5-Day Lençóis Maranhenses Hike
Planeta Exo
TripsBrazilLençóis Maranhenses

5-Day Lençóis Maranhenses Hike

Brazil
4 Nights·5 Days
Lençóis MaranhensesCultural & Community ExperiencesCommunity-Based Travel

Overview

The 5-day Lençóis Maranhenses hike combines the breathtaking beauty of Brazil with the rich culture of Maranhão, crossing the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park on foot. Along the way you discover the Baixa Grande and Queimada dos Britos oases, endless white dunes, and sparkling freshwater lagoons, with incredible sunsets and refreshing swims.

You meet local families, hear their stories, and learn about the sustainable tourism that protects this natural treasure. To make it genuine, you sleep in hammocks under a starry sky and take short boat trips to connect with nature.

  • Visit two oases inside the National Park: Baixa Grande and Queimada dos Britos.
  • Combine natural and cultural beauty across 5 days of hiking in Lençóis Maranhenses.
  • Visit the welcoming communities of Vassouras and Mandacaru and immerse yourself in local culture.
  • Discover the crystal-clear waters of Atins and its stunning dunes.
  • Take a boat ride down the Rio Alegre to Santo Amaro.
  • Stay with local families to learn about their traditions.

  • More options: check out the 2-day, 3-day and 4-day treks as well!

Itinerary

Day 1

Barreirinhas / Pequenos Lençóis / Atins / Canto dos Atins

  • Departure8:30 am from Barreirinhas
  • Boat32 km · ~2 hrs (Pequenos Lençóis, Vassouras & Mandacaru)
  • Hiking8 km · 2–3 hrs to Canto dos Atins

A vehicle picks you up at 8:30 am in Barreirinhas (about 4 hours / 237 km from São Luís) for a boat tour through the Pequenos Lençóis Maranhenses APA, stopping at the villages of Vassouras and Mandacaru for community-based tourism. You reach the beach village of Atins for lunch and stay until 3 pm, then hike 8 km (2–3 hours) through a field of dunes to Canto dos Atins, swimming in lagoons and watching the sunset, with an overnight in hammocks at the lodge.

Meals included: Lunch / Dinner

Aerial view of the black-and-white striped Mandacaru lighthouse surrounded by palm trees and dense forest, with a wide river, sandy banks, and white dunes on the horizon — the starting landscape of the Lençóis Maranhenses hike
A traveller with a straw hat and small backpack walks barefoot down a sandy slope toward a cluster of thatched and tin-roofed huts surrounded by palm trees and a wide blue river on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike
White sand shore lined with tall coconut palms overlooking a wide calm river, with two small motorboats crossing the water under a clear blue sky on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike
A fluffy baby capuchin monkey perches on the ridge of a rustic wooden roof, surrounded by palm fronds under a bright blue sky, spotted during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike stop in a coastal village
Three hikers with backpacks walking across vast white sand dunes on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, their footprints trailing behind them under a pale blue sky
A lone hiker walks along the curved edge of a glassy freshwater lagoon nestled between white sand dunes under a golden cloudy sky on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike
Aerial view of a deep blue lagoon cutting through white sand dunes during the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with green aquatic vegetation visible through the clear water
A lone hiker with trekking poles wades through a shallow tidal channel on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, silhouetted against a golden sunset over the flat, rippled sandflats

Day 2

Canto dos Atins → Baixa Grande Oasis

  • Hiking6 km · 2–3 hrs · start 7:00 am

Breakfast at 6:30 AM and departure at 7:00 AM. A 4×4 vehicle takes the group along the Lençóis Maranhenses coastline to the Rio Negro area, where the hike begins. Along the way, you'll take in the coastal scenery and the first dunes of the region.

From Rio Negro, you start a hike of about 6 km to the community of Baixa Grande, with stops to swim in the lagoons along the trail. You'll arrive before lunchtime.

After a rest and lunch, we head back into the dunes for more swims in the lagoons. In the late afternoon, it's time for the sunset — one of the best spots in Lençóis Maranhenses to watch the day end over the white sand.

Lunch, dinner, and the overnight stay all take place at the home of a native family in Baixa Grande — a genuine community-based tourism experience.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A hiker with a wide-brim hat and backpack stands barefoot in turquoise socks on white sand dunes during the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, watching an orange sunset over distant lagoons and scattered figures on the dunes
Crystal-clear green water of a freshwater lagoon lapping a sandy shore during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with towering white sand dunes curving along the far bank under a blue sky
A backpacker walking barefoot across wide white sand dunes on a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, framed by bleached dead trees under a blue sky with scattered clouds
Two hikers with backpacks silhouetted at the crest of a vast white sand dune on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, a trail of footprints stretching back across the rippled sand beneath a clear blue sky
5-day Lençóis Maranhenses Hike — itinerary
A smiling woman in an orange shirt and hairnet and a man in a blue shirt lean out of a whitewashed stone window beneath a thatched roof, welcoming visitors on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike.
Vast white sand dunes with wind-rippled surfaces stretching to the horizon under a clear blue sky on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike
A motion-blurred figure stands beside a crackling bonfire on white sand at night during the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with palm trees silhouetted against a deep blue starlit sky

Day 3

Baixa Grande → Queimada dos Britos Oasis

  • Hiking12 km · 4–5 hrs · start 5:00 am

Breakfast at 4:30 am and a 5:00 am start for a 12 km hike (around 4–5 hours), crossing the dunes at first light and the Rio Negro stream, with a stunning sunrise and swims in some of the park's most beautiful lagoons. You reach the Queimada dos Britos oasis around 10:30 am for a homemade lunch, rest in the shade, then return to the dunes in the late afternoon for more swims and the sunset, with dinner and an overnight in a local family's home.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A woman free-diving underwater through clear green-tinted shallows during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, sunlight dappling the sandy floor below her
Two hikers walking barefoot up a vast white sand dune beside a clear green lagoon during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, under a deep blue midday sky
A lone hiker with a red backpack and trekking pole walks along the sharp ridge of a towering white sand dune during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with a turquoise lagoon at the base and billowing clouds behind
Aerial view of four hikers walking across vast white sand dunes on a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, their long shadows and footprints trailing behind them, with two blue lagoons visible in the distance
Rippled white sand dunes meeting a wide blue-green freshwater lagoon under a clear blue sky during the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with more dunes rolling along the far shore
Aerial view of a lone swimmer floating on their back in shallow, crystal-clear green water over a rocky seabed during the Lençóis Maranhenses hike
Vast golden sand dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses stretch to the horizon at sunset, with a small freshwater lagoon curving between the dunes and tiny silhouettes of hikers visible in the middle distance during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike

Day 4

Queimada dos Britos → Vila de Betânia

  • Hiking18 km · 5–7 hrs · start 3:00 am

A 3:00 am start for a 5–7 hour hike (18 km) to the village of Betânia, stopping to watch the sunrise and for a refreshing dip in the lagoon. Lunch is in Betânia, a special village next to the Rio Alegre and surrounded by endless lagoons.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Layered white sand dunes casting deep shadows over a calm freshwater lagoon on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, under a soft warm sky
A bearded man in a cap and sunglasses sits cross-legged in a lotus pose on the vast white sand flats of the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, the hazy horizon stretching far behind him
Four hikers with backpacks walking across vast white sand dunes on a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, their footprints tracing a long trail behind them under a pale morning sky
Silhouettes of hikers walking along a sandy trail toward a vivid orange and blue sunset sky on a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with palm trees on the horizon
Four hikers wading through shallow, crystal-clear water on a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, their ripples spreading across a rocky riverbed as seen from above
Aerial view of a group of hikers standing with arms raised on the crest of a vast white sand dune during the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with a green lagoon at the base and blue sky above
Swimmers wading and floating in a clear turquoise freshwater lagoon during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with smooth white sand dunes curving along the far shore under a blue sky scattered with small clouds
A hiker lying back on white sand dunes during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, resting beside a clear freshwater lagoon while a second person sits at the water's edge, with sweeping white dunes rising behind
Golden sunset over rippled white sand dunes with a still freshwater lagoon reflecting warm light during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike
Silhouette of a woman walking across rippled sand dunes during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with a glowing orange sunset and a shallow lagoon reflecting the sky behind her
Three silhouetted hikers walk the crest of a golden dune during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with shallow rain-filled lagoons glittering in the low evening light across the vast dune field

Day 5

Vila de Betânia → Santo Amaro

  • BoatRio Alegre · 4 km · ~15 min
  • Hiking12 km · ~5 hrs to Santo Amaro
  • Arrival10:00 am in Santo Amaro

The last day starts at 5:30 am with a 15-minute boat ride down the Rio Alegre, then a 12 km hike (about 5 hours) to Santo Amaro, stopping to swim, rest and watch the final sunrise. You arrive in Santo Amaro around 10:00 am, where the trek ends.

Meals included: Breakfast

Four trekkers walking along the curved crest of a vast white sand dune during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike, under a pale blue sky
A red and green wooden boat named Esperança moored on a shallow sandy riverbank, with dark-water river, white sand bar, and green vegetation lining the far shore under a blue sky — the kind of vessel used on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike boat transfer along the Rio Alegre
A woman wading chest-deep in a clear green-blue freshwater lagoon on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike, with vast white dunes rising on the far shore beneath a bright blue sky
A PlanetaEXO guide in full trekking gear, holding hiking poles and carrying a large backpack with a radio clipped to the chest strap, during a Lençóis Maranhenses hike
Aerial view of the Lençóis Maranhenses hike landscape, with sweeping white sand dunes curving around dark, clear freshwater lagoons stretching to the horizon under a pale blue sky
A white Toyota 4x4 truck with an open canopy carries passengers across the vast white sand dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses, under a deep blue sky scattered with clouds, on the Lençóis Maranhenses hike route

What is Included

  • Accommodation: 4 nights in local family homes (hammocks)
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner as listed in the itinerary
  • Transfers: All transfers during the itinerary, including a private speedboat Barreirinhas → Atins
  • Activities & tours: Guided trek across the dunes and lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
  • Guide: Certified local guide throughout
  • Insurance: Travel insurance

Not included

  • Flights
  • Transfers: onward transport from Santo Amaro (to São Luís or back to Barreirinhas)
  • Meals: breakfast on the first day, and lunch and dinner on the last day
  • Drinks (water, soft drinks, beer)
  • Personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, etc.) and tips
  • Any services not previously mentioned

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$ 700/ per person