Rio de Janeiro has more than 30 beaches and roughly 86 kilometers (53 miles) of coastline. They’re mostly pretty awesome, but also pretty different.
The beaches everyone knows (Ipanema, Leblon, Copacabana) are famous for a reason. They’re beautiful, social, convenient, and very much part of the Rio experience. But there are plenty of beaches with better sand, bigger waves, fewer tourists, or a quieter beach day.
This is completely subjective, but here are my favorite beaches.
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1. Barra da Tijuca, My Dream Beach
Surprise, the best beaches aren’t in Rio.
Barra da Tijuca is in Rio’s western zone, and the beach is enormous, about 18 kilometers long, which makes it the longest beach in Rio. It’s known for its waves, so it attracts a lot of surfers. If you want great sand, waves, lots of space, and lively beach vibes, this is where I’d go.
I wrote a whole post on Barra da Tijuca if you want more.
But Barra is not where I’d stay if you’re visiting Rio for the first time and want to spend your days seeing Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Ipanema, and all the other major sights. Stay in the South Zone and do Barra as a day trip. My Barra da Tijuca guide covers how to get there, where to eat and what to do once you’re there.
2. Ipanema and Leblon, Best Party
For the overall Rio experience, Ipanema and Leblon are hard to beat.
Ipanema and Leblon are basically one continuous stretch of coastline, and this is the classic Rio beach scene you’ve seen in photos.
You’ll almost always have Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers) mountain in the background, which is the iconic view.
This is where all the partying, people-watching, beach vendors, and beach-club scene happens. FYI, beach clubs can be expensive. Think $200 USD for a table and $20 USD for drinks, so a casual afternoon can turn into an expensive afternoon very quickly.
For atmosphere, nothing beats this stretch of beach.
3. Urca and Praia Vermelha: Small Beach, Best View
Urca is a small, quiet neighborhood around the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, and the beach here is Praia Vermelha (Red Beach). The beach itself is small, with greenish water and reddish sand.
I loved coming here after hiking Sugarloaf. I’d finish the hike, bring my stuff down to the beach, and just lay there. If you’d rather ride up than hike, get a Sugarloaf cable car ticket and come down to the beach after.
Urca is also worth sticking around for after the beach. The Mureta da Urca, the waterfront wall, is a popular local spot to hang out, have a drink, watch the sunset, and look back toward Sugarloaf across Guanabara Bay.
4. Leme Beach: Convenient and More Local
At the very end of Copacabana Beach, right before you reach the big rock of Pedra do Leme, you’ll find Leme Beach. It’s way calmer, with families, surfers and fishermen instead of just tourists. Leme is also more Black. My friends and I chose to come here over Ipanema many times, just for a different, more local vibe.
5. Praia de Gávea: Hang Gliders
A little further out, more local, great waves, and not crowded.
It’s about one kilometer long, sits beneath Dois Irmãos, and has a good amount of surfers. It’s also where hang gliders and paragliders land after launching from Pedra Bonita, and it’s really fun to watch them land on the beach one after another. There aren’t as many tourists here, which is good. If watching makes you want to try it, you can book a tandem hang gliding flight.
The downside is that there aren’t as many vendors and beach services. So bring your own drinks, snacks, towel, umbrella, and basically anything you think you’ll want for the day, just in case.
6. Praia de Icaraí, Niterói
If you’re willing to leave Rio proper and cross the bay into Niterói, Praia de Icaraí has a gorgeous view.
You’re looking directly across Guanabara Bay toward Rio, with Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer visible in the distance. You can also see the famous futuristic Museu de Arte Contemporânea (MAC), designed by Oscar Niemeyer, along with the rock formations of Pedra do Índio and Pedra de Itapuca.
It’s not a party beach. There are very few people here. I wouldn’t make a special trip across the bay if you’re only in Rio for a few days.
7. Flamengo Beach
Flamengo is the opposite of Ipanema. There’s basically nobody around. Come here to read and lay out quietly.
The views across Guanabara Bay toward Sugarloaf are beautiful, and you’re surrounded by the Aterro do Flamengo park, so it feels more like a city park than a tourist beach.
8. Copacabana Beach
Copacabana was the beach I went to most often, but only because I lived in Copacabana and it was a 4-minute walk from my apartment.
I’d bring my homework, find a spot on the sand, and just lie there for a while. As an actual beach, it kind of sucks.
It’s extremely crowded, vendors are constantly coming up to you, and you have to stay very alert with your belongings. Copacabana has a reputation for theft, so you can’t completely switch off and relax there.
9. Vidigal Beach
Praia do Vidigal is a tiny beach between Leblon and Gávea, right at the foot of the Vidigal favela. I walked here from Leblon, which took about 40 minutes, and the walk was better than the beach.
The Sheraton is right on the beach, and we walked through the hotel to get to it, so it feels semi-private even though the beach is public. I found the whole thing dystopian. There’s this expensive hotel sitting right beside a favela, basically taking up the best access to a public beach. The beach itself is just fine. I say skip it.
10. Botafogo Beach
Botafogo Beach sucks. The sand is hard and it smells like fish. No one goes there. I just wanted to add it to the list so you know not to bother.
Botafogo is for the restaurants, bars, and nightlife, not the beach. Across the street, there’s a restaurant and bar on top of the mall, Terraço Botafogo, that gets very crowded and has a great view of the beach and Sugarloaf Mountain. Go there, and don’t bother with the actual beach.
My Rio Beach Ranking at a Glance
- Best overall beach: Barra da Tijuca
- Best classic Rio experience: Ipanema and Leblon
- Best for fewer tourists: Gávea
- Best for partying and beach clubs: Ipanema and Leblon
- Best for scenery: Urca and Praia Vermelha
- Best for a quiet beach: Flamengo
- Best if you want to get out of Rio’s tourist bubble: Praia de Icaraí, Niterói
- Beach I’d skip: Botafogo
Planning your days? Here’s my 5-day Rio de Janeiro itinerary, with a full beach day built in.