In the far North East of Brazil, the 383,000 hectare Parque Nacional Lençois Maranhenses is an intriguing and spectacular landscape seen nowhere else on earth. Here the sweeping snow-white sand dunes entwine with pools of bright turquoise water. Lying just outside the Amazon Basin the region is subject to a regular rainy season with rainfall 300 times more than the Sahara Desert in Africa. The lagoons are home to a number of fish despite the fact the pools almost disappear during the dry season. Visits here are highly recommended between May and September when the weather is warm and the lagoons are still full.