This is the most sought out and traveled route. It is really a wonderful adventuresome experience.
Starting with the trip itself which is made entirely in a 4x4 wheel traction vehicle. It means traveling 110 Km on sand and dirt trails and a stretch of 234 Km on paved road. Right at the beginning one faces the most difficult 37 Km from Barreirinhas to Rio Novo (Paulino Neves) but also the most beautiful stretch. Lots of sand demands a reduced 4x4 traction until reaching Little Lençois a geographical area identical to that of the National Park (Big Lençois) only in smaller proportions, an almost imperceptible difference when one is going on land in the middle of dunes and more visible when traveling by air. The track passes in middle of dunes and lagoons (during winter) transforming the scenario in an imaginary mixture of lunar landscape and sylvan wilderness. Unlosable. Once in a while you can see people running in the dunes to make a transitory contact with travelers, it is the friendliness and kindness of local dwellers with beautiful faces, dark skinned typical of the Maranhão's ethnical
On arriving in Rio Novo, a dirt road trail of 26 Km will then lead us to Tutoia, where we meet the paved highway. The track is cut by several streams and villages where quite often we will see women washing clothes and kids appearing instantaneously beckoning from the stucco houses' doors.
Some 120 kilometers of asphalt later one reaches Parnaiba, the second largest and one of oldest towns in Piaui, and the starting point to get to know the Parnaiba Delta or the Americas Delta as the Maranhão folks like to call it.
For those with available time we suggest a stay of one to three more days in Parnaiba to see all the beauty of the Piaui's coastline. For those in hurry though, this will be our lunchtime spot before setting on road again.
Our next stops throughout 135 Km more of paved road are Chaval, Barroquinha and Camocim, now in the State of Ceara. At his point we take the ferry-boat crossing over to the Ilha do Amor (Love Island) and from thereon, depending on the tides, we will follow 50 Km along the sea line, visiting several beaches or through the wilderness until reaching Jericoacora. Whatever the way we take we will pass Tatajuba, a practicably virgin beach, of exuberant topography and unbelievable beauty and right afterit, Guriu, a small fishermen area where boats are anchored in the canal in front of the village adding lyric romantic touch to the landscape, and where we will take the ferry-boat to finally get to Jericoacoara.
The duration of the trip depends very much on the stops that travelers want to make in this succession of stupendous sceneries. Sometimes it is difficult to contain the most euphoric passengers and keep them on the road, but the average timing is about seven to eight hours, either one or other direction of the Jeri-Lençois route. A mandatory route for those having time and conditions to plunge unto it.