In addition to a tour, of a tourist visit, the Lençóis Maranhenses provide an unprecedented sensory experience. Walking through this immensity puts you in touch with the most original and primitive we have in us, kept in the depths of each one and that appear here. Walking on the fine sand of the dunes, bathe in its crystal clear lagoons will be an unforgettable walk and a very special adventure.

Atins is very close to the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. The beginning of the dying, as the natives call it, is an hour and a half walk from the village. There are numerous lagoons to visit on this side of the PNLM. Depending on the volume of rainfall of the previous winter we may have some more floods than others, but in a general way we can visit the Gavião Lagoon and the Capivara. Through a 4 × 4 vehicle one can get very close to the lagoons, with another thirty to forty minute walk if one arrives. The lagoons are the main attraction of the PNLM. Surrounded by dunes they surprise by the size, the transparency of its waters and the unique beauty of each one of them. Imagine a desert permeated by crystalline lagoons, this will be your vision of the PNLM.

But attention, the water level of the lagoons depends very much on the rainfall volume of the rains that happen in the winter, from January to July. The best time for those who want to see the lagoons is from May / June onwards, until September / October. If you come exclusively by the lagoons, two recommendations: first, consult us to know the conditions and the volume of water before traveling and secondly, remember that the Atins is not only “ponds”, they are an attraction more. Any time of year you can enjoy all the other attractions that the village offers. Atins is predominantly Sun and Sea.

The strip of land between the river and the sea is about two hundred meters wide, in the narrowest and most visited part, for six kilometers in length. There is no electric light and power is supplied through generators. The place is very rustic and has some restaurants and inns to welcome visitors.

As it is a peninsula and the strip of land very narrow, one can take bath of river of one side and sea of another, offering a unique opportunity to the bathers. Caburé is 1: 15m by boat from Barreirinhas by the Preguiças River. From Atins it is approximately 20 minutes by boat or 30 by boat.

Otherwise hire the river walk in the inn itself. Navigating its waters is a must-see. The Preguiças River is flowing and its banks alternate different types of vegetation, from buritizais, açaizais, to mangroves already arriving at the mouth, besides the numerous birds that coexist with the river and that can be observed from a distance like, herons, jacus, guarás, etc.

From its viewpoint it is possible to see the mouth of the Preguiças River and its waters meeting the sea, the beginning of the dunes that form the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. The Caburé and the Atlantic Ocean just behind. It is also possible to observe all the town of Mandacaru that has one of the most original geographical configurations of the region with the central square or rectangle dominating in one of its headwaters the mother church, very common in several regions of the northeast.

Only the sight of the lighthouse already makes up for the visit and the effort to climb its staircase.
Do not be alarmed if a group of boys greet you in the harbor singing the old song of the master Luiz Gonzaga, Mandacaru. They are young “guides” who for some exchange or sometimes even for a simple smile, tell the whole story of the lighthouse and the village.

You can get there from the Atins by boat or sailing boat, also known in the region as a voadeira. By boat it would be about twenty minutes. The crossing of the canal is already part of the enchantment of the tour. The bar of the Preguiças River is beautiful to behold and contemplate.

This, by the way, is a very special route and of great natural beauty. Leaving Atins we reach the locality called Grão-Pará, which is in fact an excerpt from this peninsula, where the guarás, a typical mangrove bird with rich red plumage, color that acquires through the crustaceans from which it feeds, come at dusk to rest in their ninais, giving the visitors a spectacle provoked by their flight.

Its geographic configuration is very similar to the National Park of Lençóis Maranhenses, with hundreds of dunes interspersed by ponds formed by the rain with a small difference in the coloration of the sand that here is more yellowish.

Vassouras is the stopping point of anyone who does the lazy river walk for a coconut water, that cold beer or get some handicrafts. But attention, in Vassouras lives a colony of monkeys very numerous nails. They are meek and friendly, but they can take their belongings and play in the woods purely for fun. If you want to feed them, ask for the banana or coconut to the owner of the tent. Do not offer other foods, it is harmful to the health of animals.

One of the peculiarities of Santo Amaro, as well as the Atins, is that the city is very close to the PNLM. In an hour and a half walk you can reach the Park and visit its beautiful and crystalline lagoons. The main lagoons and the most visited, however, are a little more distant as the lagoon of the Emendadas where it arrives with 4 hours of walking. Do not be scared the ride is stunning and some dips in the lagoons during the way end as all your possible tiredness. Another nearby lagoon is the Swallow Lagoon a great option to visit at sunset and enjoy the incredible visual.

Near Santo Amaro there are still two spectacular places to meet. The small village of Bethania on the banks of the lively river, on the fringe of the PNLM, with a very nice beach and a native food prepared with all the affection by the locals. For a little more time worth a visit to the village of Travosa, approximately 25 km away, this still primitive fishing village has lush landscapes that leave the visitor to contemplate with open mouth. Besides the beach, practically deserted you can bathe in the lagoon of Travosa one of the most beautiful of the region. If you can, do not miss it.

In Barreirinhas there are a large number of pousadas and some restaurants. All the commerce of the region concentrates there, pharmacies, minimarkets, public market, bakeries, stationary, stores of material of construction, etc. There are only three banks operating in the city, Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal and Bradesco. There are no money exchange offices, only Banco do Brasil does this type of operation in the city. In Barreirinhas there is also a reasonably equipped hospital, which guarantees the first basic services, first and second grade schools, a college, police station, churches and the building of the City Hall and municipal secretariats.

From Barreirinhas depart the vehicles 4X4 and the voadeiras (aluminum boats) that take the visitors to the most diverse tours in the region. From here you get access to the Atins de voadeira or 4×4 vehicle, but be warned, you should book this transfer in advance, otherwise you may not find transportation available at the time of your arrival or have to charter one exclusively for your trip, which will come much more expensive than the conventional ride or line.