Boat Trips on the Atlantic Ocean of Alagoas, Northeast Brazil

Feb 15, 2011
Karin-Marijke Vis

fisherman punts his jangada, Alagoas, northeast Brazil - Coen Wubbels

Sail with jangadas, fishermens' boats, in Maceió or Maragogi, and swim in natural pools formed by the second largest barrier reef in the world.

The 230 kilometres of Alagoas' Atlantic Coast in Northeast Brazil are little developed in terms of tourism. The palm-fringed beaches of white sand still largely belong to fishermens' settlements, which are interspersed with family-run, small-scale guesthouses. A perfect day trip during a beach holiday is to rent a traditional fishing boat for a sailing trip on the emerald waters, or to visit one of the natural pools of the Costa dos Corais.

Jangadas – the traditional fishing boats of Brazil's northeast

Watching fishermen at work is one of the enchanting images when we walk on one of the many of Alagoas' beaches. The approximately seven-by-three-metre wooden flatboats are called jangadas, and are lined underneath with a styrofoam-type material for added buoyancy. Depending on the fishermen they either sail with triangular sails, or they punt.

Daytrips with fishing boats on the Atlantic Ocean in Maceió

Some fishermen have switched from fishing to taking tourists out to the ocean, such as Adino, a jangada owner in Maceió, the capital of Alagoas. "It is more profitable to fish for tourists," he laughs. In Maceió it has been a profitable business for 25 years to take tourists on a boat trip; he himself had a change of heart 15 years ago.

Adino explains what a jangada boat trips includes:

At low tide the jangadas sail two kilometres to the natural pools of the reef. How long this takes depends on the wind, but in general the trip takes around four hours.
Along the reef of Maceió is a natural pool where the boats will stay for an hour. Tourists can go for a swim or snorkel to watch the colourful fish that inhabit the reef (snorkelling gear available).
A trip costs 20 reais per person (about US$13) and a boat seats a maximum of four.

In Maceió the jangadas can be found on Praia de Pajucara. Those interested in diving can also rent gear at Praia de Pajucara, which gets you a guide as well who will come with you on the boat trip.

Boat trips on other beaches of Alagoas

Maceió is just one of the places to rent a boat. Along the coast you will find plenty of opportunities to go on boat trips with jangadas. Many guesthouses have contacts with jangada owners, with whom you can discuss the day’s outing [and price, which depends on the number of hours you sail] based on your preferences. Some tourists like to simply sail along the reef barrier, which is the second largest in the world (after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia). Others like to stop at natural pools formed by the reef and spend more time swimming, snorkelling or diving.

The coral reef runs between Paripueira to Maragogi. Some of the beaches and towns where you can rent jangadas are:

Barra de Santo Antônio
Praias de Paripueira
Ilha da Crôa
São Miguel dos Milagres
Praia do Patacho
Japaratinga

Other boat trips along the reef are possible as well. Wide catamarans take large groups of tourists out on two-hour boat trips to the reef to snorkel and swim (the boats have snorkelling gear on board). Maragogi is among the best-known towns for this kind of boat trip, although they can also be found at Praia do Frances, south of Maceió.

The area of Paripueira is home to a large concentration of peixes-bois (manatees). You can still view these animals that are threatened with extinction during a two-hour boat trip (about 30 reais per person).

Boat trips to the coral reefs of Alagoas, Brazil

The jangada boat trips on Brazil's Atlantic Coast take place at low tide, when the water is shallow. Trips can be organised in Maceió and Alagoas' beach towns during the entire year although the waters are clearest during December and March. Make sure to bring drinking water and sun protection articles such as hat, sunglasses and sun lotion.

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