Santo Amaro do Maranhão

Santo Amaro do Maranhão, better known as Santo Amaro, is a small city in Northern Maranhão, near Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. It's a good alternative to Barreirinhas for visiting the national park.

Take a Cisne Branco bus from São Luis heading to Barreirinhas. Ask the driver to let you off at Sangue. The bus costs R$21 and takes about 3 hours. In Sangue, 4X4 (called "Toyotas") meet the buses to go to Santo Amaro. They charge R$15 and the trip takes about 2 hours.

Small enough to walk around.

• Laguna da Gaviota is a nice lagoon within walking distance from the town. Ask the locals how to get there.

• Take a tour further into the dunes. This must be done with a guide. Everyone in town who isn't a guide knows one. You can walk all the way across the park to Atins, stopping on the way at some small communities within the park. This takes three days. If you have less time, you can just walk to the community of Queimada dos Britos about 8 hours away.
• There are also tours with small boats available across the lagoon, as an alternative to the 4X4 tours.

• Camp near the river for free.

There is internet at the high school at the main square. Slow as molasses.