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Here’s How Much it Costs to visit the Lençóis Maranhenses

ByLo Lee Posted on Last updated on

In August of 2024, a friend and I headed to one of the most beautiful destinations in Brazil: Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.

Visiting remote locations often comes with a high price tag. In this post, I will break down the costs of my 5-day/4-night itinerary based out of Atins, one of the best base locations to stay in the Lençóis Maranhenses.

TL;DR? Here is my average cost per day of visiting Lençóis Maranhenses
🏠 Accommodation: USD 77
🚙 Transportation: USD 8.5
🥾 Tours & Activities: USD 32
🍜 Food: USD 29
🟰 Total: USD 146.5

Accommodation in Atins

Wooden house in Atins, Maranhao build in the style of Brazil's northeast featuring a straw roof.

💸 4 nights at Pousada Maresia (with breakfast): R$ 3.232 (616 USD) for two people, which was split between my friend and I

During the high season of the Lençóis Maranhenses (May to August), it is hard to find a good place to stay in Atins – prices are high and options are limited.

For us, it was especially challenging because we booked our trip last minute. Among the few options we had, Pousada Maresia caught our attention due to its proximity to the beach. Other similarly priced stays were farther away and would require us to rent a four-wheeler to get by, adding to our costs.

Pousada Maresia was very rustic, but the staff was helpful and the accommodations were comfortable.

This accommodation is neither luxurious nor on par with standard hotels in São Luís. Here’s what to expect:

  • The breakfast is very lean
  • The rooms use cheap electric showers that allow for little temperature control
  • Air conditioning use is limited during the day (it keeps turning itself off)
  • Wi-fi access is slow.

I expected more of this stay given the price tag of this acommodation, but later I found that this is just the standard cost to stay at a great location in Atins.

Total cost of accommodation (1 person): R$1616 (308 USD)

Transportation in Atins/Barreirinhas

Small motorboat used for taking tourists from Barreirinhas to Atins

💸 Barreirinhas <> Atins boat transfer (including pickup/dropoff in your Atins accommodation): R$160

The most common way to get to Atins is by boat transfer from Barreirinhas. The boat transfer lasts about 1.5 hours and offers incredible views.

💸 ATV ride in Atins (5-minute ride to a beach club): R$20

Getting around in Atins can be expensive. The only ‘taxis’ available are ATVs, which charge between R$20-30 per ride. Many tourists choose to avoid the “taxi” cost by renting out an ATV for the duration of their stay.

Luckily, I was in a hotel with an amazing location and was able to walk to the beach and the best restaurants in town. When choosing accommodation, keep in mind how expensive getting around Atins can be!

Total cost of transportation: R$180 (34 USD)

Tours & Activities

Girl swimming in freshwater lagoon at Lençóis Maranhenses

There is an infinity of tours available in Atins, and here are the ones we went to:

💸 Revoada dos guarás (bird watching): R$120 (23 USD) per person

This is an Atins-exclusive tour, it is short and can be done in a chill sunset. Don’t miss it if you are staying in Atins!

💸 Ponta do mangue or Canto de Atins half-day tour (visiting dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses): R$130 (25 USD) per person (I did both, so I spent a total of R$260)

These tours visit some of the most famous dunes and freshwater lagoons in the Atins region.

If you are doing the morning tour, they drop you off at a restaurant near the park to have a bite before dropping you back in your hotel. If you’re doing the afternoon tour, you are likely to catch an amazing sunset!

Since we had time, we spread these tours across different days to avoid travel fatigue. If you’re short on time, you can book a full-day tour to experience both in one go.

💸 Lagoa Azul (half-day tour out of Barreirinhas): R$120 (23 USD) per person

This is the most famous lagoons at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park for a good reason: it is huge and lasts for a long period.

When visiting in August, I was disappointed with how dry the lagoons near Atins were, so I really wanted to visit Lagoa Azul, which is closer to Barreirinhas.

From Atins, the only tours heading to Lagoa Azul are private and run at the flat rate of R$1500 for a group of up to 6 people. Because this option was way over my budget, I modified the itinerary by adding one afternoon in Barreirinhas, where this tour goes for only R$120 per person.

Stargazing at Lençóis Maranhenses: R$175 (33 USD) per person

This is the most fun tour I’ve done in Brazil! I saw falling stars and the Milky Way with my naked eye. The cherry on top was having the dunes to myself and entering one of the lagoons in the pitch-black desert.

Total tour cost (1 person): R$675 (128 USD)

Food in Atins

Restaurant table with a serving of typical northeastern Brazilian food: white rice, yuca flour, beans, and sun-dried meet (carne de sol)

Food in Atins is extremely expensive (yet not very good), and I had trouble controlling my expenses on this end.

I typically eat very little and brought snacks from São Luís, so most days I was able to get by with just one big meal plus the free breakfast served in my hotel. I also do not drink alcohol, so my restaurant bills were significantly lower than that of the average traveler:

Click to check out the menus of some restaurants in Atins

Total Atins food cost: R$435 (83 USD)

Food in Barreirinhas

In Barreirinhas, there are many restaurant options to serve just about any taste. This time, I did not go outside the pier area in Barreirinhas where the boat transfer to Atins leaves from.

Therefore, the few restaurants I visited were in this more expensive area of town but the variety, quality, and price of the food did not disappoint.

A special food highlight goes to Café no Ponto Barreirinhas, where authentic (and delicious) Brazilian breakfast food is served at low prices!

Total Barreirinhas food cost: R$173 (USD 32.7)

Total cost of my 4-night/5-day itinerary visiting the Lençóis Maranhenses

The costs of my incredible 4-night/5-day itinerary to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park came to a total of R$3079 (585.7 USD).

The experience was absolutely worth the cost, but next time, I’ll stay in Barreirinhas for its lower prices and wider variety of restaurants.

Atins offers a lot of fun and exclusivity, but for me, it did not justify the high prices!

Planning a trip to Lençóis Maranhenses? Check out these helpful guides:
✅ Best tours and activities at Lençóis Maranhenses
✅ Best places to stay at Lençóis Maranhenses
✅ How to get to Lençóis Maranhenses
✅ Best restaurants in São Luís, Maranhão

Lo Lee is the lead author of carry oner, a blog that helps travelers find incredible destinations and travel tips through unfiltered posts. She has lived in 4 different countries and visited over 45!

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