Tours

Day 1. Barreirinhas – Pequenos Lençóis Environmental Protection Area (APA) – Atins – Rio Negro – Baixa Grande Oasis.
Departures are always from Barreirinhas at 8:30 a.m. We begin the tour by speedboat, visiting the Environmental Preservation Area (APA – Pequenos Lençóis Maranhenses, a State Conservation Unit), the villages of Vassouras and Mandacaru, and stopping for lunch at Caburé Beach. After lunch, there will be a short break to rest, and the boat will depart for Atins at 1:40 p.m., arriving at 2:00 p.m. at the port of Atins.
From there, a 4×4 vehicle will take us directly to the mouth of the Rio Negro, where we will begin our hike to the Baixa Grande Oasis (the drive takes about 1 hour), followed by a 7-8 km (2-3 hour) hike to the oasis.
Oásis Baixa Grande – Six families live in this corner of nature. The beauty of the sandbank that resists the advance of the dunes is impressive. From August to October, there is an abundance of cashews in the oasis. The residents who live there maintain their tradition of free-range farming of small animals such as goats, sheep, pigs, and chickens. Fishing on the beach, rivers, and lagoons is also part of the families' daily lives, and some families now also make a living from tourism. Take advantage of your free time to explore the residents' backyards and have a good chat with them. Tiquira (cassava brandy) is a typical tradition of the region. We will spend the night at the home of a native family.
Day 2 – Oásis Baixa Grande – Oásis Queimada dos Britos (12km).
The hike starts at 5:30 a.m., with breakfast served at 5 a.m. The hike is 12km long, which is 3-4 hours of actual walking. We will watch the sunrise and cross the Rio Negro to understand
its dynamics in the desert. We will visit Ponta do Peadouro, a region of high dunes with an excellent view of the area. Arrival in the village is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. We will stay at the home of a native family, where we will have our meals and spend the night in hammocks.
Queimada dos Britos is the second oasis to be visited, a village with 20 families, already associated with the municipality of Santo Amaro do Maranhão. The typical vegetation is sandbank, and during the flood season, the village is partially flooded, which makes the adventure of leaving at dawn even more exciting. The community has a small adapted school for nine children. 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Lunch and rest time 4:00 p.m. – Swimming in the lagoon and sunset.
7:00 p.m. – Dinner Free evening.
Day 3 – Queimada dos Britos Oasis – Betânia (12km).
The hike starts at 5:00 a.m., with breakfast served at 4:30 a.m. The hike is 12km long, with 45 hours of actual walking, and we will watch the sunrise. Arrival in the village is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. We will stay at the home of a local family, where we will have our meals and sleep in hammocks.
After lunch, we will take a break to rest, and at 3:30 p.m., we will leave to watch the sunset and visit one of the most beautiful lagoons in the Santo Amaro region, Lagoa do Bicudo Gordo. It is a 7km round trip.
Patacas is a village with about 5 families located in the vicinity of the park.

7:00 p.m. – Dinner. Free evening.

Day 4 – Patacas – Betânia (10 km)
Departure is scheduled for 5:00 a.m., with breakfast served at 4:30 a.m. The walk to the village of Betânia takes 3-4 hours, including stops for swimming and hiking. Along the way, you can see large lagoons in the region, such as Lagoa do Junco and Lagoa do Cajueirinho. Arrival is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the village of Betânia, which is located on the edge of the dunes.

10 a.m. – Transfer from Betânia to Santo Amaro in a 4x4.
1 p.m. – Return to Barreirinhas.