5 unusual places in Brazil that you should visit at least once

When people think of Brazil, they usually picture Rio de Janeiro, Carnival, Christ the Redeemer, the Amazon rainforest and Iguazu Falls. But this country, almost the size of an entire continent, is home to places that look as if they belong on another planet. Here, you can walk across white sand dunes filled with freshwater lagoons, explore landscapes that resemble the surface of the Moon, descend into enormous caves and discover islands in the middle of the Atlantic where nature has remained almost untouched. Here are five unusual places in Brazil that definitely deserve a spot on your travel bucket list.

Lençóis Maranhenses — a desert that turns into a giant lagoon

In northeastern Brazil lies one of the most extraordinary natural landscapes on the planet. At first glance, Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an endless desert, with white sand dunes stretching all the way to the horizon. But after the rainy season, the spaces between the dunes fill with water, creating thousands of blue, green and turquoise lagoons. Some of them last only a few months, while others remain for longer, and the entire landscape is constantly reshaped by wind and water. What makes this place even more remarkable is that it is not a traditional desert. The region receives enough rainfall to transform the dunes into an enormous natural system of freshwater lagoons. The best way to experience it is to explore the dunes on foot and stop for a swim surrounded by nothing but sand and sky.