To visit the wonderful sand dunes and fresh water lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, in Maranhão, travelers must be accompanied by certified guides. Access to the park is controlled by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation - ICMBio, which manages Brazil's National Parks.
Road Adventure is one of the certified tour companies in Barreirinhas, the town closest to the park. Here is a summary of the tours offered by Off-Road Adventure. Expect to pay about $30 per person for most tours, except the schooner tour, which is priced depending on the size of the group reserving it.
Voadeira Tour on the Preguiças River
Estimated duration: 7 hours.
Voadeiras are sleek aluminum boats used for rides on the Preguiças River. This ride starts in Barreirinhas and ends in Caburé, a village on the Maranhão coast.
The ride goes through the Pequenos Lençóis Environment Protection Area (APA), a smaller ecosystem similar to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.
On the way to Caburé, the boat stops for a dip in the river and a walk on the dunes. In Mandacaru, there’s another stop to visit the Preguiças lighthouse, which affords visitors a spectacular view of the park. In Caburé, the tour ends with lunch (not included) and time to enjoy the beach.
2. Schooner Ride
Estimated duration: 10 hours.
The schooner tour follows about the same program as the voadeira tour, but packages are closed for groups of up to 50 people and prices are discussed depending on the size of the group. The schooner has restrooms, mats for sunbathing and a bar.
3. 4-wheel Drive Vehicle Tours
Estimated duration: 4 hours
The tour takes visitors to the spectacular dunes and some of the park’s best lagoons.
Local guides know the park very thoroughly and visitors only risk getting lost if they wander too far from the vehicles during the stops. To find their way around the park, guides orient themselves by the position of the sun, the shape of the dunes and the tuffs of vegetation in certain areas.
Off-Road Adventure Contact Information:
Phone: 98-3349-6000
E-mail: offroadbarreirinhas@hotmail.com
