Praia Copacabana

I grew up going to Copacabana Beach, and I still remember the beautiful fireworks and the waterfall at the hotel. After moving to the USA, I hadn’t seen the fireworks in 19 years. This time, the display felt underwhelming compared with what I remembered. It was just along the beach by the Copacabana Palace, and only okay. I’ve seen better fireworks in the USA, honestly. What bothered me too was the robbery on the beach. It’s sad that Rio has such a bad reputation for theft, and we shouldn’t have to guard our belongings as if our lives depended on it. My son was visiting Rio for the first time and got a little scared. He probably won’t be back anytime soon. Copacabana would be better if you could enjoy it without worrying so much about your things.

The sand, sea and beach are still lovely, and there’s a good party atmosphere if you bring enough cash. The military and lifeguards are over on the right, near the fishing market and boats. At the far end is Leme, starting around the Meridien hotel. Copa Palace is still huge and old, with foreign investment, brand stores and stars staying in its rooms. I’ve only seen the old Copacabana Beach in black-and-white pictures, from before the city moved toward Ipanema. It must have been a great attraction. Copacabana was the popular old beach, while Ipanema brought a more peaceful, youthful and welcoming feel and became a major attraction worldwide. Forget business for a while and enjoy the architecture and old kingdom on a downtown tour, then relax on the beaches with some of the world’s best friends, the Cariocas and middle class. I’ll show you the boats and islands in Angra, our archipelago and paradise for boats. Good sun.

A pretty typical tourist spot.

It was super cool. Just be careful, and you’re good.