Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses and its shifting lagoons
Published on 08/25/2026 at 06:36 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses in Maranhão is a national park on Brazil’s Atlantic coast where bright sand dunes and rain-fed lagoons form a shifting inland seascape. Created in 1981 as a protected area, it spreads across a coastal strip north of Barreirinhas in the north-east of the country and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its natural value.
Dunes and water in a moving landscape
Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses covers a large expanse of white coastal dunes broken by freshwater lagoons that appear between the ridges. The protected area was established by federal decree on 2 June 1981 as a national park dedicated to the conservation of its ecosystems and scenery, with management assigned to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, known as ICMBio.Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses The park extends over more than 150,000 hectares on the eastern coast of Maranhão, with a strip of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean on its seaward edge.white coastal dune field
More than half of this protected area consists of a continuous dune field where sand is sculpted by wind into long ridges that run roughly parallel to the shoreline. In the hollows between them, shallow basins collect rainwater and form clear lagoons, some of which last for extended periods while others are seasonal.temporary and permanent lagoons Beyond the dunes, the park also includes areas of coastal vegetation, mangroves and restinga scrub, giving way towards the interior to zones influenced by the Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazon biomes.transition between Brazilian biomes
A coastal park anchored in Maranhão
The park lies on the north-eastern coast of Brazil in the state of Maranhão, facing the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Its territory is shared between the municipalities of Barreirinhas, Santo Amaro do Maranhão and Primeira Cruz, forming part of the Microrregião dos Lençóis Maranhenses in the far north of the state.distributed between three municipalities Barreirinhas, upriver from the dune field, serves as the main access town for visitors from elsewhere in Brazil and from abroad.
From the coast, a band of beaches marks the northern boundary of Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses, while inland the dunes gradually merge into low-lying plains with intermittent rivers, creeks and patches of forest. The park sits in a transition zone where influences from the Cerrado savanna, the semi-arid Caatinga and the fringes of the Amazon basin meet.transition zone between three biomes This mix of habitats supports a variety of plant communities, together with birdlife, fish adapted to the lagoons and other fauna typical of Brazil’s north-eastern coast.
From national park to World Heritage Site
When Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses was created on 2 June 1981, it joined the network of Brazilian conservation units as a strictly protected national park dedicated to safeguarding flora, fauna and the distinctive dune-and-lagoon landscape.unit of integral protection The decree that established it set out its purpose as protecting natural features while permitting scientific research and controlled visitation.
In 2024, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a natural site, recognising the global importance of its extensive dune field and its system of rain-fed lagoons.Lençóis Maranhenses National Park inscription The park is now listed among Brazil’s World Heritage properties for its geomorphological features and its striking alternation of bright sand and standing water.World Heritage Site recognition
Visiting Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses lies in Maranhão in north-eastern Brazil, with Barreirinhas acting as a main gateway town reached by road from São Luís, the state capital.
- Much of the park consists of loose sand dunes, so visiting the interior involves walking on soft sand and, in lagoon areas, moving through shallow water.
- The terrain is largely exposed, with long stretches away from permanent shade or substantial vegetation, and access routes inside the park follow sandy tracks rather than paved paths.
- The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the Brazilian real.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses
Where is Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses?
Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses is in the state of Maranhão in north-eastern Brazil, on the Atlantic coast north of the town of Barreirinhas.
What should visitors expect when entering the park?
Visitors encounter extensive sand dunes, freshwater lagoons and largely unshaded terrain, with access to many areas involving travel along sandy tracks and walking on loose sand.
What makes Parque Nacional dos Lencois Maranhenses distinctive?
The park is distinguished by its wide expanse of white coastal dunes dotted with rain-fed lagoons and by its recognition as a UNESCO natural World Heritage Site.
