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Freitag, 28. Februar 2014

Traveling Brazil's Northern Coast Part II - Lençois Maranhenses to Belém

After we had travelled around 1000km along the Northern Brazilian coast from Recife to the famous beach hippie mecca Jericoacoara, another 1200km along the coast lay ahead of us in order to reach Belém, the gateway to the Amazon.

Getting from Jericoacoara to Lençois Maranhenses


Our next stop was the national park Lençois Maranhenses, one of those destinations that leaves an impression for a long time. The coastal route from Jericoacoara to the Lençois Maranhenses is an adventure itself, often referred to as the “Rota das Emoções”, literally the ‘route of the emotions’. It’s called like this because you’ll surely be overwhelmed by the natural paradises to be explored along the way as well as get lots of excitement from the jeep roaring along the beach and up and down the dunes. It’s a straight one-day 4 WD transfer from Jeri to Barreirinhas, 400km along a beautiful  coastal setting, crossing countless beaches, dunes, rivers and lagoons as well as the Delta do Parnaíba and Jercoacoara national park.

Going straight by jeep is by far the easiest but also the costliest way to get to the Lençois Marenhenses (from 1200 Reais for up to four people). There is a very good alternative which can be self-organised and makes a pretty exciting journey as well. The trip starts with a 4WD truck for 45km along the coast to the fishing and market town of Camocim. It’s a regular transport for many Jericoacoara residents who use it to get to the closest town to do some shopping, but for me it was an absolutely amazing and unique trip. The first stretch leads directly along the beach, later the jeep enters the dunes, passes remote villages and dry mangrove landscapes. Plenty of farm animals like cows, pigs and goats can be seen along the way moving around freely in the landscape. We had to cross rivers twice. The first one on a tiny, totally shaky raft that was moved manually across the river, the second one with a bigger, motorized boat. Even though Camocim is only 45km away, the trip takes three hours. I was more than glad it took that long since I highly enjoyed every minute in the open jeep marvelling at the landscape passing by. 


Driving right next to the ocean ... priceless




Entering our tiny raft



Jericoacoara National Park

The next part of the journey isn’t as exciting as you will go by minibus to Parnaíba and then by regular bus to a small village called Paulino Neves. This is as far as you can get in one day, choosing this more economical mode of transport. At least there are good value pousadas in Paulino Neves. In the morning there is transport to Barreirinhas at 4am and 9am, again by 4WD open jeep along sandy roads. If you take the 4am one, you can fit in a Lençois tour and move on to São Luís the same day. We took the 9am one, after a great breakfast at our pousada, did a half day tour to the dunes the same day, a full-day tour by boat the following day and only moved on the third day.

If time is on your side stop in Parnaíba and take a day trip to the Delta do Parnaíba, a vast expanse of islands, beaches, lagoons, channels, high sand dunes and dense mangrove forest brimming with wildlife.

Lençois Maranhenses – Vast, surreal sand dunes and crystal-clear lagoons


This is without any doubt one of the most amazing places you can find in Brazil. For me it was the most fascinating one in the North for sure. The immense National Park stretches 70 km along the coast and up to 25 km inland. It’s located between Jericoacoara and São Luís.

Lençois Maranhenses literally means bed sheets of Maranhão (this is the name of the region the National Park is located in). The name refers to its immense expanses of dunes, which look like bed sheets strewn across the landscape. The park is supposedly at its best between March and September when rain forms hundreds of crystal-clear pools and lakes between the dunes. However, there are also advantages in visiting during low season like we did. Mainly because the park isn’t crowded by tourists. There will always be some, but the numbers are considerably lower before and at the beginning of the rain season from October to January, whilst the park ist still stunningly beautiful.









The main base for visiting the park is Barreirinhas on the Rio Preguiças near the parks southeast corner. Unless you’re lucky enough to know a local with a 4WD Jeep, the only way to visit the park is on a tourist tour. Going from Barreirinhas to the lençois in a 4WD vehicle takes about an hour. It’s an enjoyable, picturesque ride along sandy roads. Once there, you’ll leave the car and continue exploring the park by foot which is the best way to experience the beauty of this natural wonder. Our walk lasted about an hour and took us to the only lagoon that carried water at this time of the year: A Lagoa dos Peixes – The fish lagoon. Its crystal clear water is full of tiny fish that will start nibbling on your skin as soon as you enter the lagoon. 

During our second day in Barreirinhas we went on a boat trip that is also highly recommendable. Barreirinhas is located directly on the shore of Rio Preguiças, so boats leave from the town centre. The wonderful seven-hour boat ride took us down the Rio to the ocean, passing jungle, mangroves, and dunes. Stops included a laid-back beach jungle bar with lots of hammocks and locals selling chilled coconuts and other refreshing drinks. It’s also home to a great amount of cheerful, curious, tiny monkeys desperately trying to obtain some tasty snacks from the visitors. Further stops included a small fishing village with a light house offering great panoramas and an ocean beach with lots of improvised restaurants for lunch.







TIP: For that true end-of-the-road feeling catch another boat from the last stop at Caburé to the remote village of Atins, where the Rio Preguiças meets the ocean. It is a good base for visiting some of the more isolated parts of the park. Here you have a fair chance of having some gorgeous dunes and lagoons all for yourself. Furthermore, the small village with a notable foreign population has a surprising amount of good value hostels.

Accomodation in Barreirinhas: There is plenty of accommodation in this town which serves as the main base for visiting the National Park for most visitors. Whilst in the high season (June-August) it may make sense to book ahead, in the low season (November to February) you are definitely in a position to bargain. The way we found a very good value accommodation was by going to the São Paulo Ecotourism office in the town centre. After telling them we were looking for a room and what we expected to pay, they called different accommodation options in town to check prices and availability. That’s how we found our double room for 40 Reais (≈13€) that even included breakfast. Our posada was nothing special and wouldn’t get five stars on cleanliness, but since we were just looking for a bed to fall in after an amazing, but exhausting day exploring the stunning national park it was totally fine for us and we were very happy about the price. Expect to pay a bit more if you’re looking for some more comfort, but in general I found accommodation surprisingly cheap in Barreirinhas compared to other Brazilian destinations. Surely, this was another advantage of arriving in low season.

São Luís and Alcântara – enchanting, atmosphere-laden colonial gems


Steamy cobbled streets and pastel-coloured colonial mansions, some of them handsomely restored, many deep in tropical decay. Colourful 19th century Portuguese azulejos gracefully decorating the facades of old buildings protecting them from the ever-present humidity and heat. This is the irresistible beauty of the World-Heritage-listed historic centre of São Luís, one of the most charming and beautiful cities of the Northern region.




It’s the only city in Brazil that was founded by the French, but is heavily characterised by Portuguese architecture. Sometimes you’ll feel like being lost in Lisbon or Porto on a very hot summer day. São Luís has the third-highest Afro-Brazilian population in the country, after Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, which results in a unique atmosphere and a markedly Afro-Brazilian tinge to its culture. It is also home to the best concentration of museums, galleries and craft stores in the Northeast.







I also really loved the atmosphere at night, especially on and around Largo do Comércio, a wide pleasant square in the heart of the centro histórico. There are plenty of bars and restaurants with live bands playing a variety of rhythms – samba, chorinho, jazz, blues, bossa nova… But you don’t even have to have a drink or a meal in the rather expensive places around the square to enjoy the music. You can just hang around the plaza like many, many locals do and soak up the marvellous atmosphere. When in São Luís, just come here every evening, you won’t be bored. The city is also known as being Brazil’s reggae capital, so you should also make sure to check out some of the overwhelmingly plentiful reggae bars around town and the city’s beaches. 

Where to stay in São Luís: We stayed at the HI Hostel “Solar das Pedras” on Rua da Palma and really liked it. It’s located in a beautifully restored 19th century building in the historic centre, has spacious common rooms, a clean and well-equipped kitchen, helpful staff, book exchange, and a good breakfast. Rooms are rather small and often lack windows, but are spotless and well-ventilated. Perhaps the best value in town, we paid 80 Reais for a double room, with private bathroom and breakfast included. HI members pay 10% less.

A boat trip across the Baía de São Marcos to the beautiful colonial town of Alcântara surely shouldn’t be missed. The tranquil town offers an atmospheric mixture of ruined, maintained and restored mansions, houses and churches set along streets of artistic crisscrossed cobblestones. The population today is no bigger than 150 years ago, making it one of the country’s most tranquil, authentic, and stunningly beautiful historic sites. The city is also known for its high number of guarás, beautiful red ibises, adding yet another wonderful element to an Alcântara trip.






How to get to Alcântara: There are usually 2-3 boats in the morning heading to Alcântara leaving from Cais da Praia Grande. Times depend on the tide, but the boats usually leave between 7am and 9am. It‘s not possible to get to Alcântara later since the water will be completely gone. It’s a good idea to go to the boat terminal the day before to ask at what time boats will be leaving the following day. Unfortunately, you can't purchase tickets the day before. So during holiday season you have to be there very early to line up and make sure you get a ticket. We went there between Christmas and New Year’s, the absolute peak season, so people advised us to be there at 5am to make sure we get a ticket… It was still absolutely worth it J

Boats are heading back from Alcântara to São Luís around 4-5pm, sometimes even earlier depending on the tide. So it might be a good idea to stay there for a night and head back the next day to really enjoy some time in this beautiful place. There is a good selection of pousadas in Alcântara that seem to have better prices than the ones in São Luís.


Belém – The gateway to the Amazon 



The city of mango trees, as Belém (literally Bethlehem) is also known, is a surprisingly pleasant and atmospheric urban area. The Amazon is not exactly known for its cities, but this is a really rewarding one that leaves a lasting impression. Its streets and parks are shaded by huge mango trees and it has a number of fascinating monuments and buildings.

Huge mango tree in the city center

I totally loved and enjoyed the atmosphere of the waterfront Market “Ver-o-peso”. It’s a lively market directly by the river shore with a colourful display of fruits and veggies, spices and herbs, medical plants from the Amazon, clothes, souvenirs, local food, and much more. It can be best enjoyed in the morning or late afternoon due to the ever-present heat prevailing the city.

Ver-o-peso market

Waterfront market "Ver-o-peso" 

Another highlight for me was the “Mangal das Garças”, a beautiful park in the middle of the city centre located on the banks of massive Rio Guamá, which is part of Amazon river system. It’s a way to experience Amazon wildlife and vegetation without leaving the city. What makes it really special is the close contact to native exotic birds as well as other Amazonian animals and vegetation. There is a great amount of those amazingly beautiful red ibises called guarás as well as garças that give the place its name.

Guarás at Mangal das Garças

Mangal das Garças



General Travel Info


(Prices in local currency: 1 Euro = 3 Reais)

Accomodation: We mainly stayed in so-called pousadas, which in Brazil are simple, inexpensive guest houses, or hostels. Double rooms with private bathroom usually cost between 60-80 Reais per room and often include breakfast. With some cut backs on comfort and cleanliness we also found double rooms with shared bathrooms for 30-40 Reais including (!) a small breakfast. (Single rooms typically cost 5-10 Reais less than the doubles)
Dorms cost between 20-30 Reais, so if you’re at least 2ppl you can’t really save a lot here
Some hostels and camping grounds have designated areas for stringing up hammocks. We paid between 10-25 Reais for that. Try to bargain here. I wouldn’t have expected it, but I totally loved sleeping in a hammock, especially being outside, breathing fresh air and listening the sound of the ocean, river, jungle, or wherever you end up! Hammocks can be purchased nearly everywhere in Northern Brazil. We bought the simplest, cheapest version for 20 Reais, that also had the advantage of being super light, but was still really comfy to sleep in. You can also buy mosquito nets which are particularly designed to use with hammocks. In some places this is indispensable!
We also couchsurfed three times in Brazil: in Recife, Belém and later in Manaus. All experiences were great and it seemed relatively easy to find a host in the big cities.

Transportation: We used long-distance busses all along the way from Recife to Belém (with exception for some unpaved stretches along the coast that were travelled by 4WD Jeep). Buses are rather expensive in comparison to other Latin American countries, costing between 10-15 Reais per hour of travelling. Distances are huge in Brazil, so travelling 10-12 hours to the next destination is nothing unusual.
We met quite a few people who were hitchhiking along the coast and their experiences were really good and encouraging. It’s a great way to get to know locals and practice your Portuguese! Try to do it together with someone else though, usually male/female pairs work really well.


Food: We mainly ate at simple, inexpensive restaurants and usually paid 15 Reais for a meal and a drink (almost always freshly prepared fruit juice). Since we’re vegetarians we often asked for an additional discount since they usually don’t have any vegetarian plates and just leave out the meat on their usual plates. Many times we got a discount along with an extra portion of fresh salad.
Breakfast is included in most pousadas, but can also be cheaply purchased in cafés (usually no more than 10 Reais per person, including coffee, fresh fruit juice, and food). Tapioca is a very typical North Eastern dish and makes a great and inexpensive breakfast. It’s kind of a pancake made from the native mandioca root. It can be filled with a variety of sweet or salty fillings. Costs between 2-6 Reais depending on the filling.

Activities: We didn’t do many organized tours. Whenever possible we try to self-organize our trips and visit places independently. The only time we booked tours was in the Lençois Maranhenses National Park because there was no option of visiting the park otherwise. We paid 60 Reais per person for a half-day trip (4h) to the dunes including guide and transportation and 70 Reais for a full-day boat trip (7h) including guide and transportation.
In most beach destinations excursions by buggy that can take up to 5 people are really popular in order to explore the surroundings. Usually those trips are paid per vehicle and not per person, so if you’re group you can get a good price. I talked to people who paid 20 Reais per person for a full-day trip in the Jericoacoara National Park.
In many cities admission to museums was free or extremely inexpensive (1-2 Reais).

Guide book: During our trip we used the latest Lonely Planet edition and found it really helpful to get a general overview, some background info, and above all to find good value food options and pousadas. It’s generally easy to find something cheap if you’re looking for it, but it’s not always easy to find quality food and atmospheric hostels for a good price. The information (like prices, directions, opening hours etc.) was very accurate, probably owned to the fact that the edition came out in November 2013 and we went to Brazil the following month. It probably saved us a lot of time, hassle, and money, so it was definitely worth the investment.
We travelled with the ebook and printed the chapters we really needed in copy shops. On the road every gram counts!
From the "South America on a shoe string" ebook single chapters can be purchased for 2,95€ each. Purchasing the Brazil chapter instead of the whole guide book could be an option to save some money.