Copacabana

A large suburb of Rio, Copacabana is best known for its amazing, wide, sandy beach that stretches for 4km (2.5 miles). The beach is hugely popular with both residents and tourists and usually lies beneath a mass of beautiful and fit bodies. Carioca girls, in minimalist bikinis, bask in the scorching sun alongside families with their youngsters, geriatrics and business people. The beach is always a hive of activity. Displaying the Brazilians' passion for sport, joggers and power walkers use the trademark wavy black and white mosaic path that fringes the beach, cyclists whizz by in the cycle lane and the soccer fields and volleyball courts are in constant use. Strong currents can prove dangerous for swimmers, although an excellent lifeguard system exists.

The fishing community of Copacabana only became part of Rio when tunnels were built for the Rio Tramway. In 1923, the Copacabana Palace Hotel was inaugurated and other hotels, nightclubs and casinos attracted the rich and famous during the 1930s and 40s. Nowadays, hotels and apartment blocks dominate the skyline along the busy avenues and crowded beach. It is advisable for visitors to take the very minimum of possessions and money, as the easily identifiable tourist is an obvious target for petty thieves.