Fatbike tour Pequenos Lençóis Maranhenses: Sand dunes and lagoons

You eat fish with your hands on the sand, no cutlery needed.

A fatbike tour through Pequenos Lençóis Maranhenses, a small protected area of sand dunes within Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, where you ride across open dunes, swim in lagoons and the river, and finish with grilled fish cooked on the beach. The route adapts to your fitness level, and both the outbound and return journeys happen by speedboat through Rio Preguiças, passing mangroves, coastal scrubland and sandbanks. A guide fluent in English, Spanish or Portuguese leads the activity. Children from age 10 are welcome.

The experience

How do you get to a place where only locals go in a national park that draws crowds? You ride a fatbike across the dunes of Pequenos Lençóis Maranhenses, a small conservation unit tucked inside the larger park. The sand has no trails: the route shifts based on what you want to do and how your body handles the terrain. Novice riders and experienced cyclists both work here. The guide adjusts the day around your pace, not the other way around. You're on a bike built for sand, with a helmet and a life jacket in your pack.

The speedboat carries you out at dawn or in the afternoon, cutting through Rio Preguiças past mangroves, narrow waterways called igarapés, and coastal scrubland. Sandbanks rise and fall with the tide. Birds sometimes move through in flocks. Once you reach Vassouras village in the dune zone, you dismount and ride. You swim in lagoons with crystalline water, then in the river itself. The return trip follows the same water route back, so the mangroves and the river become part of the tour, not just the transport.

Lunch is grilled fish cooked on the sand over a fire, eaten with your hands: no knife, no fork, no plate. Coconut water comes with it. The whole day runs about five hours, and the timing is yours to set: early morning if you want the light before the heat, or afternoon if you prefer to end on the sunset.

What’s included

• Private speedboat transportation to and from Vassouras village.
• a fatbike fitted for sand riding.
• helmet and life jacket.
• a cycling guide fluent in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• swimming in lagoons and the river.
• grilled fish cooked on the beach and coconut water.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 to 80 years) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Child (10 to 13 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Fat Bike Dune

Is this one for you?You ride the bike yourself across open sand with a guide who adjusts the route to your pace, so this suits anyone comfortable pedaling on uneven terrain and swimming in open water, not a guided sightseeing tour, but a self-powered day where you set how far and how fast you go.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years); Child (10 to 13 years). Children under 10 can't be included in the booking.

Can I do this fatbike tour if I've never ridden on sand before?

Yes. The guide works with both novice and experienced cyclists and adjusts the route to match your fitness level and comfort on the dunes. There are no fixed trails, so the day shapes itself around how you ride.

What happens if I'm not confident swimming in open water?

You wear a life jacket throughout the activity. The lagoons and river are part of the experience, but swimming is not mandatory. You can wade or stay in shallow water if you prefer.

Is the speedboat ride part of the tour, or just how I get there?

The speedboat is part of the tour itself. Both the outbound and return journeys travel through Rio Preguiças, where you see mangroves, igarapés, sandbanks and sometimes flocks of birds. The water route is as much of the experience as the dunes.

What time does the tour start, and how long does it take?

You choose either an early morning or afternoon departure, with the tour ending around sunset. The whole activity runs about five hours from start to finish.