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Brazil · South America
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
White dunes ripple across Brazil's coast, then vanish. When rain falls, lagoons bloom in hidden valleys like secrets the earth reveals.
Why Lençóis Maranhenses National Park stands out
In northeastern Brazil, 155,000 hectares of rolling sand dunes stretch toward the Atlantic. During rainy season, something magical unfolds: freshwater lagoons materialize in the valleys between dunes, held by impermeable rock beneath, creating an ever-shifting landscape of blues and whites.
The geography and story of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
Protected since 1981, this remote park shelters endangered species within its 43 miles of coastline and vast interior. Ecotourists now venture here to witness nature's seasonal transformation—a place where the desert briefly becomes an archipelago of crystalline pools.
The lagoons exist only seasonally because bedrock beneath the dunes acts as a natural seal, trapping rainwater and preventing it from draining away.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park at a glance
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Test yourself
Which South American park transforms into an archipelago of freshwater lagoons between sand dunes during rainy season?
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeastern Brazil is unique for its seasonal lagoons that form in valleys between dunes when rainwater is trapped by impermeable bedrock beneath the sand.
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