Going Fast and Furious on Brazil’s Genipabu Sand Dunes

To see more photos and videos from the sand dunes, browse the #dunasdegenipabu hashtag and explore the Dunas de Genipabu location page.

Giant sand dunes attract adventurers from all over the world to the Brazilian beach of Genipabu. Those visiting Genipabu can explore on camelback, sandboard down the slopes to the lagoon below or—most popularly—zigzag through the sands in a thrilling buggy ride.“I’m fascinated by the dunes,” says Romanian Instagrammer Anamaria Pirea (@smochinaverde), a teacher working in Recife. “However varied the landscape is in Romania, we don’t have anything like that back home.”

“As much as I’ve enjoyed the beach for the last 10 months in Brazil, I have to admit that I miss winter sports—and sandboarding is pretty close to snowboarding. I especially enjoyed landing in the lagoon after sliding down the dune. I felt like I was a kid again.”

Anamaria spent four entire days just exploring the sand dunes. "After four days in Natal, I have no idea what the city looks like,” she says. "Most buggy drivers are friendly and flexible and will personalize your tour according to what you’re looking for. My friend and I went for the adventurous kind of driver who drove like crazy all over the dunes even jumping into the lagoon, and also avoided the touristy spots.” She advises fellow visitors to charge their mobile cameras before they make the trip. "The location is perfect for taking photos,” she says, “You can really experiment with optical illusions, especially with the backdrop of a clear blue sky and puffy clouds here and there.”