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  RIO DE JANEIRO - BRAZIL'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

Rio de Janeiro
Among Rio de Janeiro's most known and beautiful beaches, Copacabana and Ipanema stay as, now, traditional and popular beaches. The Leblon beach (Praia do Leblon), is more familiar than the other ones.

As you maybe know, Rio is known to be always in advance in fashion and behaviors. So, here, beaches sway according to novelas and moda (fashion). Barra da Tijuca's new beaches are now in people's preference. Prainha, for instance, the new beach on the crest of the wave.

Some cariocas prefere even Recreio dos Bandeirantes' beaches...

So, don't be astonished if you ask a carioca about his or her prefered beach and he/she answers you that he/she prefers Búzios (see Geribá Beach, in Búzios on the photo on the right) or paradisiac Ilha Grande's beaches. Go the Copacabana or Ipanema on week-ends or during Brazil's summer holidays and you will understand why: they are crowded (take a look at the photo below) and it is not easy to find a place toput our feet.

In any case, Rio's best hotels are in Copacabana (Copacabana Palace, Le Méridien, among others) or Ipanema (Caesar Park and others). You will surely stay there. The same goes for restaurants and shops.

Rio's Carnival
If you like meeting people and dancing and your are not afraid of the crowds, during Carnival, it is even better to come to Rio.

Carioca's irreverence will be in its highest level. In this case, you must be in Rio at least on the Friday before Carnival, because Ipanema's parade takes place this day. So, don't miss the desfile (parade) of the Banda de Ipanema!

Tours to Ilha Grande and Búzios
To know Rio's really paradisiac beaches, enjoy staying a weekend at Búzios - surely the best choice to meet nice people - or Ilha Grande - a must for nature lovers and those who like adventure and diving.

Without all the fame of its decane Copacabana, Ipanema Beach, in the borough with the same name, in a very short time became as well known as its older sister Copacabana, and nowadays is the prefered beach of cariocas who are in and of tourists.

Well known all over the world, Copacabana beach is, automatically, the very first beach that all foreign visitors go to see. Surely, actually, it is mainly to visit one of the city's post cards, because in the week-ends and on holidays the beach is very crowded.

Last Update: Dec. 26, 2004
© Ari Damasceno de Oliveira, Rio de Janeiro, abril 2001. No reproduction without autorization