① Brazil’s Lençóis Desert
Brazil is a popular travel destination among tourists for its breathtaking natural landscapes. However, Brazil is known for its challenging security situation which can make travel there somewhat difficult. It’s a place that despite its allure, can cause one to hesitate before embarking on a journey.
Apart from its unstable security situation, Brazil is home to many hidden travel destinations with stunning landscapes.
Among them is a place that’s considered one of the most beautiful deserts in the world.
It’s the Lençóis Desert in Brazil.
Located in the northeastern state of Maranhão, the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park hosts a desert of pure white sand which is a rare sight on Earth.
The name ‘Lençóis Maranhenses’ translates to ‘bedsheets of Maranhão’.
It’s said that Lençóis Maranhenses even appears white from space.
The landscape of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil is enough to captivate the eyes of travelers worldwide.
Every summer, large and small sand lakes appear in the desert.
The dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park were formed by wind and ocean currents.
Some of these dunes, which have been formed over thousands of years, reach heights of up to 131 feet.
Freshwater lagoons separate the dunes.
Between the dunes, endless green oases create a mystical landscape.
The total area of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is about 598 square miles.
It was designated as a national park to preserve its unique ecosystem.
② Sand Sledding and Swimming in Lakes
If you visit the Lençóis Desert in person, you’ll be amazed by the surreal landscape.
Though it’s a desert, it has a unique appearance that doesn’t resemble a typical desert.
The thousands of puddles in the Lençóis Desert may all look similar, but they’re all different.
The size, shape, and depth of the lakes change every year, and the color of the water changes as well.
It’s a place where you can truly feel the wonder of nature and see unique sights.
The Lençóis Desert has a six-month rainy season and a six-month dry season.
Rain falls from January to June with the highest rainfall from February to May.
The best time to visit is between June and August.
The dry season begins in July and lasts until December during which the lakes start to dry up.
If you want to see the mystical landscape of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil, you need to check the timing of your visit carefully.
If you visit at the end of the rainy season, you can encounter the impressive landscape of the Lençóis Desert.
A highlight of the Lençóis Desert is that you can swim in the lakes.
Tourists often jump into the lakes and enjoy swimming.
Imagine how it would feel to swim in a lake that shines emerald. It’s hard to even imagine.
Videos of tourists sledding down the dunes and plunging into the lakes have caused a stir on social media.
Just watching the videos can make you feel refreshed.
Netizens reacted with comments like, “Wow, the water is really clean,” “I wonder what it feels like to jump into the water when the sand is so hot,” “This place is truly amazing,” and “I can’t believe such a place exists.”
③ The Mysteries Nature Offers
The lakes in the Lençóis Desert which are hard to find anywhere else in the world raise questions about how they were formed.
The fact that there’s a large body of water in the middle of a vast desert is surreal in itself.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil is known as a masterpiece of Earth, created by rivers, wind, and sand.
The rain that falls in the Lençóis Desert does not seep into the ground.
This is because there’s a clay layer beneath the desert that acts as a waterproof barrier and groundwater flows throughout the year.
So even when it rains, the water doesn’t seep into the ground but pools in the oases.
When a huge amount of rain falls during the rainy season, the groundwater rises and forms thousands of puddles.
Thanks to the miracles of nature, the unique landscape of the Lençóis Desert was born.
Surprisingly, creatures like fish and turtles live in the puddles.
The fact that a variety of creatures live in the desert, which is hard to imagine often surprises people.
Every year, countless tourists visit to see the landscape of the Lençóis Desert.
From nearby cities, tourists are flown by plane or helicopter to get a bird’s-eye view of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.
You can enjoy the view of the desert from the sky and savor nature.
As it’s a national park, car access is prohibited to preserve the ecosystem.
Admission for visitors is free.
By. Sung Min Seo
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