Atins & Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil

About Atins & Lençóis Maranhenses

Atins sits at the mouth of the Preguiças river on the edge of the Lençóis Maranhenses — a national park of white sand dunes stretching to the horizon, filled between rains with thousands of freshwater lagoons. There are no paved roads in. You arrive by boat up the river or by 4x4 across the sand, and that alone filters out most of the world.

The season runs July to January on east, north-east and east-north-east trade winds. The riding is a mix rather than a single spot: the river mouth, the tidal flats, the lagoons and the open coast, with real chop and conditions that shift quickly with tide, thermal strength, wind direction or a passing front. It suits intermediate and advanced riders more than first-timers, and it rewards a downwind, exploratory approach rather than laps in front of a school.

The hazards are of a piece with the setting — tidal currents, shifting sandbanks that move the water access, and very little infrastructure if something goes wrong. What is there is enough: kite schools, pousadas, restaurants, and boat and 4x4 logistics to reach the zones. For many riders this is the most memorable week in Brazil.

When to go

Best months: January, July, August, September, October, November, December.

Kite areas

2 distinct riding areas documented within this destination.

• Arpoador da Tutóia

  Best months: July, August, September, October, November, December, January.

• Atins

  Best months: July, August, September, October, November, December, January.