Immense and largely wild, the Brazilian coastline is among the most beautiful in the world. A favorite destination for holidaymakers, the beach is part of the country’s identity. Especially in Rio de Janeiro, where it invites itself into the city. Ipanema, Copacabana, Leblon… Praised by poets and singers, these postcard beaches that stretch between the ocean, the mountains and the buildings are a dream. Body worship and tiny bikini, football-volleyball and surfing, coconut water or caïpirinha… The beaches of Rio embody all the clichés of Brazil. Clichés ? Not so much. The “Cariocas”, the inhabitants of Rio, come to run, to bike or to work out on their beaches. The Brazilian brief, cut on the back of the girls, was invented here, as well as the “futevolei”, which mixes soccer and volleyball, created on a beach of Rio, and several spots, like Arpoador or Prainha, are among the most famous of the country for surfing…
But the beach says much more about Rio. It has been part of the city’s identity, as a landscape, as a reference, since the 1920s, when Copacabana or Ipanema, until then discredited, started to be frequented by Rio’s elite. No city in the world has such an intimate connection with the beach. It is like a parallel city where thousands of situations happen. The beach is also a political space, regularly used by protesters or activists.
Click on the picture to enlarge it and discover its caption.
