Copacabana Beach

Visiting Copacabana Beach in 2020 was an interesting perspective on the normally packed tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The COVID pandemic was in full swing and not too many people were travelling. At that point in time Brazil was recently moved from number 2 to number 3 on the list of countries with the highest number of cases. That combined with the Brazilian President treating COVID-19 like a common cold pretty much ensured I was one of the only tourists there that September.

Copacabana Beach is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the South Zone. It has a massive area stretching about 4 kilometers or 2.2 miles from one end to the other.

Because there is fame that comes with the name Copacabana Beach, there are some interesting sights and landmarks in the area if you take a walk down the long wave patterned promenade that runs parallel with the shore.

The Copacabana Palace Hotel is probably the most famous landmark on the beach. If you have ever heard the song Copacabana, this is what it was written about.

At the end of Copacabana beach before Ipanema is Copacabana Fort. It is a fully operational military base as well as a museum. All of the displays unfortunately are in Portuguese. Don't let that deter you from going for a visit though. Fort Copacabana is still a very interesting place to check out and sitting for an over-priced, cold drink on one of the restaurants patios is actually worth it just to take in the view.

You will also find lots of sand art that has been made by residents of the area. When We went for a walk closer to the Christmas holiday and we found lots of sand art along the beach. There were a few Christmas themed sculptures as well as the usual variety of subjects.

Even though there wasn't a huge crowd of tourists like there once was, there were many restaurants and stands open to grab a bite to eat. There was also an abundance of people selling hats and souvenirs. There were many vendors lining the wave patterned walk that stretches the length of the beach even with hardly any people walking the beach.

There are several activities you can join in on at Copacabana beach itself. Although I didn't enjoy swimming there because the surf is too rough and the water is very cold compared to what I’m used to, you can always go for a dip. Badminton seems to be one of the preferred sports played in the sands as well as Beach Volleyball and a version of Volleyball played Soccer style with the feet and head.

Many tourists and locals enjoy visiting the beach even during the pandemic. The times you really want to avoid are on holidays and weekends when it becomes very crowded by residents in the area. During the week the beach was mostly empty in comparison to weekends and holidays. Once the weekends and holidays come around you're best to choose another activity besides the beach.

The evenings at Copacabana beach are fairly quiet but there is a higher risk of petty crime at this time and it is not recommended to visit after dark.

Copacabana beach by far is not the nicest beach in Rio de Janeiro and it is very commercialized. I would recommend a visit just to say you were there. It's far from being a paradise but it is most definitely a famous beach.

If you are planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro or would like to learn more about the city, you can find a full series about some of the famous places you can visit while there by following the link below.

Lovin' it on Phuket Presents: Rio de Janeiro

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