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An aerial view of white dunes holding rainwater lagoons, with green forest along their edge, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

Sample journey · 12–14 days

Drums, tablelands and lagoons in the dunes: Brazil's north-east

Salvador, the Chapada Diamantina, São Luís, the Lençóis Maranhenses & Jericoacoara

Photo: Léo Castro / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Brazil's north-east is a different country from Rio or the Pantanal. In Salvador, the first capital of colonial Brazil, African roots are felt everywhere: in the rhythm of the drums, in capoeira circles on the squares, in cooking scented with palm oil. A few hours west rises the Chapada Diamantina, a landscape of tablelands, canyons and caves filled with blue water, and further north on the coast of Maranhão lie the Lençóis Maranhenses, a field of dunes where hundreds of clear lagoons form between the ridges after the rains.

This sample route is built around one thing: the lagoon season, which usually falls in the middle of the year. It suits couples and travellers who are drawn to culture and enjoy walking, since the dunes and the Chapada involve a fair amount on foot, often in the heat. Stays range from colonial houses in Salvador to simple, charming guesthouses by the dunes, and the transfers are longer than the map might suggest.

The route

The journey

  1. Salvador
  2. Chapada Diamantina
  3. São Luís
  4. Lençóis Maranhenses
  5. Parnaíba Delta
  6. Jericoacoara
  7. Fortaleza
  1. A cobbled street leading to a blue baroque church at dusk, Salvador, Brazil

    01Days 1–3 · Salvador

    The drums of Pelourinho

    Three nights in Salvador, ideally in a restored house in the old town or by the sea. In the Pelourinho, cobbled streets climb past pastel façades and baroque churches, and a local guide helps make sense of how African, Portuguese and Indigenous histories wove together here. Evenings bring moqueca with coconut milk, acarajé from street vendors and, with luck, a drum rehearsal on one of the squares.

  2. Tablelands and a forested valley seen from a cliff edge, Chapada Diamantina, Brazil

    02Days 4–6 · Chapada Diamantina

    Tablelands and blue water underground

    West by road to Lençóis, a former diamond-prospecting town and a convenient base for the national park. Early one morning you could climb Morro do Pai Inácio to see tablelands running to the horizon; on another day, visit caves where, at certain hours, a shaft of sunlight lights up the blue water, or take a longer trail to the Fumaça waterfall, which pours off the edge of the plateau. These are walking days, but the pace is set around you.

  3. A blue lagoon winding between white sand dunes, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

    03Days 7–10 · São Luís & the Lençóis Maranhenses

    Lagoons between the dunes

    A long travel day back to Salvador and a flight to São Luís, where houses in the old town are clad in Portuguese azulejo tiles. The next afternoon the road leads to Barreirinhas on the edge of the dunes. By 4x4 and on foot into the dunes: the rain-fed lagoons are usually fullest from roughly June to September, and the water is so warm and clear that swimming sets the rhythm of the day. One night could be spent in the quiet village of Atins, where the river meets the sea.

  4. Sunset over wind-rippled dunes at Jericoacoara, Ceará, Brazil

    04Days 11–14 · The Parnaíba Delta, Jericoacoara & Fortaleza

    East along the coast

    Rather than retrace your steps, the journey continues east along the coast: past fishing villages and the mangrove channels of the Parnaíba Delta, where a boat threads between islands, to Jericoacoara. This village of sandy streets among the dunes is a good place to unwind after the active days: sunset from the big dune, lagoons nearby and swimming in the sea. On the last day, the road to Fortaleza airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Salvador with a local guide

    The history of the Pelourinho, Afro-Brazilian traditions and Bahian cooking, with someone who grew up here.

  2. 02

    Morning on Morro do Pai Inácio

    A short but steep climb to one of the finest viewpoints in the Chapada Diamantina.

  3. 03

    Swimming in the dune lagoons

    Warm, clear rainwater between white dunes, when the season is right.

  4. 04

    The Parnaíba Delta by boat

    Mangrove channels, sand islands and fishing villages on the way from one dune country to another.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • More active in the Chapada

    For keen walkers, a multi-day trek through the Vale do Pati, staying with local families along the way.

  • Slower by the dunes

    More nights in Atins or Jericoacoara in small, charming guesthouses, lovely for a honeymoon.

  • In another season

    Outside the lagoon season, the dunes could give way to Olinda and the coast near Recife or the Fernando de Noronha islands, keeping Salvador and the Chapada.

  • With Rio or the Amazon

    A few days in Rio de Janeiro at the start, or in the Amazon at the end, turn this into a broader journey through Brazil.

Practical considerations

  • The lagoons depend on the rains: they are usually fullest from roughly June to September, but this varies from year to year, and in the dry months they can all but disappear. We plan around each year's conditions.
  • Domestic flights between Salvador and São Luís usually involve a connection, and road transfers are long, so some days are mostly for travelling.
  • The dunes are hot and shadeless, and you walk on sand, so sun protection, water and an unhurried pace matter.
  • Salvador can see showers at this time of year, usually brief; in the Chapada it tends to be a drier, cooler season.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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