Delta do Parnaíba: America's Only Open-Sea Delta
The Delta do Parnaíba — 300 km from Teresina where the river meets the Atlantic — is one of Brazil's great natural wonders: 70 islands, 10 river channels, and the only sea delta in the open sea in the Americas
- 1
Geography of Delta
The Parnaíba River divides into five main channels as it meets the Atlantic — the 2,700 km2 delta creates 70 islands of mangroves, restinga and beach; the delta is an extraordinary ecosystem protected as an environmental protection area
- 2
Mangrove Ecosystem
The delta's mangrove forests - the nurseries of the Atlantic coast - provide habitat for dozens of species of fish, caiman and waterfowl; the mangroves are the basis of the local fishing economy
- 3
Join Sandbar Islands
The shifting sandbars of the Parnaíba Delta create temporary islands that form and dissolve with the seasons — the freshwater-saltwater encounter on these sandbars creates unusual micro-ecosystems and stunning beachscapes
- 4
Boat navigation in the delta
Exploring the delta by boat – through the narrow channels between mangroves, across the open lagoons and out to the sandbanks – is the only way to see its interior; small wooden boats operated by local guides navigate the waterways
- 5
Join Birdlife
The delta's mix of marine, estuarine and freshwater habitats makes for outstanding birding — frigatebirds, rosebirds, scarlet ibis and red-billed tropicbirds are among the species recorded in the delta's canals
- 6
Lenços Maranhenses Access
The Parnaíba Delta is located between two world-class natural attractions: the Lençóis Maranhenses Dunes (Maranhão, 120 km to the west) and the Jericoacoara Dunes (Ceará, 80 km to the east); the delta boat routes connect all three