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Wednesday, August 26, 2026

On the way to the dunes in Brazil

By · May 23, 2023 · 5 min read

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Whether in the Northeast, the Midwest, or the South of Brazil, the dunes are synonymous with fun and contemplation.

In Jericoacoara (Ceará), the gigantic pile of sand is perfect for enjoying the sunset and thinking about life.

In Genipabu (Rio Grande do Norte), “butt-skiing” is the sensation!

And in Floripa (Santa Catarina), people love to surf on the sand!

In Jalapão (Tocantins), the best thing to do is take pictures of incredible landscapes that change color throughout the day.

Lençóis Maranhenses (Photo internet reproduction)
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LENÇÓIS MARANHENSES (MARANHÃO)

The scenery “boils down” to an immensity of white dunes cut by freshwater lagoons, sometimes blue, sometimes green.

A flight over the area is mandatory for those visiting the region between June and September.

During this period, the landscape becomes even more exuberant because of the end of the rainy season.

To enjoy the Azul and Bonita lagoons, it is good to have your breath up to date: to reach them; you have to climb the beautiful sand hills, which reach 40 meters in height.

One consolation: the sunset seen up there is spectacular!

Joaquina Beach, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina (Photo internet reproduction)

FLORIANÓPOLIS (SANTA CATARINA)

On the busy Joaquina Beach, the good waves and the surfers share attention with the dunes and the sandboards, the surf on the sand that brings together natives and tourists.

You can even rent a wooden board there for beginners or those curious.

The sport is also practiced between the beaches of Ingleses and Santinho.

On the beaches of Campeche, Armação, and Pântano do Sul, the sand hills are smaller, but they also guarantee the charm of the scenery.

Itaúnas, Espírito Santo (Photo internet reproduction)

ITAÚNAS (ESPÍRITO SANTO)

Almost on the border with Bahia, the little village conquers the tourists for the whole work: rivers, mangroves, beautiful beaches, and dunes of fine white sand.

And there is still a lot of excitement during the summer and July vacations when the beach huts are very busy!

Speaking of the seaside… prepare your shins: the access to the beach is only on foot, facing the sands that in the 60s buried the old village.

To get to paradise, you have to suffer!

Cumbuco, Ceará (Photo internet reproduction)

CUMBUCO (CEARÁ)

One of the main postcards of Ceará, Cumbuco beach, gathers people from Fortaleza on weekends.

After all, only 35 kilometers separate the capital from this little piece of paradise, surrounded by lagoons and dunes of fine sand. Once there, the best thing to do is to explore the sand hills on buggy rides.

For the bravest, the tip is to practice the “esquibunda” (butt-skiing) – going down the dunes sitting on a piece of wood.

The endpoint is in the warm water of the lagoon!

Jericoacoara, Ceará (Photo internet reproduction)

JERICOACOARA (CEARÁ)

In the village where all the streets – there are only five! – are of fluffy sand, the postcard could not be other than a gigantic dune!

And it is there, the Sunset Dune, that all visitors follow religiously at the end of the day to see the spectacle of the sun setting into the sea.

Besides enjoying the view from above, it is possible to see the change of colors of the sand pile, which goes from yellow to pink, in a few minutes!

Genipabu, Rio Grande do Norte (Photo internet reproduction)

GENIPABU (RIO GRANDE DO NORTE)

The big attractions are the dunes that, together with the buggies, make Genipabu a real amusement park in the middle of nowhere.

The rides can be “with or without emotion, ” meaning more speed and radical maneuvers through the mobile and fixed dunes, occasionally blessed with freshwater lagoons.

From the top of the sandhill, it is possible to appreciate the Genipabu lagoon, ride the dromedaries’ hump and take many pictures!

Mangue Seco, Bahia (Photo internet reproduction)

MANGUE SECO (BAHIA)

The village squeezed between Bahia, and Sergipe became famous when it became the setting for the soap opera Tieta, by Jorge Amado, in the late 1980s.

Since then, not much has changed, and the buggy rides through the dunes are still the main attractions.

A lot has changed!

Because of the strength of the winds, the landscape changes every day, covering the coconut trees, the houses, and even the streets with sand!

Between one trip and another, enjoying the freshwater rivers, the beaches with strong waves, and the beach huts serving northeastern delicacies is worth enjoying.

Garopaba, Santa Catarina (Photo internet reproduction)

GAROPABA (SANTA CATARINA)

On Siriú Beach, everyone has a party! It has good waves, a lagoon for fishing, tents, and dunes for sandboarding.

The hills reach 30 meters high and are spread over about five kilometers, making the area the best in Santa Catarina to enjoy surfing on the sand.

At the end of the adventure, there are still the fresh waters of the Siriú River for the group to return home clean and clear!

Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro (Photo internet reproduction)

CABO FRIO (RIO DE JANEIRO)

The sands of the Praia do Forte beach, in the Center, are already beautiful because of their color and shape: super white and very, very fine.

But the biggest sand hills of the city can be found at Praia das Dunas, two kilometers away from the hustle and bustle.

Besides being beautiful, they are also preserved because they are in an Environmental Protection Area.

A tip: avoid going alone because the scenery is empty most of the day.

The waves are bigger, gathering only surfers.

Jalapão, Tocantins (Photo internet reproduction)

JALAPÃO (TOCANTINS)

It seems strange to have 30-meter-long dunes, with fine sand, in the middle of the Brazilian savanna (cerrado) in the Midwest.

But as Jalapão is full of surprises, relax and try to appreciate up close the mounds of orange sand, called quartz sand, formed by the erosion of the Espírito Santo Mountains.

From the top of the dunes, there is one of the best panoramic views of the region, especially during sunset.

The landscape, already beautiful by nature, becomes red, magenta, and blue…

With information from Brasil Férias

News Brazil, English news Brazil, Brazilian tourism

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error

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