Lençóis has a wide variety of accommodations to choose from. Given its backpacking ethos, there is no shortage of cheap lodgings. Simple, and downright affordable, the small but quaint Hostel Chapada (Rua Boavista 121, tel. 75/3334-1497, www.hostelchapada.com.br, R$35 d), located in a 19th-century house, has only seven rooms and 27 beds, but lots of greenery, swinging hammocks, and laundry facilities—everything a backpacker dreams of.

Budget travelers will also feel at home at the welcoming Pousada dos Duendes (Rua do Pires, tel. 75/3334-1229, www.pousadadosduendes.com, R$60–70 d). Perched on a hilltop, it offers private and dorm rooms as well as a shady garden for hammock slinging and camping. Vegetarian and vegan meals and lunch boxes are available upon request. Since the British owner also runs a travel agency, she can help arrange guides and excursions.

Also very attractive is Alcino Atelier Hostalage (Rua Tomba Surrão 139, tel. 75/3334-1171, www.alcinoestalagem.com, R$60–90 d), located in a lovingly restored colonial house whose exterior is painted a creamy buttermilk color. Although part of the hotel is his atelier, owner and artist Alcino Caetano makes guests feel right at home with cozy rooms carefully decorated with antiques, glazed tiles, and shards of ceramic painted by local artists. Verandas with hammocks, a garden replete with fruit trees, and lavish homemade breakfasts complete the picture.

If you spend your days roughing it in the wilds, come sundown you might feel entitled to some pampering. Portal Lençóis (Rua Altina Alves 33, tel. 75/3334-1233, www.portalhoteis.tur.br) is a five-star hotel dedicated to spoiling guests with lots of creature comforts including a pool, sauna, and massage therapy. Its apartments (R$320 d) and chalets (R$480 d) are sophisticatedly rustic (or vice-versa) with lots of wood and stonework that blend into the surrounding vegetation. Its privileged hilltop location involves a bit of a climb, but the result is magnificent views.

Also ingeniously integrated into its natural surroundings is the Canto das Águas (Av. Senhor dos Passos 1, tel. 75/3334-1154, www.lencois.com.br, R$205–325 d). A river literally runs right through it, providing the gardens, pool, and restaurant (breakfast is out of this world) with a constantly soothing soundtrack of cascading water.

More intimate and affordable, not to mention holistic and harmonious, is the lovely Pousada Vila Serrano Pousada (Alto do Bomfim 8, tel. 75/3334-1486, www.vilaserrano.com.br, R$150). Its nine apartments, designed according to the rules of feng shui, emphasize soothing colors, natural textures, soft lighting, and a fusion between indoor and outdoor environments.