Are you planning your trip to Rio de Janeiro and is wondering which beaches you should know? Already in the city and want to enjoy the summer every day on a new beach, with different landscapes?
Check out our Top 10 with the best beaches in town. It has beaches for all tastes and styles!
Each of them is best to suit a specific aspect. Therefore, your choice will depend on what do you want to do: stroll along the beach sidewalk, take a sea bath or a sunbath, socialize, watch the sunset, surfing, etc.
Thus, the order in which they appear in this post is in relation to the proximity to the center of the city. But they are all worth the visit. After all, they all have breathtaking landscapes in common!
1. Praia Vermelha
Praia Vermelha (Red Beach) is only 200 meters long and lies between the Urca and Babilônia hill. Its name is due to the coloration of its sand, thicker and slightly reddish, different from the other beaches of Rio. Its charm is due to its peculiar landscape: full of personality, at the foot of the Sugar Loaf mountain.
The beach is very popular with locals and families. After all, it is one of the few beaches in Rio that have milder waves, making it a safer beach for children. It is not always suitable for bathing, but its sidewalk has street food stands and the shade of coconut trees that create the perfect setting to drink coconut water with a view.
Carioca Tip:
After your visit to Pão de Açúcar, take a short walk to Praia Vermelha and stroll through the charming neighborhood, called Urca.
2. Praia de Copacabana
A must-see in any visit to Rio de Janeiro, Copacabana is the most famous beach in the city! With a beach sidewalk full of style and with an overlooking to the imposing Sugar Loaf, it is a delight to see the sky changing its color throughout the day. I guarantee that in the late afternoon it acquires a unique pink tone!
Copacabana Beach has an excellent infrastructure, and you can spend the whole day there without missing anything! There are restaurants of all kinds, showers, toilets, night lighting, shops and even a street market selling souvenirs near Lifeguard Tower 5.
Carioca Tip:
Start your day with a breakfast in the Fort of Copacabana, in the traditional Confeitaria Colombo or in Café 18 do Forte. Your day will be wonderful if started with the beautiful landscape from there.
Soon we will write a complete guide of this beach! Stay tuned on all our new posts, follow us on Instagram.
Copacabana is undoubtedly one of the best beaches for a city tour. But if your goal is to bathe in the sea, there are other better and less crowded options, also listed here.
3. Praia do Arpoador
Arpoador Beach is the place of the most beautiful sunset in the city, worthy of applause! Their Stones are a perfect audience for Morro Dois Irmãos, the Pedra da Gávea, the Corcovado, the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon. No doubt, a must see!
Go to Arpoador beach if you are a fan of sunset and if you do not mind sharing the space with different tribes. It is one of the most democratic beaches and, regardless of the time of the year, it is always full of tourists and Cariocas.
Check out our complete guide of this beach in this article here.
4. Praia do Diabo
If you go to Arpoador Beach, your eyes will probably be attracted to the beautiful landscape located to the right of the stones. But do not forget to pay attention to the small beach located on the left side of the rocks as well: the little Praia do Diabo (Devil’s Beach).
Devil’s Beach has this name because it is right in front of the open sea and when the tide is very high, the waves can be scary. At these times, the tip is to enjoy the landscape from the small square that is in front of it, with the company of cold coconut water.
At low tide, however, the sea becomes calmer, and the beach gets a strip of sand quite cozy and much more reserved than its most famous neighbors. So go to Praia do Diabo if you would like more privacy and to watch the sunrise!
5. Praia de Ipanema
Ipanema Beach is nothing more than the continuation of Arpoador Beach. Your crowd, however, is a little different. The Ipanema neighborhood has one of the most expensive square meters in the city of Rio de Janeiro and, perhaps because of that, its sands are slightly more elitist.
On its start, at the beginning of Av. Vieira Souto, you will find a statue of the composer Antônio Carlos Jobim (Tom Jobim), who immortalized the Ipanema Beach in the song “Garota de Ipanema.” From there, in the inside streets of the beach, you can find many trendy restaurants and bars that may be much better alternatives for a break than the waterfront kiosks. Maybe that’s why this is the favorite beach of Rio’s Bohemia!
Carioca Tip:
At Farme de Amoedo Street, between Lifeguard Tower 8 and 9, there is a region traditionally known as Farme Gay, the point of the LGBT community. With a stretch of sand delimited by the rainbow flags, it is a fun and enjoyable place to make new friends.
6. Praia do Leblon
If you move along the Ipanema waterfront, you will reach the Allah Canal, which divides the neighborhoods and beaches of Ipanema and Leblon.
Leblon is the noblest neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro. So when you go to this beach, you might find some artist admiring the same waves as you. Besides them, you will be in the company of other residents of the neighborhood and many tourists.
If you want to swim, avoid the regions near the canal, which have murkier and possibly unfit water for bathing. If you are just passing through the waterfront, be sure to go to Leblon lookout at the end of the beach, to admire the opposite view from Arpoador stones.
7. Praia da Barra da Tijuca
Farther from the city center, located in the West Zone (Zona Oeste) of the city, Barra`s beach holds the title of the longest beach in Rio – almost 18 kilometers long. This beach is also the one that has the broadest sand strip. Between the shore and the sea, it can shelter many people!
Its waters are green and clear, it always runs a gentle breeze, and its sand is probably the finest and most white you will see in life! Lovely thing to enjoy!
But be aware: if the wind is strong, you will have to watch out for its waves that can be treacherous and dangerous to children (and adults too). On the other hand, they are great for surfing.
If, however, the wind is not too strong and the tide is low, the children will be able to celebrate! It is common to form sandbanks that transform the region into natural pools.
In its beginning, from the lifeguard towers 1 to 3, it`s located the most popular region of the beach, that attracts many young people. In this section, it is called Pepê Beach because of a famous kiosk in there. This region, however, is not the best one for bathing.
To enjoy clearer water, stay between lifeguard towers 4 to 7. There, the environment is usually more familiar: there are many children and many kiosks that rent a beach chair and sun umbrella. It is also in this region that are the big hotel chains like Sheraton and Windsor.
From the Ayrton Senna Avenue section after Posto 8, the beach is an area of environmental preservation. From there, the offer of public transportation and the infrastructure are more limited. On the other hand, the landscape becomes more paradisiac, without the presence of the modern constructions of the traditional waterfront.
8. Prainha
With only 150 meters in length, Prainha stands out for its strong waves and for being surrounded by the Atlantic Forest. These two characteristics are the main reason for its beauty.
However, although paradisiacal, this beach is not deserted. Prainha became famous as one of the best beaches for surfing in Rio de Janeiro. With its fame, also came the infrastructure. Despite being located in the middle of an environmental reserve, you will find kiosks that offer different types of service.
If you are not a fan of movement, try to get there early on weekends or leave your visit for a weekday. On sunny weekends, at busy times (between 10am and 4pm) it can get a lot more crowded than you’d like.
9. Praia do Secreto
Right next to Prainha there is a secret beach. It is true that she is no longer so secret, the Cariocas know her well! But it is not very easy to access it.
The Praia do Secreto (Secret beach) is nothing more than a beautiful natural swimming pool of 12 meters of length, that forms only when the tide is low. Therefore, before going there, it is necessary to check the table of the tides.
To get to it, you must walk a narrow but light path, approximately 5 minutes. The hike starts at the Mirante do Roncador (Roncador lookout), just before Prainha, on the left side of the road, at the edge of the avenue. After walking this way, it will be possible to see more or less the beginning of the great rock that will lead to Praia do Secreto. And that’s where the trouble starts.
Search for the right hike to go down to the rock. The most dangerous paths are indicated with signs. Be very careful! The descent of approximately 15 meters to the level of the sea is steep and slippery. So make sure you have enough ability to go down. And remember that when the sea is strong, and the tide is full, it is hazardous to descend into the water.
There is no infrastructure on this beach, and there is no space to put your belongings. So just go with your bathing suit and shoes. Take a dip, avoid leaving any kind of trash and enjoy the moment!
Carioca Tip:
The beach is tiny and loses a little bit of its loveliness if it is crowded. So maybe better to visit it on weekdays! With fewer people, you can really feel the paradisiacal climate of the place.
Want to hire a carioca guide to take you safely to Praia do Secreto? It’s possible! And you can still take the opportunity to get to know all the other beaches in the area. Please contact us at this link here.
10. Grumari
If you are by car and Barra beach is too crowded for you, the alternative may be to go to Grumari! The beach is 2.5 kilometers long, red sands and lots of nature around. It’s far, but we guarantee it’s worth it!
The beach is also an Environmental Reserve area. Around you, you will find hills, shores, and lots of restinga vegetation. The sea is hectic. Therefore, in its waters, the surfers predominate. In its sands, however, we find many families with children and even fishermen.
Carioca Tip:
Enjoy having lunch in the area, at the Point de Grumari Restaurant. Specialized in seafood, the restaurant is in a prime position and houses a balcony with a beautiful view of the entire environmental reserve.
So, Have you chosen your preferred beach by now?
Remember that before going to each one of them, you can look for the bathing conditions of Rio de Janeiro beaches daily in this site here.
And do not forget that to enjoy the beaches of Rio de Janeiro you must follow some safety tips! They are listed in our free e-book: “How to stay safe in Rio.” To download it, click here.
We hope you enjoy our tips! And, if you have any questions or feel that there was any beach missing from this list, leave your opinion in the comments section below.
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