This is the perfect area to watch the sunset along the Rio de Janeiro shore line. You can sit up on…read morethe rocks and watch the sun go down while admiring the waves and sounds of the ocean. You can find this area right in the middle of Ipanema and copacabana beach. Honestly if you're a sunset person Ipanema and Praia so Arpoador is where you need to be because the buildings on copacabana beach will disappoint you. Don't worry about bringing a cooler filled with drinks because you can find sellers up along the rocks. Although, I would recommend bringing a towel to sit on for sure and maybe a radio with tunes of your choice. This could legit be a perfect area to take your date and guess what? It's free! So definitely add this to your itinerary whenever you're in Rio de Janeiro .

This is actually a small beach that is nestled between Copacabana and Ipanema. The people hanging…read moreout there were mostly locals when I was there. As a beach, this spot is nothing special. However, the Arpoador rock formation is the reason to stop by. Climb to the edge of this rock and you will get amazing views of the sunset or sunrise. It's a great place to just sit and relax.

Yelp Review 2025 #193:…read more Between Copacabana, Botafogo and Ipanema - I still can't decide which neighborhood I like most. Each place has its own character and charm. I started my day on the beach in Copacabana and I took a leisurely walk to Ipanema which took under 45 minutes. What a pleasant walk that was. People watching, sightseeing and just enjoying a beautiful day by the beach. There's a reason why there are songs about Copacabana and Ipanema. They're both beautiful places and the Cariocas are very proud of them. Copacabana has more beach activities: volleyball, pickleball, futebol, surfing, swimming, and any water sport you can think of. Ipanema is more chill with people sunbathing, walking and playing with their dogs. In short, if you want less people and chill vibes, go to Ipanema.

So in rio there are two big famous beaches One is…read moreCopacabana which is the main tourist beach and you see cariocas and vendors hustling And mainly for young folks or singles or partying This one is Ipanema which is next door and this is where all the locals come to and it's packed and more family oriented and relaxed It's a nice vibe

Copacabana is a bairro (neighborhood) in Rio de Janeiro: in the South Zone of the city. Its 4 km…read more(2.5 miles) beach is the most famous. I'm impressed by how clean the beach is when we get there in the morning! ... evening is another story. Of course, there is this statue of their famed son Ayrton Senna (1960-94), who died on the race track ...our first stop in Rio is to visit him.

We stayed at the hotel across the street (Rio Othon) which was nice since we had a designated area…read moreof the beach to use, this was helpful because the beach gets crowded very quickly. The most annoying thing here is all the vendors constantly coming around a little hard to relax U can grab anything from drinks, we tried one not terrible just too sweet for my taste. Food & snacks to bathing suits, bags & shirts helpful for the vendors. If you don't get anything from the vendors there are plenty of places to eat & drink along the beach. My only complain for the beach was that the water it is very rough, crazy strong current u can feel the pull just standing in the sand. We got to see beautiful sunsets, sunrise & were even lucky enough to be here when Lady Gaga played, crazy crowd by her hotel, rehearsal was a mini concert definitely a very cool experience. Nice stretch of beach, scenery is lovely & it's a great way to spend any time during your visit in Brazil.

This is a beautiful beach if you're in the area and want to check it out. There a lot of things to…read moredo here besides just walking in the sand. There also some food places on the top. Crossing the street to get here would be the biggest challenge unless you go in the early morning like I did. The weather was nice and it was after it rained a bit so the whole view was clear and beautiful. I'm staying at the Windsor Barra so it's across the street from this beach that also as a rooftop view. So I went up to the 17th floor to take a look at the beautiful beach.

When in Rio de Janeiro, you ought to visit both Copacabana and Ipanema. You hear so much about…read morethese districts and their beaches years before you ever set foot in Rio. However, once you head south of here and further out from their density and population, the major beachfront thoroughfare changes names with each different neighborhood like people change their underwear, and it finally sort of makes a straight shot for a long time, you are probably on Avenida das Americas and in Barra da Tijuca. Parallel to this major artery is Barra's long and uninterrupted praia, or beach. It doesn't have the fanfare that Copacabana and Ipanema do but, in terms of natural features, this long strand is much the same, though comparatively quieter. You can get here on public transportation. Certain bus lines continue in front of Rio's beaches down into Barra da Tijuca, all the way down to where the area ends, as does Rio de Janeiro, more or less, at Recreio dos Bandeirantes. People diss on Barra da Tijuca. They say it's Rio's attempt to be like the suburban sprawl that is Broward County, Florida. It has an almost tacky mega mall along Avenida das Americas as well as newer condo towers and housing. I'd say the comparison has some validity. After all, isn't Broward County, and the beaches along it, newer and more tranquil than the areas of and beaches in Miami-Dade? I think so. There are a couple of funky things about the Barra da Tijuca area. First, while it is newer and upscale, being 11 miles long means there are some favelas in this westernmost part of Rio. They are or have been marked on Google maps and the more "proper" residents of Barra are not at all happy about that. The favelas appear to be smaller and more inland than the long beach strand. Second, Barra is long and narrow and the back end of it has marshes, lagoons, and other waterways. In them live these smaller to medium sized caimans (jacares) which are a more yellowish color and indigenous to the area. I found this interesting and more fodder for comparing Rio to Miami. For that matter, their "kin folk" can be found in waterways within the city limits of South Florida municipalities, New Orleans, and Houston, just to name a few North American locales. Third, the very end of Barra is known as Recreio dos Bandeirantes. It is not as upscale and flashy as the part of Barra first encountered upon coming around the promontory containing the Dois Irmaos monolith. Your reward for going this far south and west from Rio's more popular beaches is this - the "morro:" http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GH29uXeSJIw/TVWU9bWwO8I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/QbiJjr1xG8I/s1600/recreio_dos_bandeirantes%255B1%255D.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5035/6953462316_f39345e4cf_z.jpg Either way, if doing the beach thing, you probably won't be in Barra da Tijuca to shop in mega malls, spot large reptiles, or tour favelas. You're here to enjoy its 11 mile long beach strand. Overlook the comparisons to Broward County FL and other digs on Barra and enjoy yourselves at this wonderful beach.

The most beautiful beach I went to in Rio. It's a bit if a trek to get there and it disappears with…read morethe tide so go early! You have to walk through a housing complex to reach the beach and then climb down a few rocks (not recommended if you have a broken leg). It's secluded and beautiful.

Most beautiful beach I went to in Rio de Janeiro. Way less touristic than Cobacabana or Ipanema,…read moreand no chance of getting robbed. It's paradise.

Great area in Barra. It is at the beginning of the Barra area with nice resturants and also near…read morethe surf and kite schools. Also, you can enjoy from the bars at the beach, really cool places, with music and drinks. There is a road only for bikes and runners that is great and is everyone use it, as well as the metal structures in the streets for people to work out. Very recommendable if you came to Rio. Is it more residential zone and have a bigger beach place than the rest.

My absolute favorite beach in Rio to relax! It's small, intimate & i personally felt like it was…read morethe safest. Not only is the view of the Sugarloaf breathtaking but the sand texture is a little heavier (looks like brown sugar) and it's extremely soft! There were people fishing, kayaking & paddle boarding (they have people renting the equipment). Other locals also rent chairs and can offer food and drinks if you'd like. At one side of the beach you're also able to find a restaurant and a bank.

While in Rio stayed in Ipanema - skip that beach, dirty/litter but more 'happening'. Much prefer a…read morequick Uber ride over to Leblon, clean and less hagglers on the beach. Great eats beachside - with prime shaded spots for plenty of people watching.

I was staying in Copacabana, but had been on the other end of RJ earlier that day and ended up in…read moreLeblon and worked my way up. I think this is my favorite out of the three and where I spent most of my beach time at. While I hadn't tried to go to Copacabana or Ipanema during the same hours, I found Leblon to be less crowded which I personally liked. It felt calmer, more relaxing here. You can rent a chair and umbrella for a day R$20 or R$40 (forgot) at the one I rented from. They help you set everything up and ask you where you would like to sit. You'll also have the chance to order a drink from their stand and they'll bring it out to you. I've paid both in the beginning and at the end - not sure what is the usual. They will usually come to check up on you I think or at least mine did. If you had agua de coco, they say you can leave it on the beach and there will be a team of people with a truck to pick them up at some point throughout the day (yes, I saw them). You'll see and get approached by many walking vendors on the beach. At first I was weary of some trying to sell me things I didn't want, but really I think it's great and I like how they're there. I've been told that these are all side hustlers trying to make an extra buck, but there are some that actually have good stuff. For example, I had bought sterling silver jewelry two separate times from the same artists, different days on Leblon Beach. I have tried some of the food / snacks and the Yerba mate tea. I wish I had tried all or more of the food vendors. I think I was hesitant b/c I wasn't sure how the food would be ok if they'd been walking all day with it, but hot food really does stay hot cause they carry them in insulated bags. You'll see vendors carrying swimwear, towels, sunscreen, sunglasses, macrame jewelry and accessories, and food of all kinds (burgers, shrimp, corn, salgados, e doces). Always be cognizant of your belongings and those who are around you. I never had any issues, but I've heard stories of people getting robbed before - they either work in teams of two or more sometimes and might try to distract you while the other tries to pickpocket you or steal your stuff. Never leave your valuables unattended if you plan to go into the water. When you're ready to leave, just leave everything where it was. The crew picks everything up throughout / towards the end of the day. If you need to use the restroom, there are public restrooms available for a fee. The one I went to was R$5 I think. There are areas to clean off the ocean water and sand - outdoor showers (they usually keep running all day) and then smaller ones by the steps to the sidewalk for your feet, etc. If you're into volleyball, you can also join a group to play for a fee. If you workout, there are various workout bars (not sure what to call them) spaced amongst the sidewalks of the beach and of course, you will see joggers / runners on the road along with cyclists and people riding Itaú bikes along the path. I rented the Itaú bikes a couple times and one day I road it from Copacabana to Leblon and back. Use your app to locate the many bike docking stations. People usually start filtering out around 7pm. There's a good view of Dois Irmãos. Be sure you have sunscreen and sun protection cause even on cloudy days could you possibly get a bad sun tan (I sure did, lol and I still have an outline from the top I was wearing *crying emoji face*).

Out of all beaches of Zona Sula, Ipanema is my preferred one…read more Unlike copacabana, which is overly chaotic, touristy and commercialized and Leblon which is more narrow, Ipanema caters more to local crowd, has a wide sand strip, quite clean and less harassment by vendors. Rent a chair and umbrella for a low price and spend the day with a cold coconut.

I enjoyed morning walk at the beach, and watching beach soccer in the afternoon, even enjoyed…read morewatching it from hotel window.