Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Of course, Copacabana hasn't always been as it is today, and traces remain of the
former fishing community that dominated the area until the first decades of the
twentieth century. Each morning before dawn, the boats of the
colônia de pescadores
(the descendants of the fishermen) set sail from the
Forte de Copacabana
, returning
to the beach by 8am to sell their fish from stalls at the southern end of the beach
(opposite the
Sofitel
hotel). The area's latest attraction is the
Museu da Imagem e do
Som
, due to open in the second half of 2014 in a snazzy new building at Avenida
Atlântica 3432, with exhibits on the history of film, TV, music and radio in Brazil.
ON THE BEACH
Rio's sophisticated beach culture is entirely a product of the
twentieth century
. The 1930s
saw the city's international reputation emerge and “flying down to Rio” became an enduring
cliché, celebrated in music, film and literature. Nonetheless, Rio's beaches are first and foremost
the preserve of
cariocas
: rich or poor, young or old, everybody descends on the beaches
throughout the week, treating them as city parks. They are divided into informal segments,
identified by numbered
postos
(marker posts), and in Copacabana and Ipanema in particular,
gay men, families, beach-sport aficionados and even intellectuals claim specific segments.
BEACH FASHION
Looking good is important on Rio's beaches, and you'll come across some pretty snappy
seaside threads. Fashions change fast, though, so if you're keen to make your mark you should
buy your
swimsuits
in Rio. Keep in mind that although women may wear the skimpiest of
bikinis, going topless is not acceptable.
BEACH SPORTS
Maintaining an even tan and tight musculature is the principal occupation for most of Rio's
beachgoers. Joggers swarm up and down the pavements, bronzed types flex their muscles on
parallel bars located at intervals along the beaches, and
beach football
on Copacabana is as
strong a tradition as legend would have it. There's lots of
volleyball
, too, as well as the
ubiquitous
batball
, a kind of table tennis with a heavy ball, and without the table.
EATING
A lot of people make their living by plying
food
- sweets, nuts, ice cream - and beach equipment
along the seashore, while dotted along the sand are makeshift canopies from which you can buy
cold drinks. Like bars, most of these have a regular clientele and deliver a very e
cient service.
Coconut water (
côco verde
), sold everywhere, is supposedly a good hangover cure.
STAYING SAFE
The water off many of the beaches can be
dangerous
. The seabed falls sharply away, the
waves are strong, and currents can pull you down the beach. Mark your spot well before
entering the water, or you'll find yourself emerging from a paddle twenty or thirty metres
from where you started - which, when the beaches are packed at weekends, can cause
considerable problems when it comes to relocating your towel. Copacabana is particularly
dangerous, even for strong swimmers. However, the beaches are well served by
lifeguards
,
whose posts are marked by a white flag with a red cross; a
red flag
indicates that bathing is
prohibited. Constant surveillance of the beachfronts from helicopters and support boats
means that, if you do get into trouble, help should arrive quickly.
Pollution
is another problem to bear in mind. Although much has been done in recent
years to clean up Guanabara Bay, it is still not safe to swim in the water from Flamengo or
Botafogo beaches. While the water beyond the bay at Copacabana and Ipanema is usually
clean, there are times when it - and the beaches themselves - aren't, especially following a
prolonged period of heavy summer rain, when the city's strained drainage system overflows
with raw sewage.
Natural dangers aside, the beaches hold other unwelcome surprises. Giving your passport,
money and
valuables
the chance of a suntan, rather than leaving them in the hotel safe, is
madness. Take only the clothes and money you'll need - it's quite acceptable to use public
transport while dressed for the beach.