What is Lomas de Arena Regional Park near Santa Cruz?

Lomas de Arena Regional Park is a protected area of about 14,000 hectares, set just south of Santa Cruz. It’s known for tall sand dunes mixed in with tropical savannahs, plus a few lagoons scattered here and there.

This singular ecological transition zone feels like a desert, placed right in the middle of the jungle. People usually reach it using 4×4 vehicles to go sandboarding and hike across those massive dunes, then they pause to spot local fauna like sloths and caimans. You can also see more than 200 species of migratory and endemic birds, which is pretty impressive for a place that looks so dry.