Copacabana Beach

Copacabana is a Brazilian beach in Rio de Janeiro, located on the Atlantic Ocean coast and is world famous for the length of its coastline. The coastline of Copacabana, shaped like a crescent moon, is 4 km long and about 100 m wide. The beach is located 5 km from the city center and is popular and in demand among tourists all year round: several thousand people visit it daily.

The history of Copacabana Beach

Until the 17th century, the site of the world-famous beach was an uninhabited desert. Then the settlers slowly began to settle in, and over time a simple fishing village grew up in the area. This rural area (Sacupenapana) had its own life and was separated from Rio de Janeiro by the Vila Rica Mountain. But in 1982, a tunnel was pierced through the mountain and a tram was launched, connecting the Copacabana area with Rio. The secluded life of the fishermen ended quickly: the rapid development and development of this territory began, and in 1906 the beach embankment was ready for opening. By the way, mosaic waves – black and white patterns on its boulevard – later became one of the symbols of the country.

The embankment was expanded in 1919, the world-famous Palace Hotel was opened in 1923, and in the 1930s and 50s Copacabana became a favorite place of residence and recreation for Brazilian bohemians, elite and beau monde: artists, actors, musicians, writers, politicians, businessmen.

What's interesting about Copacabana Beach

Copacabana is a luxurious beach with fine white sand, wide and comfortable. People relax on it, sunbathe, walk and play sports, meet with friends, and have picnics. Tourists are delighted by the sand figures that local craftsmen make right on the beach.

The incredibly beautiful raging ocean impresses with its beauty. The water in it is clear and very salty. But a common phenomenon for Copacabana is high foaming waves, sometimes reaching up to 3 meters, which make swimming unpleasant and even dangerous. But surfers consider this beach to be a paradise. It really often upsets lovers of swimming: even in extreme heat, the current often brings cold water to the shore, so its temperature rarely exceeds 22-23 degrees. Very often people just stand along the shore and watch the waves from a safe distance. It is forbidden to cross the surf: it can be difficult to swim without the help of rescuers, even for experienced swimmers.

The flip side of the Copacabana

Even at night, life on the Copacabana does not stop: active games and festivities continue all day long, as the beach area is well lit. It has a wide variety of eateries, restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, nightclubs and other entertainment venues, which, of course, is in the hands of criminals, beggars and pickpockets constantly circling the territory of Crpacabana. Despite the huge number of police officers patrolling the beach and its surroundings day and night, today it is one of the twenty most dangerous beaches in the world. Sharks are a big and serious nuisance. There are also robberies, kidnapping, distribution of narcotic substances, violence and fights, pimping and even hijackings of ships by sea bandits. In addition, the Copacabana area is home to the largest number of mafia and drug traffickers.

Record-breaking beach

Copacabana is the largest music venue where famous musicians have performed. Two of the most famous concert performances are the Rod Start concert (1994) and the Rolling Stones performance. Rod Stewart gathered more than 4 million people at his free concert, which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the scale of the event. And in 2006, a concert by The Rolling Stones took place on the beach: more than 2 million fans came to listen to the band.