São Miguel dos Milagres: Day trip from Maragogi with guide

4.60

(40 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the road from Maragogi to São Miguel dos Milagres to feel so… empty. Not lonely, just this soft kind of quiet you don’t get in cities. Our driver (I think his name was Paulo?) pointed out the endless coconut palms — honestly, they looked like green fireworks frozen in the sun. We crossed the Manguaba River by ferry, and I remember the water being almost glassy except for a couple of kids splashing near the bank. The air smelled salty but also sweet, maybe from those little roadside fruit stands we kept passing.

When we got to São Miguel dos Milagres, it was still early enough that the sand felt cool under my feet. There’s this relaxed energy there — locals chatting under palm roofs, someone selling grilled cheese on a stick (I tried it; not bad). Our guide explained how this stretch of Alagoas is called the “ecological route,” and yeah, it makes sense. It’s mostly just nature and tiny villages stitched together by sandy roads. If you want Wi-Fi or fancy shops, probably not your place.

The real highlight for me was floating down the Tatuamunha River on a jangada raft. The guy steering (João? I’m terrible with names) told us about the Peixe Boi — manatees — and how their sanctuary limits visitors so they don’t get stressed out. It’s quiet on that river, except for birds and João’s stories about growing up nearby. We spotted one manatee poking its nose up; everyone whispered like we were in church or something. I still think about that moment — just slow breathing and sunlight flickering through mangroves.

We headed back in the late afternoon, sand stuck between my toes and hair full of salt. I slept most of the way but woke up as we rolled into Maragogi again. There’s something about seeing a place through local eyes that sticks with you longer than any photo does.