UNESCO declares Lençóis Maranhenses National Park a World Heritage Site

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named Lençóis Maranhenses National Park a World Heritage Site. This prestigious honor boosts the park's international tourism profile, underscoring its environmental significance and the need for its conservation. The UNESCO committee made the announcement on Friday, July 26. The park now joins seven other Brazilian locations also recognized as World Heritage Sites.

Read Minister Celso Sabino’s statement here (available in Portuguese).

The park’s exceptional beauty and status as a unique natural phenomenon were key criteria for this recognition. “Brazil is abundant in natural wonders and the designation of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park as a World Heritage Site will significantly enhance its global visibility, attracting tourists worldwide. This title not only boosts the park’s international prestige but also provides tangible benefits, particularly for its preservation,” said Tourism Minister Celso Sabino.

Covering 156,562 hectares, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park spans the Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazon biomes. It features areas of restinga, open dune fields and an extensive shoreline. The park is renowned among ecotourists for its white sand dunes, rainwater ponds and diverse wildlife.

With its new World Heritage Site status, the park will gain increased attention for protecting its natural resources and biodiversity, ensuring future generations can experience its unique landscapes and rich ecosystems.

The Ministry of Tourism (Ministério do Turismo/MTur) is developing an action plan to enhance tourism in and around Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. This plan aims to promote sustainable tourism and support the social inclusion of local residents by generating jobs and income. Additionally, the ministry oversees the Interministerial Committee for World Heritage Tourism Management (Comitê Interministerial de Gestão Turística do Patrimônio Mundial), which focuses on developing and promoting tourism with high standards of sustainability and preservation.

In addition to Lençóis Maranhenses, seven other Brazilian locations are recegnized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Pantanal Conservation Area (MT/MS), Central Amazon Conservation Complex (AM), Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves (BA/ES), Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves, Iguaçu National Park (PR), Ribeira Valley (PR/SP) and the Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and  Emas National Parks (GO).

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND - The evaluation process for Lençóis Maranhenses National Park began in 2023, when a team from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) visited Maranhão to assess the park’s attributes and determine how it met the World Heritage Site designation criteria. Alongside federal and state government representatives and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade/ICMBio), a UNESCO-hired consulting firm visited key locations and communities in Santo Amaro do Maranhão and Barreirinhas. They evaluated factors including natural beauty, protection and boundaries of the area, the quality of tourism services within the park and the status of the park’s management plan.

HOW TO GET THERE - The main cities providing access to the region are Barreirinhas and Santo Amaro do Maranhão. However, visitors can also access the area from Humberto de Campos and Primeira Cruz. The nearest airports with commercial flights are in São Luís, MA (SLZ) and Parnaíba, PI (PHB).

For those seeking a more adventurous route, travel through Paulino Neves, MA is an option. This route is part of the Rota das Emoções, a tourist itinerary that begins in Ceará, crosses the coast of Piauí and ends in Maranhão. Along this journey, visitors can explore three federal conservation units: Jericoacoara National Park, the Delta do Parnaíba Environmental Protection Area and Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.

by Fábio Marques

Ministry of Tourism Communications Office