Ipanema Beach and Arpoador

If Copacabana is Rio at its most democratic, Ipanema is Rio at its most stylish. The beach runs for roughly two and a half kilometres from the Arpoador rock in the east to the Jardim de Alah canal, where Leblon takes over, and at its western end rise the twin peaks of Morro Dois Irmaos with the Pedra da Gavea behind. The neighbourhood gave the world the bossa nova song The Girl from Ipanema, written in 1962 by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, and it is still where the city goes to see and be seen. As at Copacabana, the beach is organised around the lifeguard posts, and each stretch has its own tribe: Posto 9 has long been the gathering place of artists, intellectuals and the young and beautiful, the area around Rua Farme de Amoedo is the heart of LGBTQ+ beach life with its rainbow flags, and Posto 7 near Arpoador belongs to surfers and to families from all over the city. The water is generally cleaner and the waves better shaped than at Copacabana, but they can still be powerful. Behind the beach, Ipanema is a grid of leafy streets full of boutiques, juice bars, ice-cream shops and some of the best restaurants in the city, and on Sundays the Feira Hippie fills the Praca General Osorio with crafts, art and Bahian food stalls. The great ritual is at the eastern end. Arpoador is a rocky promontory between Ipanema and the small beach of Diabo, and at sunset, especially in the months either side of the southern winter when the sun goes down over the sea behind Dois Irmaos, hundreds of people climb the smooth granite to watch, and when the sun disappears they break into applause. It is free, it happens every clear evening, and it is one of the best moments of any trip to Rio.

Arpoador takes its name from the harpooners who once hunted whales from the rocks, and its waves made it the birthplace of Brazilian surfing; there are surf schools on the beach and boards for rent. The Arpoador park behind the rock has a small forest path, and the stone itself has gentle slopes, but its edges drop sharply to the sea, so stay away from wet rock and keep children close. Next to it, Praia do Diabo is a tiny beach with dangerous currents that is better for looking than swimming.

How to visit well: the same precautions as on any Rio beach apply — bring cash and a towel, not valuables, keep your phone out of sight and avoid the sand at night. Arrive at Arpoador at least half an hour before sunset to find a spot on the rock, and leave with the crowd rather than lingering in the dark. Ipanema is well served by metro, with stations at General Osorio and Nossa Senhora da Paz, and it is an easy walk or bike ride along the seafront cycle path from Copacabana. Rent a chair and umbrella from a beach tent; the staff will bring drinks and keep an eye on your things while you swim.

Who it suits: couples, style-conscious travellers, surfers and anyone who wants a beach with a little more polish than Copacabana. Families should head to the Posto 7 and Arpoador end on weekdays. Everyone should join the sunset applause at least once.