Barra Beach

Barra da Tijuca beach stretches for 18 kilometres along the Atlantic coast, making it the longest continuous beach in Rio de Janeiro. The sand is wide and the surf is reliably stronger than on the sheltered bay beaches further east. The undeveloped western end, toward Recreio dos Bandeirantes, is the least crowded and the best for surfing.

The beach is backed by a two-lane road and a cycle track — the cycling infrastructure in Barra is the best in Rio. Kite surfing is popular in the middle section of the beach, where the winds are consistent. Beach bars (barracas) line most of the strip; the food at the better ones goes well beyond beer and chips into serious fish and rice dishes. This is not a glamour beach in the style of Ipanema, but it is a working-class Rio beach at its most genuine.

things to do sight barra da tijuca
A story
Barra Beach hosted the open-water swimming and triathlon events during the 2016 Olympic Games, which brought its relatively unknown shores to a global audience. The western end near Recreio dos Bandeirantes is the most consistent surf break in Rio, and the local surf culture has its own distinct identity separate from the Ipanema scene — more suburban, more Brazilian, less concerned with being seen.