Pousada Paraiso dos Lençois

We left after one night because there were too many problems for such a high price. The Wi-Fi didn't work on the first day, and the toilet wouldn't flush either, even though we asked three times to have it fixed. The room was large, but not suitable if you need accessibility: the beds were low and there was nothing to hold onto anywhere. There were no grab bars in the bathroom, and the tile was slippery.

I arrived this morning, and reception staff Mariana and Erica helped me get in touch with the tour guide. They were very kind and used a translation app since I don't speak Portuguese. The guide was professional too, even stopping to pick up a piece of plastic bag when he spotted it. When I got back, two other receptionists gave me a towel so I could shower. I'm really grateful and feel lucky to have met them.

Pousada Paraíso dos Lençóis is the place I'd choose to stay. The rooms are clean, air conditioned, and reasonably priced, and the staff are super helpful. It's basic accommodation done well, and it exceeded my expectations. If you're heading to Lençóis Maranhenses without Portuguese and on a relative budget, it's surprisingly tricky to plan. Contact Marilene through the Pousada's Facebook page. Communication can be scattered, so you'll probably use Google Translate back and forth. She also speaks fluent French if that works better. Plan to stay at least a couple of nights to fit in a couple of park tours, including the incredible sunset tour. Marilene can book you on the bus from Sao Luis to the Pousada. It's not a pleasant ride, more like an overcrowded minivan, but it's the only public transport available. A taxi is a better choice if you have more money to spend. I took the bus going there, then shared a cab back with my two travel buddies. We had considered a day trip from Sao Luis, but couldn't find many places offering one, and the few we found charged quite a lot. Looking back, it would also have meant an awful lot of travel for a place that really needs more than a day. Choose and book your tours when you arrive. Have a rough idea of what you'd like to do, but even if you don't, Marilene can set you up. The tours are reasonably and consistently priced, about 75 reals for half-day trips. Tour operators and agencies offer an English-speaking guide for an extra fee, often a big one since the guides are freelance and it becomes like a private tour. I didn't think it was worth paying for, since there's very little you can't communicate with gestures. The park's views and landscape speak for themselves.

It's a good place to unwind. The service was good, the room was clean, breakfast was delicious, and it wasn't noisy from the center.