Earlier this summer, a visit to northeastern Brazil revealed an extraordinary destination unlike any I had encountered before. The journey began with a four-hour bus ride from the tropical city of São Luis to the tranquil fishing town of Barreirinhas. From there, a rugged 4×4 ride led me to the National Park of Lençóis Maranhenses, known for its pristine white sand dunes.
This park spans hundreds of thousands of acres and is bordered by dense jungle on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The name “Lençóis,” meaning “bedsheets” in Portuguese, aptly describes the dunes as they resemble billowing sheets from above. Climbing these dunes posed a challenge; each step took me deeper into the fine, powdery sand. However, the reward was a spectacular view that resembled a scene from a science fiction movie.
In July, my visit coincided with the rainy season, which had filled over 35,000 lagoons scattered among the dunes with freshwater. These inviting pools offered a refreshing swim after a day of climbing. The sight of an expanse of white sands interspersed with shimmering blue lagoons felt surreal, like stepping onto an alien planet.
Although the landscape resembles a desert, it is far from one. Located near the Amazon rainforest, this UNESCO World Heritage Site receives about 50 inches of rain annually. This amount is more than twice the annual rainfall in my hometown of London. Standing atop a dune within the otherworldly terrain of Lençóis Maranhenses, the distance to home felt immense.