Atins is a small village in Maranhão. It shares 2000 inhabitants with its close neighbour Santo Inácio, but these are mostly well hidden. For the slightly adventurous traveller, Atins is a better base camp for Lençois Maranhenses than Barreirinhas, due to the former´s proximity to the dunes. There is also the beach within a few hundred metres.

Get in

• 4x4 trucks on an extremely bad sand road mostly every day from Barreirinhas, 1-2 hours, R$10.
• Daily boat from Barreirinhas via Mandacaru in the morning, 3-4 hours, R$10. return in the late afternoon.
• You can also walk to Barreirinhas across the dunes, some 27 km, but you'd better arrange for someone to pick you up at the other end.
• Walk to Mandacaru in about 1,5 hours. Start early to avoid the sun, and expect to get wet to your chest on high tide.

Get around

Walk the sandy roads. rent horses hire a guide into the park

Eat

Irmaos restaurant, Rancho do Buna Del Mar Eat at locals house, Buy a fish and make a fire

Drink

Believe it or not, there is a bar of sorts here:

• Del Mar. Also has some rooms for rent. 

Sleep

• Rita (In front of the school). Friendly and clean Single R$ 30. 
• Pedro e Bruno. Also camping for R$10 per person. R$35 per person including breakfast and an additional meal. R$30 if you're a vegetarian.. 
• Rancho (A few hundred metres outside the village). Tries to live up to its name Single R$ 90 couple 130. 
• Pousada Zion Hill, In Town, ☏ +55 98 9138-6323. cool pousada with 4 rooms 
• pousada irmao. cool pousada with 6 rooms 60 for 2 people. 

Connect

There is actually internet available at Irmaos restaurant. At R$4 per hour, it's as expensive as it is slow.

Go next

Walk to Canto de Atins along the beach on low tide, otherwise follow the truck tracks.