From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao

Barcelona, Spain
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From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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Hello! I am travelling this July to Brazil, and my last part of the trip includes the north coast. I have found very little info on how to get from Jericocoara to Lençois....

Can anyone help me?

Ideally, I would like to travel west from Jerí, crossing Tatajuba and then arriving to Atins. Is this possible? Can I enter Lençois from Atins? I can't even find maps that show the villa of Atins :-(

How about cost? Is it very expensive?

Thank you all :-)

Salvador, BA
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1. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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There is, indeed, very little information on travelling in that area--on the internet or in guidebooks, in English or Portuguese.

If you look on the internet long enough, you can find some maps (or send me an email address to which to send the ones I have).

The people who helped me the most with my trip were the wonderful Rio guide and all-round good guy Rafael Torres Lopes, whose contact info you can find on this TA site, and a friend of a friend in Sao Luis whose parents live in Santo Amaro. Subsequently, another friend spent about a month in the area, so she may have more info.

The simplest thing to do would be to fly from Fortaleza to Sao Luis and take a bus 4 hours to Barreirinhas.

Sao Luis is an interesting city, with lots of reggae, the historic Reviver district, the lace-making village of Raposa and a boat excursion to the old slave village of Alcantara.

The entry points to the Parque Lencois to see the lakes in the dunes are Barreirinhas and Santo Amaro. Barreirinhas has more tourist infrastructure, but is further from the dunes, so excursions by 4x4 cost more. Santo Amaro is still a little genuine fishing village, right next to the dunes, with a couple of basic pousadas and restaurants.

Atins is reachable by 4x4 froom Barreirinhas.

There is a boat that runs from Parnaiba (Piaui), to the Ilha de Caju, into Tutoia (Maranhao).

When you start travelling off the beaten tourist path in that area (meaning starting from Sao Luis to take an excursion into the Parque from Barreirinhas), you really have to play it by ear, not count on schedules and not be too rigid about getting to a certain place at a certain hour. There is some bus (and 4x4) traffic in the area, but the buses aren't frequent. If you miss a bus or 4x4 connection, you may find yourself waiting hours. Some travel is on sand and is influenced by conditions. (For example, I slept in a supply truck that got stuck in the mud heading out of one village, until the next convoy came through to pull us out.)

No one speaks any English at all, so I would advise learning as much Portuguese as you can and carrying a dictionary and phrase book. If you don't speak good Portuguese (Spanish will not do here), I highly recommend getting to Sao Luis and just taking the bus to Barreirinhas.

I'd be happy to answer any further questions that I can.

Boa viagem.

Barcelona, Spain
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2. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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Great! thanks for the info. It's very useful. So, you don't advise doing the trip from east to west, right? I'm trying to look for the guide you mention, and I can only find (good) references, but can't reach him directly. Any help on that?

Thank you again! (muchas gracias!)

Salvador, BA
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3. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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It's not that I don't advise it, it just means you probably should have a schedule with very few time constraints and be able to speak the language to get around easily.

This is an area with very little tourism as yet, particularly foreign tourism, and things are best set up to do the most convenient thing--fly or bus from Sao Luis to Barreirinhas.

Of course, more adverturous folks have arranged to walk across the dunes at night from Santo Amaro to a fishing village on the sea, a 10 hour journey.

In Jeri, you can probably find a tour operator with a 4x4 who does the Jeri-Barreirinhas route, but I don't know the price. I have seen these jeep tours offered, but I don't have my URL list at hand at the moment; use Google.

It's your choice to either try to find your way from Jeri by local buses and boats or on this type of 4x4 tour. Not knowing you, your travel habits, adventure vs. comfort level, plans, preferences, budget, language skill level, or your time frame, I can't really advise one way or the other.

I CAN say that the Parque Lencois is quite beautiful and well worth visiting.

jericoacoara
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4. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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I live in Jericoacoara and did the trip between Jeri and São Luis, so maybe the info below helps.

There are some alternatives:

1) Hire a 4x4 car in Jeri, that will take you to Caburé-Atins in one day. Expensive, price approx. R$ 1.200 per car, good if there is a small group.

2) Truck from Jeri to Camocim (via Tatajuba), van from Camocim to Parnaiba, overnight in Parnaiba to visit the river delta. Next day, bus to São Luis.

3) Truck from Jeri to Camocim. Van from Camocim to Parnaiba. Truck from Parnaiba to Tutoia (overnight). Truck from Tutoia to Barreirinhas with connection in Paulino Neves. This alternative requires time, transport is not regular.

Visit the Lençois Maranhenses Park from Barreirinhas.

Bus or taxi to São Luis.

If you need info about Jeri and or accommodation, send me a PM: jeriathome@gmail.com

For what I know, the boat from Parnaiba to Tutoia is not operating.

Salvador, BA
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5. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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Thanks ingrid. Saw your post on TT too. Valuable first hand info unique on both forums. Stick around! :-)

Just to point out that option 2 means backtracking at least 4 hours by bus once in Sao Luis.

In option 3, does "truck" run on asphalt roads or on the beaches? What contact information can you provide for these vehicles? i.e. who would I talk to and where are they located when not driving? Are they supply trucks? And does the truck from Tutoia to Barreirinhas go any further, like up the road to Sangue (to get into Santo Amaro) or would you have to take the bus from Barreirinhas?

It's likely I may be in the area again soon to visit friends and would like to do some more exploring.

Also, for anyone reconsidering this trip, note that entering the Parque Lencois from the fishing village of Santo Amaro (descending on the asphalt road about an hour closer to Sao Luis at mile marker 100 in Sangue and catching the 4x4 in to the village on the sand road) is a less touristed option and excursions into the Parque are cheaper than Barreirinhas because the village is right next to the dunes.

Barcelona, Spain
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6. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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Thank you both, tcantarelli and ingridjeri! I think that we will finally go for the first option you mention ingridjeri (4x4 from jeri to cabure -atins), and I only have some more questions:

- once we reach cabure-atins: how do we get in the lençois park?

- do we cross the river by boat?

and once in the park,

- do we cross the park walking, reaching some other villa at the park's opposite side?

Your help and advice is very much appreciated. Thanks again!

Salvador, BA
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7. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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You get yourself to either Barreirinhas (more common) or Santo Amaro and find a place to stay. There are jeep tours that go out from there into the Parque. The tours will be cheaper from Santo Amaro because it is right on the edge of the Parque, but Barreirinhas has more tourist infrastructure.

Sent you maps.

london
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8. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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Hi

i am based in Jericoacoa and have a pousada her. To get to lencois from here. you take either a buggy or open back small bus to Camocim, from there you take a bus to parnaiba. Stay the night and take a bus the following day to Lencois. This is the cheapest way. there are more expensive ways using a 4 x 4 car. let me know if this is helpful..... Jeri

jericoacoara
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9. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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I live in Jeri and got some updated information about getting from here to Lençois Maranhenses.

Expensive-fast alternative: hire a 4x4 car, approx. R$ 1.000 for 5 pax, R$ 800 for 1-2 pax. Takes you to Caburé or Barreirinhas.

Slow-difficult-cheap alternative:

Around 7am, 4x4 truck leaves Jeri to Camocim (except on weekends)

10.30am-1pm: van Camocim-Parnaiba

5pm: bus Parnaiba-Tutoia

Overnight in Tutoia

11am: 4x4 truck Tutoia-Paulino Neves

Overnight in Paulino Neves

Morning: Paulino Neves-Barreirinhas

To get from Paulino Neves to Caburé, 4x4 car has to be chartered. From Caburé, easy to cross the river and get to Atins.

From Atins you can enter the national park.

No boats between Parnaiba and Tutoia anymore!

Please note schedules might change!

Hope this helps everybody, since this question comes very often.

If anybody passing by Jeri needs help, information or accommodation, please have a look in my site or ask: www.jeriathome.com

Salvador, BA
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10. Re: From Jreicocoara to Lençois de Maranhao
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Ingrid, this is going to be SOOOOOOOO valuable, not only here, but as a reference for all the Brazil travel forums. Thanks!

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