White sand dunes with tourists at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park near Barreirinhas, Brazil
Tourists explore the pristine white sand dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park near Barreirinhas, Maranhão state, Brazil, under a dramatic cloudy sky.
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The Desert That Isn't
Despite appearing as an endless Sahara-like expanse, these iconic white sand dunes receive abundant rainfall annually, creating a unique ecosystem where freshwater lagoons form between the dunes during wet season.
Gateway to Adventure
Barreirinhas serves as the primary access point to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, where visitors trek across 300,000 acres of constantly shifting dunes shaped by persistent trade winds.
Tropical Paradox
This 1,500km stretch of coastline represents one of Earth's most unusual landscapes—sand dunes reaching 40 meters high in a region receiving 1,600mm of rain per year.
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