Is it worth going to Jericoacoara aka. Jeri (North East of Brazil) if I have already been to Lençóis Maranhenses or vice versa? I heard this question quite often on my trips to Lençois and Jeri, and I have also discussed it with a couple of other people who visited both places.

A lot of people do both anyways as you can get to the other side by enjoying a pothole ride in a 4x4 for 7 hours. If you can’t do both and you have to decide, I think for most people it is a simple decision as usually there is a small overlap of people who really like both and don’t have a clear preference. So what is the difference?

Jericoacoara

Jeri has awesome nature combined with party and fun while Lençois is bigger, calm, and the focus is on trekking through the desert by foot and having a unique experience without mobile connection, sleeping in hammocks and enjoying the landscape.

Enjoying a beer in one of the restaurants directly at the beach in Jericoacoara
Enjoying a beer in one of the restaurants directly at the beach in Jericoacoara

A lot of tourists want to see the amazing sunset 5 min away from the village
A lot of tourists want to see the amazing sunset 5 min away from the village

That doesn’t mean that Jeri hasn’t stunning landscape or beautiful lagoons, but it definitely has also tons of tourists that are shipped around with quads, bikes, cars, and buggies.

Stop on one of the buggy tours to see seahorses
Stop on one of the buggy tours to see seahorses

Chill in a hammok hanging in the lagoon on one of the buggy tours in Jericoacoara
Chill in a hammok hanging in the lagoon on one of the buggy tours in Jericoacoara

Fun and party is the focus: you can get surfing lessons (kite, waves, and wind), have rollercoaster-like buggy rides, you can slide into lagoons on water slides and ropes (flying fox), and in the evening enjoying the sunset with a caipirinha partying at the beach.

Sliding into the lagoons on a flying fox
Sliding into the lagoons on a flying fox

The
The "walk of cocktails" at the beach of Jericoacoara

Lençóis Maranhenses

In Lençois there are also afternoon trips to the dunes to see the sunset or boat rides to a very small village called Atins, one of the best spots for kite surfers.

Dunes that you can reach easily on a day trip by boat starting from Barreirinhas
Dunes that you can reach easily on a day trip by boat starting from Barreirinhas

But in comparison to Jeri you don’t have that much of entertainment and partying in Lençois, and the main attraction is to do a multi-day trekking tour through the dunes. So nature turns out to be the attractiveness of this area rather than a lot of additional services and (artificial) attractions that are provided in Jeri.

Beautiful dunes in the middle of nowhere on a 3-day trekking trip through the dunes in Lençóis Maranhenses
Beautiful dunes in the middle of nowhere on a 3-day trekking trip through the dunes in Lençóis Maranhenses

Enjoying the afternoon on a small farm in the dunes, where you can sleep in a comfortable hammock during a 3-day trek in Lençóis
Enjoying the afternoon on a small farm in the dunes, where you can sleep in a comfortable hammock during a 3-day trek in Lençóis

My highlight in the dunes, swimming in solitude in the fresh and blue water of the lagoons in Lençóis Maranhenses
My highlight in the dunes, swimming in solitude in the fresh and blue water of the lagoons in Lençóis Maranhenses

Jeri or Lençois? Where to go?

To summarize, if you get bored by looking at nature the whole day, go to Jeri. If you do not like parties, touristy places, and outdoor fun parks, visit Lençois and do a trek through the dunes (see also my article about the three day trek in Lençois which is unfortunately still in progress). But one thing is for sure, both places are worth visiting. So enjoy the fun, sun, and nature there.

So enjoy the fun, sun, and nature there
So enjoy the fun, sun, and nature there