Arpoador

Hemmed in by Copacabana in the north and Ipanema in the south, Arpoador is a small, rocky Rio beach with not much to offer except spectacle. You see, the promontory has such an ideal inclination to the prevailing winds and the sea currents below have such a perfect direction that it punches above its size in the surfing waves directory.

Indeed, the evening tide attracts the surfers and their admirers who sit on the rocks – conveniently arranged amphitheatrically – for a free spectacle. Sometimes, when the waves are high, there is standing room only on the beach, let alone inside the sea, if you are surfing yourself.

The vibe is also pretty good: this is one of the few places where street kids from the favelas rub shoulders with the rich teens of  Ipanema and Leblon, for surfing is a great leveller.

From Ipanema: go to the north end Beyond Posto 8 and continue on Avenida Viera Souto until the end, then past Hotel Fasano  to Posto 7. From Copacabana, take any bgus to Ipanema, get off at the last stop at the bottom of Avenida Nossa Senhora da Copacabana (before it tuns to Ipanema) and go straight ahead through the shopping mall to the Arpoador Beach. Alternatively walk to Copacabana Fort and take the street to its right, Francisco Otaviano. Go through the park Garota da Ipanema and you are there.