One of my first posts, a couple of years ago was a vist to the little Lencois Maranhenses. This weekend I had the chance to visit the Gran Lencois with my boyfriend and his family.
The Gran Lescois Maranhenses is located in Barreirinhas, in the state of Maranhao, Brazil. It is part of one of the most amazing national parks.
We start here on the map.
And zoom in. The place we visited is in Barreirinhas, East of Sao Luis and South of the Lencois Maranhenses National Park. Even though it looks tiny in the map, once you get there, a whole world combining jungle and desert opens up.
It was about four hours from Sao Luis to Barreirinhas. Then, we had to take a rustic truck to go to the dunes. It is just 15 Kms, but, being a dirt road and all, it takes them some 50 minutes to get there.
It is very exciting to see a whole convoy of tourists from all over the world venturing into these remote places.
A whole industry has been developed here with all the guides and other services.
The ride is about $20 per person and then there are other attractions you may or may not want to be part of. There are tons of souvenirs to choose from, if you can afford them.
Here's a map of the whole park
This is the route we chose for the day. Lagoa Bonita (pretty lagoon) is one of the most visited places.
To get there, the trucks have to cross this river.
Everything is well organized. Vehicles look new and safe. They reminded me of the pickup trucks (called dog pounds) that provide transportation in touristic areas in Venezuela, only these ones are new.
That's me in the truck
After you get off the trucks, you can start trekking. They had made it "easier" by providing these long stairs that connect the last area with vegetation to the dunes.
You are already tired when you finally start walking on sand, which you should know is kind of exhausting. However, this place is so amazing that you just want to keep exploring.
And here we are!
You feel like you are dreaming. Every pool is perfect, warm, crystaline.
Now who looks little in the map?
I was exhausted. My legs were trembling, but it was all worth it. This places is just paradise. I would come back every time I can.