Ninety seconds on Praia de Ipanema
Very little has to come with you to Ipanema: you can spend a whole afternoon on the sand while sellers walk the beach and bring food and drink to where you sit.
The Arpoador is a large rock that juts into the Atlantic and divides Ipanema's sand from Copacabana's. From the top it works as a viewpoint, back along the beach and out to sea.
Sunset is when the rock fills up. Arrive an hour early to find a place on the stones, and when the sun goes down, join in the applause, a tradition on the rocks.
The beach is also famous for a song: at Bar Veloso, then an ordinary corner bar on the street now named after Vinicius de Moraes, the poet and Tom Jobim watched the girl who became The Girl from Ipanema walk past on her way to the beach.
Skip the towel: Brazilians do not bring one to the beach. Carry only a little cash for the vendors and leave everything else at your hotel.
The postos, numbered lifeguard posts along the sand, are the landmarks for finding your spot again. Baixo Bebê, a children's play spot, is on the Leblon stretch.
Mate and lemonade sellers walk the beach with two metal tanks on their shoulders and pour to order. Ask politely and a seller will sometimes top up your cup for free.
On Sundays the Feira Hippie, an arts and crafts fair held in Ipanema since 1968, runs from morning to mid-afternoon. On Sundays and public holidays the beachside road, Avenida Vieira Souto, is closed to cars and open to walkers.
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