Rio de Janeiro Beaches - Typical Week Day & Night - Ipanema & Copacabana

As Copacabana beach became more and more crowded, so upmarket Ipanema became the retreat for the fashionably alternative carioca youth. Nowhere do the lifeguard towers more strongly define the tribes that grace the sands. Around posto eight, families play in the pools formed at low tide, while between postos eight and nine, the rainbow flags clearly mark the gay-friendly barracas (tents) that hire out everything from deckchairs and parasols to massages. Posto nine became the cool local hotspot in the Eighties before more recently migrating up towards the famous Coqueirão, the big palm tree where today the students and stoners mix with young professionals and preening, bronzed bodies. I always choose a busy barraca, hire a deckchair and parasol (R$10) and settle in. The water quality can vary and muddies after storms but, for the most part, is a remarkably clear and inviting blue for an urban beach.

Copacabana beach is one of the most famous on the planet, and the iconic, waved boardwalk design, tiny bikinis and striking landscape make for the classic Rio beach experience. Its middle section, from postos (lifeguard towers) three to six, is where the sand is widest but the waves are at their wildest. Dotted with kiosks every few hundred meters, there is no shortage of places to grab a beer or snack, and the tireless beach hawkers do their bit to keep everyone refreshed, too. The best place to pitch up is towards posto six: here, the waters are calmer so more conducive to swimming, paddleboard schools offer drop-in classes, and the view back along the beach is outstanding.

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