What It's Like to Visit Brazil's Lençóis Maranhenses National Park — Home to Bone-white Sand Dunes and Sky-blue Lagoons

"A once-remote resort that has become a cautionary tale for overdevelopment: as one guide, Francisco Carvalho, observed, “no one fishes anymore, food prices are out of reach for local families,” and the town’s most popular landmark, the Sunset Dune, has been diminished—from a soaring 200 feet in the 1970s to just 20 feet—under the footfall of visitors. The town’s experience is cited repeatedly by locals as a warning about tourism that is not attentive to community livelihoods." - Michael Snyder Michael Snyder Michael Snyder is a Mexico City-based journalist specializing in food, architecture, and travel. He is a regular contributor to T: The New York Times Style Magazine and has written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Nation, among other publications. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines