I Swam in the Middle of a Desert in Brazil

When I first saw photos of Lençóis Maranhenses, I thought they had to be edited. Huge white dunes with dozens of clear blue lagoons between them did not look real. A desert and water in the same place simply did not make sense to me. So when I got to Brazil, I decided to see it with my own eyes.

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is located in the state of Maranhão in northeastern Brazil. Its landscape is made up of enormous sand dunes and freshwater lagoons that form between them thanks to seasonal rainfall.

At first, I saw nothing but sand

We reached the first lagoon by an off-road vehicle along sandy tracks. Then the vehicle stopped and we continued on foot. There were dunes everywhere - one after another as far as I could see. It really felt like I had entered a giant desert.

I had started wondering whether the photographs exaggerated the beauty of the place when I climbed one more dune. Then I saw water below me. A small turquoise lagoon was sitting between the white sand hills. A few minutes later, I was walking down toward it.

I stepped into the water in the middle of the sand

The strangest feeling came when I finally entered the water. There was no sea, no river and no familiar beach around me. Just white sand, blue water and tall dunes.

The water felt pleasantly cool after walking across the hot sand. I swam, looked across the lagoon and kept thinking that the whole scene looked unreal. An hour earlier I had been walking through a desert-like landscape, and now I was swimming in the middle of it.

I also loved how the landscape changes over time. Because the dunes move and the lagoons are seasonal, some disappear while others form in different places.

Why is there water here at all?

I later learned that the lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses are not permanent lakes. They are formed by rainwater collecting between the dunes. That is why the appearance of the park changes depending on the season.

This is what makes the place so unusual. It is not simply a beautiful desert. It is a landscape where sand and freshwater constantly interact.

On the way back, I climbed another dune and looked behind me. There were only white waves of sand and small blue patches of water. That was when I understood why photographs of this place look almost impossible - reality is even more unusual.

I would definitely come back

Lençóis Maranhenses turned out to be one of those places that are difficult to compare with anywhere else. It is not a classic beach and not an ordinary desert. You can walk across the sand, climb a dune and a few minutes later find yourself swimming in cool freshwater.

If you are planning a trip here, it is worth considering the seasonal nature of the lagoons and the park's visitor rules. For me, the main memory will always be this strange feeling: I came to see a desert and ended up swimming right in the middle of it.