Massagueira (Marechal Deodoro): sururu and lagoon cooking

Massagueira is a village in the municipality of Marechal Deodoro, on the shore of Manguaba Lagoon. For visitors to Maceió, the name is synonymous with lunch by the lagoon. The Visite Alagoas portal describes Massagueira as “a true food hub”. Menus revolve around fish, crustaceans and shellfish.

Where it is

Massagueira lies on the shore of Manguaba Lagoon, one of the two lagoons of the Mundaú-Manguaba estuary complex. It’s on the way between Maceió and the south coast, on the route to Praia do Francês and the historic center of Marechal Deodoro. That location explains why so many people fit in a stop on the same day as the beach.

How to get there:

Car: the simplest way to combine Massagueira with the beach and the historic center.
Ride-hailing app or taxi: handy on the way there; arrange the return in advance, especially at night.
Agency tour: some south coast tours include a meal stop in the area. Ask before booking.

Lagoon cooking

The main reason to visit is the food. Massagueira’s restaurants work with seafood and fish from the lagoon and the coast. The signature ingredient is sururu, a bivalve mussel from the Mundaú and Manguaba lagoons. The Alagoas State Department of Culture inscribed sururu in the state’s Register of intangible heritage, recognizing its importance in the landscape, memory and identity of Alagoas.

Dishes that often appear on the area’s menus:

Dish	What it is
Sururu broth	A thick broth, served as a starter or snack
Sururu in coconut	A stew with coconut milk and seasoning
Fish and shrimp	Fried, stewed or grilled
Lagoon shellfish	A variety of snacks, depending on the season

Menus, prices and hours vary from one establishment to another and through the year. This guide doesn’t recommend specific restaurants. To understand the dishes better, see typical food of Alagoas and the where to eat in Maceió guide.

The lagoon and its communities

Manguaba Lagoon is part of the livelihood of many families in the area, who live from fishing and shellfish gathering. It’s the same area where filé, the typical Alagoas embroidery, is mainly produced. If you’d like to see this craft up close, visit Pontal da Barra, in Maceió, or look for filé in Marechal Deodoro itself.

Fitting it into your itinerary

Three combinations work well from Maceió:

Beach and lunch: morning at Praia do Francês and lunch at Massagueira.
History and dinner: afternoon in the historic center of Marechal Deodoro and dinner by the lagoon.
Lagoon days: the 9 islands of Mundaú Lagoon one day and Massagueira another, to see both sides of the complex.

Practical tips

Go in the late afternoon to eat overlooking the lagoon and continue to the historic center of Marechal Deodoro.

Ask whether the sururu and the fish of the day come from the lagoon and how they're prepared.

At weekends and on holidays, arrive early for lunch: it gets busier.

Don't go into the lagoon without local guidance; water quality varies.

Frequently asked questions

Is Massagueira in Maceió?

No. It's a village in the municipality of Marechal Deodoro, on the shore of Manguaba Lagoon, on the way from Maceió to the south coast.

What should I eat at Massagueira?

Massagueira is known for seafood and lagoon dishes, especially sururu, registered as intangible heritage of Alagoas by the State Department of Culture.

Can I combine Massagueira with Praia do Francês?

Yes. Both are in Marechal Deodoro and on the same route out of Maceió, so it's common to spend the day at the beach and have lunch or dinner at Massagueira.

Does Massagueira have a beach?

Massagueira is on the shore of Manguaba Lagoon, not the sea. The nearest beach for swimming in the sea is Praia do Francês, in the same municipality.