Maragogi: Brazil's 'Caribbean' Waters

Located in Alagoas, Maragogi’s main draw is its natural reef pools. It’s part of the Costa dos Corais, though not along the official Rota Ecológica.

The natural pools reopened through ICMBio with a few safety measures in place, like 50% capacity and 2-meter distancing between visitors. Equipment like oxygen tanks gets used only once per day.

Known as the “Brazilian Caribbean” for its blue water — though, honestly, the water is even clearer in São Miguel dos Milagres.

When to visit Maragogi

Any time of year works, though May and June are the rainiest months, so we wouldn’t recommend those.

For the natural pools specifically, two things matter: the season and the tide table.

The best months are January, October, November, and December. Trips out to the Galés (the natural pools) only happen at low tide, so check the tide chart before your trip.

Where to stay in Maragogi

We stayed in Barra Grande at Costeira da Praia, and it was great — good amenities, a pool, easy highway access, and a nice room.

Breakfast had plenty of options, with eggs and tapioca made fresh to order.

What to do in Maragogi

Since we’d already visited natural pools at Carneiros, Ilha de Santo Aleixo, and Milagres, and only had one day in Maragogi, we decided to just enjoy the beach — it was also our last day in the Northeast on this trip.

So we settled into a beach kiosk called Meraki Beach.

Meraki Beach Restaurante

Located in Barra Grande, with tables set up right on the sand — you pay for what you order, and it’s a great spot to spend the afternoon.

We had lunch on the beach and stayed there the entire afternoon until it was time to leave.

Stand-up paddleboarding

At the same beach, just to the right, there’s a rental spot for R$10 per 30 minutes. Pedal boats are also available in the same area.

Beach photos in Maragogi

There are vendors on the beach with photo props shaped like a sun or a heart that you can pose inside — they’ll suggest all kinds of poses, and it’s genuinely fun. We paid R$5.

Walking downtown Maragogi

Downtown Maragogi runs along the beachfront, with restaurants and souvenir shops right by the water — a nice area for a stroll.

Where to eat in Maragogi

On our way to Milagres, we’d already stopped for lunch in Maragogi and, surprisingly, picked a fantastic restaurant.

Tuyn Restaurante

The food at Tuyn, inside the Praiagogi boutique hotel, is genuinely wonderful.

Setting: small and cozy, with couches worth sinking into.

Main course: we ordered two different dishes, both excellent.

Badejo dos Marrocos: roasted white fish fillet with Ras el Hanout Moroccan seasoning, served over eggplant purée, crispy fried onion, grilled bell pepper, mint oil, Moroccan fish sauce, and mint leaves.

Camarão Cardamomo: cardamom-roasted shrimp served over grilled shiitake mushrooms on a bed of cassava purée, finished with a red berry sauce.

Dessert: “chocolate marriage” — dark chocolate brownie with strawberry coulis and white chocolate mousse.

We’d highly recommend it — genuinely fantastic.

Price: R$200 for two people, including orange juice and one caipirinha.

Meraki Beach Restaurante

As mentioned, this spot puts you right in the sand, great for spending the day, and the dishes are portioned for two.

Starter: grilled coalho cheese skewer, which was okay.

Main course: grilled shrimp in an herb sauce, with cashew rice and banana purée.

Dessert: ice cream pops from Don Diego — I had strawberry with dulce de leche, Andrey had white chocolate.

Learn more about our trip in São Miguel dos Milagres.