The soils are typically sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor, and are characterized by medium-sized trees and shrubs adapted to local conditions.

Restingas have aspects of mangroves, caatingas, wetlands, and moist forests, often forming along wind-driven sand dunes.

This covers an area of 9,709 square kilometers (3,749 sq mi) along oasts of eastern Maranhão, Piauí, and western Ceará states.

The ecoregion includes the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, where patches of restinga are interspersed with some of the most extensive coastal dunes in the world.

29% of the area has herbaceous cover, including beach morning glory (Ipomoea imperati), seashore dropseed, and Iresine as pioneer species on the dunes of the northwest.