Pajuçara Natural Pools

The Pajuçara natural pools are areas of shallow, clear water that form over the reefs off Pajuçara beach at low tide. It’s the outing most associated with Maceió and also the one that depends most on planning: no low tide, no pools. You get there by jangada, the traditional sailing raft of Alagoas fishermen, which leaves straight from the sand.

How the trip works

The jangada operators wait on Pajuçara beach itself, with their jangadas drawn up on the sand. In March 2025, Maceió City Hall published Ordinance No. 013/2025, which organizes how jangadas stay on the waterfront. Under the rule, tourist boats stay on a marked stretch of Pajuçara, starting from the area of the Fire Department’s Water Rescue Battalion. Fishing jangadas stay in another area, at Ponta Verde.

The ordinance also requires minimum spacing between jangadas, sails positioned so as not to block the sea view, and the operators to keep the space clean. Non-compliance can lead to a warning, a fine and seizure of the boat.

In practice, you choose a jangada, agree on the terms and board. The crossing is short and the jangada anchors near the pools. You get into the shallow water, swim, watch the fish and return on the same boat.

The tide decides everything

The pools only form at low tide. The lower the tide, the more exposed the reefs and the shallower and calmer the water. On days when the tide doesn’t drop much, the water is deeper and the trip loses its appeal.

The official reference is the tide table for the port of Maceió, published by the Navy Hydrography Center. It gives the times of high and low tide each day, with the predicted height in meters. Read the step-by-step in our Maceió tide table guide.

Tips for choosing the day:

• Choose days when low tide falls between mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
• Compare the heights over the week: the lowest tides tend to occur around the full moon and new moon.
• Arrive at the beach well before low tide. The operators usually leave before the lowest point to make the most of the falling tide.
• If your trip is short, book this outing first and fit the rest of your itinerary around it.

Safety in the sea

• Don’t step on the coral. Reefs are living structures and break under a person’s weight. Stay on the sand.
• Don’t feed the fish. Tourist food changes the animals’ behavior and health.
• Don’t take anything from the reef, neither shells nor pieces of coral.
• Sunscreen: apply it before you go and reapply. There’s no shade at the pools.
• Children: a correctly sized life jacket and an adult always beside them, even where the water looks shallow.

Water quality

The Alagoas Environment Institute (IMA-AL) publishes bathing water quality reports with sampling points along the coast. In 2026 bulletins, stretches of Maceió’s city beaches, including Pajuçara, were listed as unsuitable for swimming. The sampling points are on the beach, not over the reefs, but it’s worth checking the week’s report before going into the water near the sand, especially after rain.

Night trips

Since late 2024, night trips to the Pajuçara and Ponta Verde pools, known as “Banho de Lua” (moonlight swims), have grown. In November 2025, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office called on public bodies to regulate these outings. City Hall’s proposal included, among other points, banning floating stages and improvised parties on the reefs. As of this review, we haven’t confirmed publication of the final decree. If you’re considering a night trip, ask whether it’s properly authorized.

Before and after the pools

Pajuçara beach has a promenade, a cycle path and the craft fair a few steps away. You can follow a morning at the pools with a walk to Ponta Verde. To compare with another natural pool, those at Paripueira, on the north coast, are inside the Costa dos Corais APA and have their own visiting rules.

To plan your whole trip, also see the Maceió beaches and Maceió with kids guides.