Lençois Maranhenses National Park in Brazil is one of the most extraordinary places in the world. Those who see the National Park for the first time, which has quite surprising views, think that they are hallucinating. Sky blue lagoons, which have fascinating views among the white sands, are described as “Paradise Pools”.
In the National Park, which consists of thousands of sand hills, ponds are formed when it rains heavily. The ponds formed by the filling of rain waters reveal magnificent views. Located in the Sahara Desert, the National Park has become one of the most important attractions of Brazil with its cool pools in the scorching desert heat.
The ecosystem, consisting of white sand dunes resembling sheets, is spread over an area of 383 thousand acres. These dunes, which were formed over thousands of years, were formed by the wind and ocean currents bringing the sand back to the continent. The dunes stretch 27 miles along the ocean coastline. These seasonal lagoons are mostly filled with rain water in 6 months of the year.
Tours are made regularly to the National Park, which provides the opportunity to cool off by entering the pools in the scorching heat of the desert. All lagoons are shown on guided tours. Tours are made in the region by vehicles such as jeeps, horses and camels. Some lagoons in the park are quite large and deep. Some lagoons are called by different names according to their characteristics. Lagoa da Gaivota (Seagull Lagoon), one of the largest and most beautiful lagoons in the park, is located near the village of Santo Amaro do Maranhao, about 60 miles from Barreirinhas.
In addition to the lagoons, the national park also contains magnificent beaches, mangroves and a diverse ecosystem. The freshwater lagoons in the park are home to many turtle species and migratory birds.
The park is exposed to strong winds during the dry seasons and becomes a place where sediments transported from the Atlantic Ocean accumulate. However, the region is a place that receives too much precipitation to be considered a desert. Due to the impermeable rocks between the sand dunes, the water accumulates because it cannot be drained. The best times of the park are July and August.
Flying tours over the dunes are offered to get a better view of the park. There are also boat rides on the Preguiças River in the region. In addition, sunrises and sunsets in the park reveal quite magnificent images. Among the tour options organized to the park, the most popular are daily walks, flights, swimming, skydiving, and the most popular are day trips with 4×4.
