Maragogi tides: when to visit the natural pools, and what happens when the tide doesn't cooperate

There's one question we answer almost every day before putting someone on the van to Maragogi: "is the tide good on the day of my tour?" It matters more than it looks. Maragogi is still Maragogi at high tide: beach, coconut palms, clear water and beach clubs are all still there. But the natural pools, which are the reason for the trip, depend on the sea pulling back over the reef.

That's why, at Oscar Indica, Maragogi has no fixed departure time. The departure from Maceió changes with the tide table and, on some days, there's simply no departure. If the pools are the most important part of your trip, pick the tide day first and fit the rest of the itinerary around it.

At low tide the sea pulls back over the coral barrier and forms the pools: shallow, warm, transparent water with fish all around. That's the window when the catamaran or the speedboat gets out there. When the tide rises, the reef is covered, the water gets deeper, and the experience of wading ankle-deep doesn't happen.

It's not enough to look at the forecast and think "it's low tide, we're fine". What matters is what time the tide is low and how low it gets. That's what our calendar cross-checks: the date you choose against that day's tide. The tide table shows the whole month.

On the tour's calendar, each day shows in one of three colours:

• Green, available: low tide falls inside the tour's window. That's the day we want for you.
• Yellow, outside the ideal window: the tour runs and the pools appear, but the tide isn't the best of the month. You can go; if you have the choice, pick a green day.
• Red, no tour: high tide stops the operation from reaching the pools. The site doesn't sell that day, and if you booked before the table changed, the team calls you to reschedule.

If you have several days in Maceió, the rule is simple: Maragogi on the best green day; Gunga, Francês, Milagres and Ipioca on the others.

This is the part that most confuses people who book weeks ahead. The van leaves Maceió between 3:30 and 6:30 am, depending on the day: when low tide is early, the departure is early. So don't be surprised if someone tells you "when I went, we left at 6:30" and on your day it's 4 am. You went on different tides.

The correct time for your date shows on the calendar when you book, on the receipt and in the reminder we send the day before. If in doubt, it's in your customer area.

The Moses Path is a sandbank that appears in the middle of the sea when the tide drops far enough. It's not guaranteed on every date: on days when the tide is only slightly low, the stop doesn't happen or happens with the water at your knees. On our tour, the stop is included when the formation is there that day. If the Moses Path is a priority for you, pick a green day with the lowest tide of the month; the table shows the height.

It cancels the trip out to the pools. It's important to separate two things: visiting Maragogi and doing the natural pools tour. You can spend the day in Maragogi at high tide (beach, restaurant, beach club), but that's not what the tour sells. That's why, on a red day, the site won't let you book; we don't want to sell natural pools for a day when the pools won't exist.

Change the day, not the destination. If you have five days and Maragogi is red on Tuesday, the best move is to shuffle: Tuesday Praia do Gunga, Wednesday a beach club in Ipioca, Thursday Maragogi on a green day. In Build your itinerary you organise the experiences by date and see each day's tide.

If you have no other date, pick a destination that doesn't depend on the tide the same way: Praia do Gunga, Praia do Francês or a beach club in Ipioca.

No. Speedboat and catamaran go to the same place and depend on the same tide. The speedboat changes the boat, not the ocean. First pick a good day; then choose between catamaran and speedboat. If that's your question, there's an article just about it: Maragogi by speedboat or catamaran?

The van picks you up at your hotel in Maceió at the tide time for the day (3:30 to 6:30 am). In Maragogi, the group uses the beach support structure and heads out to the pools on the boat of the tour you booked. After the boat trip, free time in Maragogi and the return to Maceió in the late afternoon. The only difference between the two options is the boat:

1. Check the dates you'll be in Alagoas. 2. Open the tide table or the tour calendar and find the green days. 3. Put Maragogi on the best one. 4. Only then fit in Gunga, Milagres, Francês and the rest.

Doing it the other way round (picking any day for Maragogi and only then looking at the tide) is the most common mistake, and the easiest to avoid.