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The Wonderful City
Rio is known to Brazilians as "Cidade Maravilhosa",
or the "Wonderful City" and none more wonderful
than its 45 miles of which sand beaches, encompassing neighbourhoods
like Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. The city
is the home of gay culture, glittering celebrities and of
course, carnival and the samba.
Beach culture is big in Brazil, and nowhere is it bigger or
more impressive than Rio de Janeiro. It's not just about bathing,
it's a social thing, a chance to meet, socialise and play
sports like volley ball, soccer and surfing. Even during the
winter and in poor weather, the "cariocas" frequent
the promenade. It's a scene for fashion and trend setting,
has progressively tans have got deeper and bikinis smaller
and smaller.
The beach scene
From babies to the elderly, beach going in a ritual not just
for the body beautiful. It's a liberating and accepting culture
and a hot spot for jetsetters. Farme Gay attracts gays,
TV stars and glitzy celebrities to this exclusive stretch
of sand.
The nightlife of this city is teaming with life, on and off
the beach, with an array of nightclubs, bars and joints, not
to mention the endless grooves and hypnotic beats of the samba.
Private use of the beach is restricted by the government,
and topless bathing is not acceptable in most parts of the
beaches. If you love suns, celebrities and ultimate beach
glamour and don't mind the inevitable crush then Rio is the
top city for beachgoing.
The social circus
Rio de Janeiro's beaches are its social circus; depending
on where you live in Rio, a beach will suit your social standing,
whether you live in the Zona Norte or the ritzy neighbourhoods
a few blocks from the beach. When in Rio, it's a must to experience
the city's beach culture. Though the complex beach culture
won't be obvious to the casual visitor to the 'marvellous
city', with a keen eye you can pick out the different cliques
and crowds that inhabit the acres of sand, that change by
the time of day and the day of the week.
Mornings: health and calm
Lifeguard stations (called 'postas') are numbered and stretch
along the length of the main beaches at Ipanema and Copacabana.
Locals will make dates to meet at their favourite 'posta'
a patch of sand they share with their friends. All along the
beach, clusters of people sleep and sunbathe under umbrellas
and in the white sand. Mornings and early evenings are for
exercising and numerous exercise stations are spaced out along
the beach for stretching, pull-ups and chin-ups. Older residents
like to walk or jog along the pathways early in the morning,
but are gradually replaced by teenage surfers out to catch
the waves.
Lunchtime: the body beautiful
As the day progresses, the age of the beach-goers drops dramatically,
and the level of body confidence grows: Rio's beaches put
to shame most other trendy ocean front areas, like Sydney's
Bondi Beach or Venice Beach in Los Angeles. For people watching
it reigns supreme as the place to be on a hot Sunday afternoon
in the summer. Wearing as little as possible is the name of
the game here, and if you want to fit in, it pays to follow
suit - or rather drop the suit! Try working on your tan too
before you arrive, because you don't want to be blinding white
while everyone around you is perfectly toned and bronzed!
Afternoons: fun and games
After lunch, the clusters of beachgoers have grown into clumps,
and the whole beach is pulsing with radios blaring, guitars
playing and shouts from the impromptu sports games. Hanging
out in front of these beach clusters are the posers: muscle
guys chatting and laughing as they check out the girls walking
by or jumping in the waves, who ignore the stares and go by
as if the men were invisible.
Fut-volley and football games are enjoying rollicking in
the waves, and vendors weave through the crowds selling their
wares and tasty snacks like shrimp tarts, grilled prawns,
oysters washed down with refreshing coconut water. As the
sun sinks to the horizon, the kids from the far off suburbs
leave the beach and climb buses to get home, dragging surfboards
and boogie board. The wealthier residents walk home trailing
towels and beach chairs. The day is over but the fun will
start all over again tommorrow.
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