I was staying in Copacabana, but had been on the other end of RJ earlier that day and ended up in Leblon 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*). read more
