Lençóis de Maranhenses is a coastal national park located on the vast, windswept and empty coast of Maranhão state in North Eastern Brazil. Its powder white sands and undulating dunes are dotted with freshwater lakes that fill up during the rainy season. The sands, lakes, river estuaries and inland forests support a wealth of wildlife - from endangered manatees and nesting leatherback and green turtles, to big game fish and coastal birds, such as the scarlet ibis and the lesser yellowlegs.

The Lençóis de Maranhenses is one of the Brazil's most unspoilt and captivating landscapes, and an ideal tailor-made travel destination. This immense coastal desert is gradually advancing inland, with occasional villages scattered among its sands or beside the Rio Preguiça - Lazy River.

The park is a short way up the coast from Jericoacoara and within easy access of São Luis, the historic state capital of Maranhão - known for its colonial buildings and the colourful Bumba-Meu-Boi festivities in June. From São Luis it's possible to take a sightseeing flight, from which the scale and beauty of the lençóis can be fully appreciated.