Ciprofloxacin, a potent antibiotic, is frequently detected in contaminated water sources, posing significant health risks. Industrial advancements have led to the release of various pollutants, such as pharmaceutical residues, heavy metals, and synthetic dyes, worsening water pollution. The widespread use of antibiotics makes their removal crucial yet challenging, drawing substantial research attention. This study aims to develop a novel sodium alginate-bearing Mg–Al layered double hydroxide (SA/Mg3Al LDH) for efficient ciprofloxacin removal. The SA/Mg3Al LDH composite was successfully synthesized using the co-precipitation method, and its structure was confirmed through XRD, IR, and SEM analyses. SA/Mg3Al LDH proved effective in removing ciprofloxacin from aqueous solutions. Equilibrium adsorption was achieved with a maximum adsorption capacity of 519.6 mg g−1 when 100 mg of SA/Mg3Al LDH was added to 50 mL of ciprofloxacin at varying concentrations. The adsorption process followed the Temkin model, indicating strong chemisorption, as evidenced by the notably high value of B. Furthermore, the pseudo-second order kinetic model provided a better fit than the first-order model, suggesting that chemisorption governs the rate-determining step. Equilibrium removal of ciprofloxacin at temperatures ranging from 10 °C to 60 °C ranged from 38.46 to 48.78 mg g−1, with an estimated activation energy of 14.34 kJ/mol. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed the exothermic nature of the reaction between SA/Mg3Al LDH and ciprofloxacin, with negative Δ $𝐺\dot{}$ and positive Δ $𝑆\dot{}$ values indicating the feasibility and spontaneity of the adsorption process, respectively. These findings offer valuable insights into water purification techniques and suggest avenues for further research and industrial application.