Queimada dos Britos

Queimada dos Britos is a tiny settlement in an oasis of Lencois Maranhenses. It sits a few kilometers off the straight line between Atins and Santo Amaro, and somewhat nearer the latter, about 7 km to the northwest of its smaller neighbour, Baixa Grande.

Queimada dos Britos is in the state of Maranhão.

Understand

As of 2017 there are about 13 families living in Baixa Grande, ever declining. Most children leave their families to attend school in Barrreirinhas, and many of these stick to urban life afterwards.

Get in

Motorized transport within the national park is prohibited. Only registered residents have a waiver for the use of quad bikes. However, these cannot be used for regular transport of non-residents. I.e. as a tourist your only legal means of access is on foot, or, possibly, riding an animal.If you approach from the east or southeast (i.e. Baixa Grande), make sure you hit the quad tracks at the northeastern tip, to avoid wading the Rio Negro in the southeast.

Get around

Walk along the quad tracks.

See

Just suck in the oasis landscape, with the dunes luring in the background.

Do

Apart from your well deserved rest in a hammock, you should ask for a swimmable river or pond. These depend somewhat on the season.

Buy

No shops. You'd be lucky(?) to see anything but food with a price attached to it.

Eat

A few families in Queimada dos Britos serve warm meals to hungry trekkers:

All(?) sit along the main quad track, which runs roughly west-east, but veering northeasterly about halfway through the oasis.

Drink

Don't drink the water from the rivers or ponds. The locals know where to get potable water. If they can drink it, so can you. No need for plastic botlles.

Sleep

Hammock spaces at the food stations. An overnight should set you back 30 reais.

Connect

No cell phone coverage unless you have an external antenna. As of 2017 the operator Vivo had the best coverage.

Go next

Your next stop is probably Santo Amaro