Access to the dunes of Santo Amaro has congestion in high season The path that leads to the dunes in the city of Santo Amaro, one of the gateways to the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, was filled with cars during the weekend. The movement of tourists was so great that a traffic jam formed on the access road to the lagoons. Videos recorded by businessman Márcio Meneses, owner of a tourism agency, show the intense movement of passenger and passenger vehicles, as well as people heading towards the lagoons on foot (see the images above). ? Click here and subscribe to the g1 Maranhão channel on WhatsApp The access road to the Santo Amaro dunes is congested during high season in Lençóis Maranhenses Marcio Meneses The images also show dozens of tourists watching the sunset in the dunes and on the banks of Lagoa do Recanto, one of the most frequented in the region. Lençóis Maranhenses: find out when to go, how to get there and what to visit in the now Natural World Heritage Site. To g1, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) reported that the increase in the flow of visitors is a reflection of the high season, a period in which tourist interest in the park's beauty grows. The agency also highlighted that access to the region is organized by the municipalities that make up the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. “Access to the unit is carried out upon presentation of the voucher issued by the municipalities, and ICMBio maintains permanent dialogue with the surrounding municipalities to jointly build solutions that contribute to the improvement of services offered to visitors”, informed the institute. In 2025, Parque dos Lençóis Maranhenses recorded a historic record of visitation: more than 650 thousand visitors, an increase of more than 400% compared to 2019. Read also: Parque dos Lençóis Maranhenses receives certification from UNESCO as a Natural Heritage of Humanity Parque dos Lençóis Maranhenses is elected as the main luxury destination for Brazilians Natural Heritage of Humanity: understand how the dunes and lagoons are formed in the Lençóis Maranhenses Parque dos Lençóis Maranhenses is the 3rd best-known park in Brazil, according to research ICMBio studies limiting visitor entry to Lençóis Maranhenses The accelerated growth of visitors to Lençóis worries experts, as tourist pressure can cause environmental impacts as well as compromise visitors' experience and conservation objectives. In January this year, ICMBio reported that it is evaluating measures to restrict the number of visitors to the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (PNLM), to guarantee the preservation of the ecosystem and maintain the title of World Natural Heritage granted by UNESCO in 2024. In 2025, the unit registered a historic record: more than 650 thousand visitors, an increase of more than 400% compared to 2019. The accelerated growth worries experts, as tourist pressure can cause environmental impacts as well. how to compromise visitor experience and conservation objectives. "Increased tourist visitation to a national park can generate negative impacts on the conservation unit, such as soil compaction, erosion of trails, disturbance of fauna and increased waste generation. Furthermore, excessive pressure on sensitive areas and overcrowding can compromise the visitor's experience, resulting in loss of the feeling of contact with nature, conflicts of use and reduction in the quality of the visit, at the same time that they put at risk the conservation objectives that justify the protection of the area", highlights ICMBio, which is responsible for managing the area. PNLM. To address the problem, the National Park administration is conducting a pilot project to define the Visitation Benchmark Number (NBV) - a parameter that indicates the maximum number of visitors that an area can receive without compromising conservation and safety. The initiative has the participation of representatives from ICMBio, the city councils of Santo Amaro do Maranhão, Barreirinhas and Primeira Cruz, SEBRAE and educational institutions, such as the Federal Institute of Maranhão (IFMA) and the Federal University of Maranhão - UFMA. According to ICMBio, limiting access when necessary is essential to guarantee sustainable tourism and protect one of the most famous natural settings in Brazil. “Protecting the PNLM is everyone’s responsibility: ICMBio, service providers, operators, tourists and residents”, reinforces the park team. World Natural Heritage View of the Lençóis Maranhenses area by photographer Adriano Kirihara Adriano Kirihara/Personal archive With large white sand dunes and crystal clear freshwater lagoons, formed by rain and groundwater, the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, located on the coast of Maranhão, enchants with its natural complex that brings together breathtaking landscapes. The beauty and conservation of the area earned Lençóis Maranhenses the title of Natural Heritage of Humanity granted by Unesco, in July 2024. Lençóis Maranhenses was the only representative of Brazil on the list. Lençóis is located in a transition zone between the Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazon biomes. The UNESCO seal was given because the place meets all the requirements for the title, which values ??the environmental importance of the places and the need for their preservation. Among the evaluated criteria that led the conservation unit to gain recognition are its exceptional beauty and the fact that it is a unique natural phenomenon in the world. The Lençóis Maranhenses were evaluated in the natural category, along with the following locations: CHINA: Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes extent of swamp in Europe) BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: Vjetrenica Cave, Ravno (Vjetrenica - cave with the greatest biodiversity in the world located in Zavala) With the title, the Lençóis should receive even more attention for the prevention of its natural resources and biodiversity. The paradise that, until recently, was "hidden", has been gaining more and more visitors from tourists from Brazil and all over the world who are enchanted by the beauty of the place. Lençóis Maranhenses are in an extensive area of ??Maranhão that belongs to three municipalities Art/g1 Tourist access Lençóis Maranhenses leads the national ecotourism ranking Created in 1981, the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). The entity is responsible for looking after agencies and tourism operators accredited with the park. For those arriving through Santo Amaro do Maranhão, from July onwards, it is necessary to pay a fee of R$10 to access the park. The taxation is carried out by the municipality's City Hall, even after a decision by the Court that considered the charge to be unconstitutional. ?? As it is a federal environmental conservation area, vehicle traffic (quads or 4x4 trucks) is only carried out by agencies or tourism operators accredited by ICMBio.