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Beach life in
Rio de Janeiro
For cariocas (residents of Rio), the beach is their
backyard – join them as they prepare to host
the Olympics, for volleyball, surfing, snacking
or relaxing amid the people parade.The cable car and
Morro da Urca, seen
from Sugarloaf
MountainBest beaches
Best activities Beach eats
SURFING
Superb waves are all around in
Rio. For a quick fix, join the locals
off Arpoador, a region between
Ipanema and Copacabana.
Otherwise, head to the beaches
west of Rio – the 700m-long,
rainforest-backed Prainha is
considered the best surf spot in
the area, with waves reaching 3m.
The Surf Bus takes passengers and
boards to Prainha from Largo do
Machado (single tickets US$1.22).VOLLEYBALL
Whether you’re interested in
improving your game, or just
meeting some cariocas, pay a
visit to Escolinha de Vôlei. Pelé,
who speaks English, is an
ex-professional volleyball
player who has been teaching
and hosting volleyball classes
since 2001. Look for his large
Brazilian flag on the beach near
Rua Garcia D’Ávila. Pelé’s
students are a mix of locals and
expats, who then meet for
games after honing the
fundamentals (clubrecreativo.
com.br; Ipanema Beach).WALKING
Everyone loves the paved Pista
Cláudio Coutinho, a 1.2-mile
trail winding along the southern
contour of Morro do Urca. It’s
a lush tree-lined area, with the
waves crashing on the rocks
below. Look out for families of
marmosets with their grey fur,
striped tails and tiny faces. To
get there, walk 100m north
along the edge of Praia
Vermelha (with your back to
the cable-car station) and
you’ll see the beginning of the
path straight ahead, just past
the beach.IPANEMA
Rio’s most famous beach, since
bossa nova stars Tom Jobim and
Vinícius de Moraes introduced
the world to it in the ’60s,
Ipanema is a long stretch of
sand dotted with postos
(posts), which mark off
subcultures as diverse as the
city itself. Posto 9 is where Rio’s
most lithe and tanned bodies
tend to migrate, as well as a
handful of hippies. Sit back,
agua de coco in hand, and
watch Rio at play.
COPACABANA
The beach of Copacabana extends
for 2½ miles. The ‘stock market’
area, denoted by a rainbow flag, is
the gay and transvestite section;
football players hold court near
Rua Santa Clara; posts 5 and 6 are
a mix of favela kids and retirees,
while you’ll find the fishermen’s
community beach by the Forte de
Copacabana. Apart from people
watching, the main attraction is
running or cycling the beach path,
which closes to traffic on Sundays.PRAIA VERMELHA
Hidden near the cable-car
station to Pão de Açúcar
(Sugarloaf Mountain), beneath
Morro da Urca, this tiny,
well-concealed beach has a
magnificent panorama of the
rocky coastline from the shore.
One of Rio’s prettiest little
beaches, its coarse sand gives
it the name vermelha (red).
Because Praia Vermelha is
protected by the headland,
the water is usually calm.CARIOCA COM VOCÊ
At the northeast end of Leme,
elevated over the beach, this
peacefully set kiosk serves plates of
sardines and other seafood, as well
as strong alcoholic drinks. Nearby,
you can watch fearless carioca kids
diving off the seawall, or take a
walk through protected rainforest,
home to numerous species of birds
(near Praça Almirante Júlio de
Noronha; open 24 hours a day;
snacks from US$2.87).TRÈS
In recent years, Copacabana has
seen a new crop of flashy kiosks
replacing the wooden ones, such
as this top choice for Francophiles.
Très whips up crêpes, both
savoury (blue cheese and
walnuts), and sweet (Nutella with
banana). It also does cheese and
charcuterie plates, milkshakes and
appetisers such as pan-fried
shrimp with garlic (tres-
restaurant.com; Copacabana, at
the end of Rua Siqueira Campos;
snacks from US$1.43).URUGUAI
Of the many barracas (food
stalls) on the beach in Ipanema,
Uruguai is a long-term favourite,
and has been in business for
more than 30 years. Come here
for scrumptious chicken, beef or
sausage sandwiches, served with
tangy chimmichurri sauce. Look
for the blue-and-white striped
Uruguayan flag flying high over
the beach (Posto 9, Ipanema
beach, 7.30am–8.30pm;
sandwiches from US$2.15).Rio is known for its big breaks and
has a huge surfing communityThe long, scalloped beach of
Copacabana at sunsetA new-style kiosk at Posto 6
on Copacabana beachFold 2