Ipanema Beach
On the outskirts of one of the prestigious areas of Rio de Janeiro, Ipanema, there is a seaside beach with the same name. Its length is 3 km. The beach is considered one of the best in Rio. The seawater of the Atlantic Ocean flows to the coast of the beach through the lagoon, passing through the Jardim de Alach canal, dug in 1920. Cape Arpoador separates the districts of Ipanema and Leblon. A colorful sidewalk lined with mosaics stretches along the beach. In the western part, the beach borders Leblon Beach.
The name of the beach is not very euphonious for Brazilians and in translation from the Indian dialect Tupi means "bad water". But this is not related to the quality of the water at the beach. In the 19th century, the territory of the district belonged to businessman Baron Jose Antonio Moreira Filho. "Ipanema" was the name of the river in his homeland, from where the name moved to the baron's lands in Rio. The water on Ipanema beach is cleaner than on Copacabana, which is also one of the best beaches. The waters of Ipanema are calmer. The waves are stronger at the cape, but that's what attracts experienced surfers.
The history of the beach
At the beginning of the last century, the Ipanema area was sparsely developed, unlike Copacabana. Therefore, the beach appeared later, when wealthy Brazilians began to settle in Ipanema. Now Ipanema beach is considered more prestigious, and the atmosphere on it is more refined, because Copacabana is visited mainly by representatives of the middle class and workers from the suburban area. Ipanema has become increasingly popular since the 60s of the last century, when Brazil had a military dictatorship. Opposition activists, artists, and musicians gathered on the beach and in nearby bars.
The wave of popularity of the beach and the area began to grow after the release of the song "The Girl from Ipanema", which became famous all over the world. In honor of the song, they even named a park and a restaurant located near the cape, Garota di Ipanema. Today, the Ipanema district is an elite one, and in prestige it is second only to Leblon. Luxury hotels, expensive restaurants and shops have opened in it, and mostly people with high incomes live there.
On Sundays, the roads to the beach are blocked to protect those riding roller skates, skateboards and bicycles. Informal sectors have gradually formed on the beach, where people gather who are united by some kind of interest or subculture. The lifeguards working on the beach divided the beach into posts, roughly coinciding with informal zones. For example, hipsters and local bohemians gather at post 9. While smoking weed, they listen to music or talk about politics. Post 8 is the territory of gays who do not hide their orientation. Post 7 is a part of the beach at Cape Arpoador, where surfers gather.
An interesting fact is that until the end of the 90s of the last century, tourists almost did not appear at the cape due to large waves.
Ipanema beach is becoming increasingly popular not only because of the calmer waters and relative safety, but also because of the unique beauty of the sunsets that can be observed from the beach. The number of tourists visiting Ipanema is increasing every year.
