A Comprehensive Guide to Lençóis Maranhenses!

It’s said that the rainy season (roughly June to September) is the most beautiful time to visit, but I went in late March—and I think this period is just as stunning, totally worth a trip! 1️⃣ How to get to Lençóis Maranhenses? Lençóis Maranhenses is located in Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses. Usually, you can book a tour from the town of Barreirinhas. 2️⃣ How to get to Barreirinhas? Most people travel from the big city of São Luís. I traveled independently and took a bus. You can check bus schedules on the website (there are mainly two companies: Company C has departures at 6:00, 8:45, 14:00, and 19:30 on weekdays; Company G departs at 7:30 and 21:00. Weekend schedules are different, so check for yourself). The actual journey takes about 4.5 hours. The ticket price is 60 BRL, and booking online incurs an additional fee of over 10 BRL. I bought a ticket from Company C at the bus station and paid 65.2 BRL (probably including a platform fee). Cards are accepted. The address of São Luís Bus Station . 3️⃣ How to book a tour? There are plenty of travel agencies in the town—you can just pick one at random. I went during the off-season, and the quoted price for a tour was 100 BRL (you can bargain!). I booked two tours (neither included meals, but they did include accommodation transfers). The drive to the sites takes about an hour, and the ride is super bumpy! Lagoa Bonito: An afternoon tour that includes sunset viewing. It departs around 2 PM and returns to accommodation at 7 PM. This spot is quite far; once you arrive, you have to climb a huge, steep sand dune, then walk for a while in the desert. Lagoa Azul: A morning tour that departs at 8 AM and returns to accommodation around 1 PM. This spot is relatively close—you can drive directly to the lake. If you’re in good shape, you can arrange to visit both in one day, but I couldn’t—one was tiring enough! The sun was scorching, and playing in the water drained my energy too. There are other tours, but I was too lazy; I just wanted to rest in the following days. 4️⃣ Notes It’s extremely sunny! Make sure to apply sunscreen! I didn’t, and the result was a full-on sunburn—even more obvious in person, all red and dark (it was sunny on the first day and I skipped sunscreen; on the second day, I applied it, but it was rainy and overcast). Bring your own water and wear flip-flops (you can leave the flip-flops in the car when you arrive and walk barefoot). Don’t bring valuables—no one will watch your bag. You can prepare a waterproof pouch for your phone; they’re also sold on the way (both tours stop at the ferry crossing, where vehicles and people board separately, and you can buy them there). 5️⃣ How to get back to São Luís? You can still check schedules on the website, but buying tickets is a bit tricky—there’s no bus station here. If you’re taking Company C, their office is next to the restaurant shown in you can buy tickets on-site for 60 BRL, cards accepted). If you’re taking Company G, their office is on the 2nd floor next to the gas station , cards accepted, and tickets should be 60 BRL (I didn’t buy one). If both companies are sold out, there are also private minibuses. #MustSeeADesertOnce #Brazil