Ninety seconds on Leblon Beach
One kilometre of sand carries on from Ipanema to the cliffs of the Dois Irmãos, and here you get the calm end of Rio's classic beach, with a residential feel and a little less of the crowd.
The Jardim de Alah canal divides Leblon from Ipanema. From there the sand runs west to the cliffs of Avenida Niemeyer, below the Dois Irmãos mountains. Those two peaks close the view along the whole beach.
The western end beneath them is the calmest part of the beach. Baixo Bebê, the children's corner near Posto 12, has been the family spot since 1997. It is shaded, and the water stays shallow and gentle for about fifty metres out.
At the far western tip, the free wooden deck of the Mirante do Leblon looks back along the whole curve of Leblon and Ipanema. On a clear day Corcovado shows behind the city, with Morro Dois Irmãos right beside you. Come in late afternoon, when the sun is behind you and the whole coast is lit.
Avenida Delfim Moreira is the beachfront road; cross it to reach the sand. Rent a chair and umbrella from a vendor and settle in for a long morning. Food and drink come to you from the vendors on the sand.
Lifeguards staff Posto 11 and Posto 12 in daylight, and the postos have public cold showers. Families fill Baixo Bebê by 10am, so arrive earlier for shade there. The sand suits volleyball, football and beach tennis, and surfers go out when the sea is rough.
Later, walk west along the beach to the corner of Avenida Niemeyer and climb onto the Mirante deck, where fishermen work the rocks below and kiosks sell beer. For lunch, head inland to Rua Dias Ferreira, the neighbourhood's restaurant street.
Swim between Posto 11 and Posto 12, where the waves are usually moderate, or toward the calmer western end near the Dois Irmãos. Read the lifeguard flag first: red means high risk, yellow medium and green low. For an emergency on the beach, call 193.
Some vendors on the sand take only cash, so carry some, and keep your phone in a waterproof pouch, not loose on your towel. The mountains shade the western end earlier in the afternoon than Ipanema, so come in the morning if you want sun.
From the Mirante, turn back along the beach. Do not walk on toward Vidigal along the base of the mountains; stay on the beach and the main streets.
Explore the rest of Rio de Janeiro
A long beach in Rio de Janeiro's south zone, running west from the Arpoador rock to the Leblon end, with a beachfront walk of about four…
Come at sunset to Arpoador, the rock point at the far end of Ipanema beach. Arrive with time to climb onto the rock before the light starts…
A 38-metre statue of Christ with arms outstretched stands on the 704-metre rock summit of Corcovado, in Tijuca National Park. A train from…