As the main destination in the State of Alagoas after its capital city, Maragogi attracts visitors from Maceió. From Japaratinga beach, on the southern tip, a ferryboat crosses Manguaba River into Porto das Pedras, where visitors find virtually deserted beaches. Maragogi was initially a small village called Gamela. In 1887, it was granted the status of an adopted the name of Isabel, to honor the Brazilian Princess who signed a law ending slavery in Brazil. Later on, in 1892, it was named as Maragogi after the river that baths the city. "Maragogi", according to some historians, comes from “Marahub-gy”, or river of the Marauba tribes.