Lençois Maranhenses National Park

When someone is lost in the desert and they scream “water” chances are it’s a mirage, a figment of their imagination fuelled by dehydration and sunstroke, in the Lençois Maranhenses National Park however the water isn’t an illusion but a living, creative expression of nature’s imagination: the huge green and blue lagoons are so real that you can join the fish and swim in them.

Heading in by 4-wheel drive the sand dunes are reminiscent of moon landscapes: bizarre and barren, void of any vegetation despite an annual rainfall of 1500 mm, but as you come over the top of these stark white dunes, some measuring up to 40 metres high, you’re met by lagoons of all shapes, sizes and shades, from clear to turquoise to deep green.

Encompassing an area of 155,000 hectares with 70 kilometres of beaches Lençois Maranheses is such a unique landscape that you could think you’d landed on the moon. You can spend the day swimming in the Azul (Blue) and Bonita (Beautiful) Lagoons and stay until sunset to watch the dazzling white sand turn shades of yellow, orange and pink.

The best time to visit is from June to September when the lagoons are still full after the rainy season. For more information visit: www.parquelencois.com.br/english/lencois_maranhenses.php.