The Blue Lagoon
Clear water.
Esquilo — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luiza Nunes — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mayra Pavanello Munerato — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mayra Pavanello Munerato — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Aloysio Correa Junior — CC BY-SA 4.0 · MTur Destinos — Public domain · MTur Destinos — Public domain · Aloysio Correa Junior — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon) circuit is the best-known trip into the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. It leaves Barreirinhas by 4x4 along a sandy track of about twelve kilometres, taking some three-quarters of an hour, after which visitors walk about two kilometres across the dunes to the lagoons. Among the towering white dunes, rainwater gathers in clear lagoons of blue and green that change with the season, the best known being the Lagoa Azul and the Lagoa do Peixe among others. Visitors swim in their warm water and climb the dunes for the view of what looks like a desert studded with lakes. The trip takes about four hours, and an afternoon version ends with sunset over the dunes. The lagoons usually fill between May and September and are at their finest in July and August, while at the end of the dry season they can drop a great deal. The park may only be entered with accredited guides, so book with an agency in Barreirinhas.
Clear water.
An unforgettable view.
The afternoon trip.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, from Barreirinhas
Usually May to September, at their best in July and August.