Copacabana Beach

Praia de Copacabana

A 4-km crescent beach with a black-and-white wave-patterned promenade, beach volleyball, footvolley, coconut water and New Year's Eve fireworks: the world's most famous city beach.

Copacabana Beach stretches 4 km from the foot of Leme hill to the Arpoador rocks. Along the shore stand the Copacabana Palace hotel, dating from the 1930s, and high-rise apartment buildings. The black-and-white Portuguese stone wave pattern on the seafront promenade, Avenida Atlântica, was designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and has become a visual symbol of Rio. The beach is divided by lifeguard stations (Postos). Postos 2 and 3, near Leme, are popular with local families. Postos 4 and 5 are the gathering place for footvolley (Futevôlei) and beach volleyball, often with professional players. Posto 6 is near Copacabana Fort (Forte de Copacabana, a 19th-century fortress with an admission fee of BRL 6; enjoy sea views at the Confeitaria Colombo café inside) and the fishermen's market. On the sand, mobile vendors sell beach chair and umbrella rentals (about BRL 20–30), coconut water (BRL 8–10), grilled cheese and iced maté tea. The waves are large and there are undercurrents, so swim only within the lifeguard flags. On Sundays, the seaward side of the avenue is closed to traffic and becomes a walking and cycling path. Every New Year's Eve, the Réveillon celebration is the world's largest beach party, with 2 million people dressed in white watching fireworks and offering flowers to the sea goddess Iemanjá. Safety: don't bring valuables to the beach; carry only a little cash in a waterproof bag, and don't linger on the sand after dark. There are many hotels along the avenue, but be careful on the side streets at night. It is a 15-minute walk from Copacabana to Ipanema. In between, the Arpoador rocks are Rio's most classic sunset spot, and the crowd applauds as the sun goes down.

Copacabana Beach

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby