Northeast Brazil: Lençóis Maranhenses, the Delta and Jericoacoara

1. Day 1: Arrive in São Luís

   São Luís airport (SLZ) to your hotel in the historic centre area

   • Meals on your own
   • Stay in São Luís
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (SLZ) in São Luís, the capital of Maranhão on an island facing the Atlantic. A driver is proposed to meet you and take you to the hotel; the supplier and the exact hotel area are chosen only once a quote is agreed. If you arrive early, the afternoon is free for a first walk or a rest in the heat, as São Luís is hot and humid for much of the year. In the early evening your guide meets the group for a briefing on the eight days, which stress the long road and sand-track transfers between towns, the simple pousadas in the smaller places, the boat days, and the fact that the lagoons of the Lençóis Maranhenses depend on the rainy season and cannot be promised. Dinner is free so you can try local fish and rice dishes.

   Included

   • Pick-up at São Luís airport (SLZ)
   • Briefing with your guide

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

2. Day 2: São Luís's tiled centre, then to Barreirinhas

   São Luís historic centre, then by road to Barreirinhas

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Barreirinhas
   Day 2 details

   We spend the morning in São Luís's historic centre, whose streets of colonial houses are known for their tiled facades, with a guide who explains the Portuguese tiles, the squares and the old buildings. Opening hours of museums and churches are checked before the day and may change the order of stops. After a free lunch we drive to Barreirinhas, the gateway town to the Lençóis Maranhenses on the Preguiças River. Operators describe the road as about 260 km and roughly three and a half to four hours, and it can run longer with traffic and stops. We arrive in the late afternoon and check in to a simple hotel or pousada, to be named in the quote. In the evening you may walk the riverfront and have dinner of your choice. Tomorrow starts early.

   Included

   • Guided walk in São Luís's historic centre
   • Road transfer São Luís to Barreirinhas

   Easier option: Take a vehicle between the main sights

   Free time: Free evening in Barreirinhas

   Activity: Long road day; arrival time depends on traffic.

   

3. Day 3: The Lençóis Maranhenses dunes and lagoons

   Barreirinhas to the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park by 4x4 and on foot

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Barreirinhas
   Day 3 details

   We spend the day in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, a field of white dunes that holds rainwater lagoons after the wet months. Operators describe visits inside the park as made with locally accredited drivers and guides, to be confirmed at quoting, usually by open 4x4 along sandy tracks and then on foot across the dunes, which is slow and tiring in the sun and in loose sand. Public sources generally describe the lagoons as fullest from roughly mid-year; lagoon levels vary by year, so we do not promise water. Operators describe walks over soft sand of varying length, and swimming is possible in lagoons that are full. Bring sun protection, a hat and plenty of water. The quote will say which circuit is proposed.

   Included

   • Full-day 4x4 and walking visit to the Lençóis Maranhenses with local drivers and guides (accreditation, park entry rules and fees confirmed in the quote)

   Optional experiences

   • Late-afternoon sunset session at the dunes

   Easier option: Choose the lagoon nearest the track end and rest in the shade

   More active option: Walk further to a second lagoon with the guide

   Free time: Free evening in Barreirinhas

   Activity: Lagoon water depends on the year's rainfall.

   

4. Day 4: To Atins by the Preguiças River

   Barreirinhas to Atins, at the edge of the dunes

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Atins
   Day 4 details

   We leave Barreirinhas for Atins, a small village beside the dunes. Operators describe the river trip as a boat or 4x4 transfer, with the time to be confirmed at quoting. Atins has sandy streets, few cars and simple pousadas, with power and mobile signal that can be limited. After settling in we explore dunes and the beach nearby, perhaps by short walk or a 4x4 outing, with lunch at a village restaurant. A dune walk at sunset is the main plan, to be confirmed at quoting. The place is quiet and basic, which is the point. Facilities and comfort are expected to be modest. Because the transfer, the sand and the heat tire most guests, the afternoon is kept unhurried, with time to rest in the shade, drink plenty of water and wander the village at your own pace before the evening.

   Included

   • Transfer Barreirinhas to Atins by boat or 4x4
   • Guided dune and beach walk

   Optional experiences

   • A 4x4 dune outing, if offered, separately priced

   Easier option: Stay near the village and the beach

   More active option: Climb the nearby dunes for sunset

   Free time: Free evening in Atins

   Activity: Facilities are basic.

5. Day 5: Along the coast to the Parnaíba delta

   Atins to the Parnaíba delta by 4x4 and van, then a boat on the delta

   • By boat
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Parnaíba
   Day 5 details

   This is a long travel day. The stretch from Atins to Parnaíba is reported at roughly five to six hours, to be confirmed at quoting, combining 4x4 and van sections, and some beach sections depend on the tide, so timing is uncertain. The route follows the Maranhão and Piauí coast, with sand tracks, river crossings and small villages, and the schedule may change with tide, weather and boat timing. In the afternoon, if time allows, we take a boat on the Parnaíba delta from a port such as Porto dos Tatus; operators run these outings by fast launch through channels, mangroves and dunes, and sometimes include the evening flight of scarlet ibis, which is possible but not promised. The boat is run by a local operator and is to be quoted. We spend the night at a simple hotel in or near Parnaíba. Dinner is free. Expect to be tired tonight.

   Included

   • Transfer by 4x4 and van from Atins to Parnaíba
   • Boat outing on the Parnaíba delta, if time allows

   Optional experiences

   • Operators sometimes offer an evening scarlet ibis flight or an overnight on a delta island; to be confirmed at quoting

   Easier option: Rest at the hotel instead of the afternoon boat

   Free time: Free evening in Parnaíba

   Activity: Long and tide-dependent journey; the boat outing may be shortened.

   

6. Day 6: To Jericoacoara

   Parnaíba to Jericoacoara by road and a final sand-track stage

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Jericoacoara
   Day 6 details

   Another long road day, this time from the delta into Ceará state. Operators describe the transfer between Parnaíba and Jericoacoara at roughly three and a half to four hours by 4x4, either by road or by the beaches, with a river crossing by ferry on the coast route and stops at villages such as Tatajuba. The village itself is reached only by 4x4 or buggy over sand, and vehicles for the dunes and beaches are normally operated by local drivers. In the afternoon we settle into Jericoacoara, a former fishing village of sandy streets, small pousadas and cafes beside beaches and dunes. Many guests go to the Sunset Dune late in the day, reached on foot from the village, to be confirmed. Wind, sand and heat are part of the experience. Park charges and the municipal tourism tax are confirmed in the quote, because court rulings have changed what visitors pay.

   Included

   • Transfer Parnaíba to Jericoacoara, ending by 4x4 or buggy
   • Sunset Dune visit if time allows

   Easier option: Watch sunset from the beach rather than the dune

   More active option: Climb the Sunset Dune

   Free time: Free evening in Jericoacoara

   Activity: Long day; arrival time depends on the road and sand tracks.

7. Day 7: Tatajuba, the hammock lagoons and a farewell dinner

   Jericoacoara by 4x4 or buggy: Tatajuba and the lagoons

   • Breakfast and dinner
   • Stay in Jericoacoara
   Day 7 details

   We take a day outing by 4x4 or buggy from Jericoacoara along the beach and dune tracks to Tatajuba, a small fishing village, and on to lagoons where guests swing in hammocks set in shallow water. The route is a ride across sand, with stops for photographs, and depends on the tide and the wind. Which lagoons are open and how full they are depend on the season, and some are fuller after rainy months. Pedra Furada, the rock arch on the coast near the village, is a common stop on local outings; whether it is included depends on the tide and the operator's plan. After lunch you may return to the village for free time or a swim. In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner in Jericoacoara,. Sand gets everywhere and is hard on cameras.

   Included

   • 4x4 or buggy outing to Tatajuba and the hammock lagoons
   • Farewell dinner

   Optional experiences

   • Operators sometimes offer kitesurfing or windsurfing lessons or a sunset sailing trip; to be confirmed at quoting

   Easier option: Join the lagoon stop and skip the longer dune ride

   More active option: Add a dune walk before dinner

   Free time: Free afternoon

   

8. Day 8: To Fortaleza and departure

   Jericoacoara to Fortaleza by road, for flights from Fortaleza (FOR)

   • Breakfast
   Day 8 details

   We leave Jericoacoara by 4x4 for the road section out of the sand, then continue by road to Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará, where we reach the airport for the flight home or onward. Operators describe the transfer as about five hours by 4x4, with an optional return along the beaches; we plan for five to six hours with stops and agree the exact time in the quote. Flights should therefore be booked for the afternoon or evening, with the exact pick-up time agreed with us before you buy a ticket, and early flights cannot be accommodated. We may pass through towns along the Ceará coast on the way. Breakfast is planned at the pousada. The trip ends at the airport; a hotel in Fortaleza is not included and would need a separate quote.

   Included

   • Transfer Jericoacoara to Fortaleza airport (FOR)

   Free time: Depends on flight time

   Activity: Long transfer; no early flights.

Wildlife and weather: Operators and public sources describe a hot, humid climate with a rainy season in the first half of the year; conditions vary by year and are not promised.

• São Luís1 night
• Barreirinhas2 nights
• Atins1 night
• Parnaíba1 night
• Jericoacoara2 nights