These endless sand dunes stretching to the horizon might make you think you’ve wandered into the Sahara. Yet with countless blue-turquoise lagoons weaving like emerald ribbons between each valley of sand, farther than eyes can see, the sight is quite extraterrestrial.
But it’s a reality in one spot on our planet Earth.
Highly unique, Lençóis Maranhenses is actually a national park in the state of Maranhão in northeastern Brazil spanning 43 miles (70 kilometers) of Atlantic coastline. The unending sand dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses may seem desert-like but with its 47 inches of rainfall per year, it’s far from that—officially, deserts receive less than 10 inches of rain per year….