Maranhão

The state

Maranhão sits where the Northeast meets the Amazon, and its landscapes reflect that transition: Amazon forest in the northwest, babassu palm country and cerrado further south, tall mangroves along a deeply indented coast, and the white dunes of the Lençóis Maranhenses, where seasonal rain fills thousands of freshwater lagoons. São Luís, the only Brazilian state capital founded by the French, has the largest collection of exterior azulejos in Brazil, and a strong living culture of Bumba meu boi, Tambor de Crioula and reggae.

For agencies, Maranhão is primarily a nature and culture destination for FIT, small groups and photography or special-interest programmes. A classic combination pairs São Luís and a day in Alcântara with several nights at Barreirinhas, the usual base for the dunes, often extended along the Rota das Emoções to the Parnaíba Delta and Jericoacoara. The Chapada das Mesas, in the south, suits waterfall and cerrado itineraries. Logistics require care: São Luís is the main air gateway, the Lençóis involve a long road transfer and 4x4 vehicles, and timing matters, since the lagoons are fullest from about June to August.