Everything to Know About the Lagoons in Brazil That Don't Even Seem Real
Ever wanted an entire natural pool of water to yourself? The surreal Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, located in northeastern Brazil, makes this fantasy possible. The park is filled with sand dunes and, for several months throughout the year, it becomes an oasis for visitors to swim in. The best time to explore the picturesque lagoons that appear and vanish every year is the summer months.
Reddit user FLCitizen shared a video from Robson Passeios' Instagram account of the gorgeous blue lagoon, and users were blown away by the beauty and serenity of the national park.
"The FOMO is real," one user wrote. "This looks like a dream! Holy crap! Would love to visit these some day!" another chimed in. A third user said it looked like a mirage.
The video sparked a sense of wanderlust for many. If you're among the people curious about the pools (and, let's be honest, you're reading this article, so you are), we've rounded up some of what you should know about the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park's lagoons.
The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park has been formed over thousands of years from the sands of riverbeds. After the sand is deposited at the mouths of rivers, they're brought back to land by winds and sea currents. Torrential downpours take place annually from January to June, which creates the clear water pools.
Although the pools are made up from rain water, they become a bit salty over time, due to the sand. The park's name translates to "bedsheets of Maranhão" for its rolling, vast, and blindingly white sands.
Depending on the seasons, visitors can be lucky enough to have one of them mostly to themselves. They can be as wide as 300 feet, and can be as deep as 10 feet. The water temperature averages about 87 degrees.
During the dry seasons, the rainwater pools can evaporate as quickly as three feet of depth in a month.
It can also get as many as 60,000 visitors a year. According to Landscapes and Landforms of Brazil, the national park is fit for many activities, including night sky observation, surfing, bicycle touring, canoeing, ecotourism, adventure tourism, rustic camping, horseback riding and, of course, swimming.
The best time to visit the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is between May and September, when the lakes are full and the sun isn't as intense. In October, the winds pick up, which isn't ideal for the sand-filled landscape. The pools disappear without a trace, only to emerge again the following year.
In order to access the park, which consists of 600 square miles, it's suggested to head to São Luís, a former colonial city about four hours from Lençois Maranhenses. Flights from all over constantly land in the city. Once you arrive, almost every hotel or hostel will be able to arrange a transfer for you to get to the park. Buses transport tourists daily from their respective accommodations starting as early as 7 a.m.
According to Culture Trip, the cheapest way to visit the park is to join a tour on a 4x4. The trucks take prearranged routes that visit the largest lakes and include meals at a restaurant on the way into the park. For a more intimate journey, visitors can rent quad bikes or ride horses and ride out with a tour guide. They can check out less-traveled parts of the park.
The park may be especially familiar to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is famously seen in the two most recent Avengers films, 2018's Infinity War and 2019's Endgame,appearing as the planet Vormir.
