expect to see Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (LMNP) on the WH List within the next few years: Brazil already submitted a complete dossier for it in 2020, but it had two that year and gave preference to the Sitio Roberto Burle Marx. The park essentially is a landscape of sand dunes, dotted with lakes that form due to rainfall. It’s not a desert and there is no permanent water source.

I visited it on a half-day sunset tour to Lagoa Bonita. Entrance here is only possible via a guided tour by 4x4, as the roads inside the park are sandy, and muddy, and go up and down. The 45-minute drive goes mostly through a forested area and I was surprised to see people also living and farming there.  

We were let out of the car near the climb to the sand dunes area. Here we first had to wade some 300 meters through mid-thigh deep water, before a short sandy climb awaited. All is done best on your bare feet: it actually felt wonderful!

The rest of the tour was actually free time to swim or explore the dunes. Two large lakes had formed where we entered (I believe they're called Lagoa da Prata), and I hiked a full lap around one of them. For some of it, I walked on the pristine sandy dune ridges, but I also got my feet wet in the cool water by following the coastline for a bit. The lakes do have fish in them, and birds are also present. I saw some small plovers and black-necked stilts.

When it gets inscribed, LMNP will be a candidate for our Best seen from the sky connection. The site is famous for and named after its ‘crumpled sheet’ effect, with uncountable ripples and folds in the sand created by wind erosion. When you are walking among the dunes you hardly see that, but look at it from the terrain view on Google Maps for example!

I do have some doubts about how globally unique LMNP is (how does it compare to Fraser Island or White Sands National Park for example?), but its scenic beauty probably will get it listed as a WHS. The park is already a hugely popular destination with Brazilian tourists and Instagrammers.

Getting there

The closest large city with a well-connected airport is São Luis – conveniently already a WHS. For a short trip to LMNP, the city of Barrerinhas is the best hub. Buses and shared minivans regularly shuttle between the two cities during the day and take 4-5 hours. Another good option (which I took) is to find a spot on a shared minivan to Barreirinhas directly from São Luis airport. Upon arrival, I crossed the taxi section and walked over to the parallel road where a few minibusses were waiting. One of them had a shield ‘Barrerinhas’ and the driver was happy to take me on as an additional passenger. This is not an organized service, but there seem to be shared minivans scouting out for additional loads every flight.

To get a spot on a tour into LMNP, just walk into one of the tour offices on the main street of Barreirinhas the night or the morning before. There are plenty of tour providers, they all do the same and they share spaces to fill their cars.