Private or shared tour in Maceió: which one to choose?

Anyone planning a trip to Maceió runs into this question early: do the tours in a shared van or book a private car? Both go to the same places (Gunga, Maragogi, Milagres, Foz do São Francisco) and leave from your accommodation. What changes is who you go with, who sets the time and what's inside the price.

The honest summary from our side of the operation: for up to 3 people, the shared option almost always wins, because the boat is included and the price is per person. From 4 people, the private option starts to add up, and from 6 it becomes the natural choice for anyone who wants the day their own way.

Shared. An air-conditioned van or minibus, our own guide, departure at a fixed time (on natural pool tours, the time is set by the tide). You pay per person, and whatever is on the itinerary is included: in Maragogi, for example, the catamaran out to the natural pools is already in the price. The stops are the ones on the itinerary.

Private. An air-conditioned car just for your group (4 or 6 seats), someone accompanying you through the day and an itinerary agreed with you: leave later, stop wherever you like, stay longer where you liked it. You pay per car, not per head. And here's the detail that confuses people most: boat, speedboat, tickets and lunch are not in the price. On the private Maragogi tour, the catamaran out to the pools is booked there, separately.

Praia do Gunga. Shared R$ 50 per person. Private R$ 400 for up to 4 and R$ 450 for up to 6.

• 2 people: R$ 100 shared against R$ 400 private. Shared, no question.
• 4 people: R$ 200 against R$ 400. The private option costs double, but the day is yours.
• 6 people: R$ 300 against R$ 450. The gap shrinks: R$ 25 more per person to have the car.

Maragogi. Shared R$ 150 per person with the catamaran included. Private R$ 600 for up to 4, without the catamaran.

• 4 people: R$ 600 for both. It looks like a tie, but on the private option the catamaran still has to be paid for there. Here the shared option is cheaper at the end of the day; the private one is only worth it if what you want is a free day, not the natural pools.

Foz do Rio São Francisco. Shared R$ 190 per person, with the boat trip. Private R$ 700 for up to 4, transport only.

• 4 people: R$ 760 against R$ 700 plus the boat trip booked in Piaçabuçu. Same logic as Maragogi.

The rule that comes out of these sums: when the point of the tour is a boat, the shared option has the advantage, because the boat is already included. When the point is the beach, the viewpoint and free time (Gunga, Francês, Milagres), the private option is easier on the wallet from 4 people up.

• There are 1, 2 or 3 of you.
• It's your first time in Alagoas and you want the classic tour without thinking about logistics.
• The tour has a boat (Maragogi, Milagres by jangada raft, Foz, Ilhas): the shared option already includes it.
• Budget rules. The price difference pays for another tour on the trip.

• A group of 4 to 6: family with grandparents, two couples, friends. The price per head drops and nobody has to wake up at 5:30 am because of the van.
• Small children or someone who needs their own pace: stop when you like, come back earlier, stay longer.
• You want to combine two places in the same day, or stop for photos where the van doesn't.
• A special date: birthday, marriage proposal, farewell.

It's a third way, only in Maceió: the speedboat is yours for 4.5 hours, up to 10 people, with the route agreed with the skipper around the natural pools of Pajuçara, Ponta Verde and Jatiúca. Fixed price per boat, the same whether there are 4 or 10 of you. Boarding on the beachfront, no van.

You can, and it's what we recommend most for anyone staying 4 or 5 days: Maragogi in the shared van (for the included catamaran and the right tide) and Gunga or Milagres as a private tour, on the day you want to sleep in. The itinerary builder on the site shows both paths with one tap: it builds with the shared van and, if you like, switches to private so you can compare.