The bossa nova jazz song, Girl from Ipanema includes the lyrics “But each day, when she walks to the sea,  She looks straight ahead, not at him”  No wonder!  Have you seen the sea here?  In the winter the surf can reach three metres. The water colour varies from clear light-blue to murky green and the beach breaking waves often form surfable barrels which crash onto the white sands.

Two mountains called the Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers) rise at the western end of the beach to complete the scene.  It is little surprise that the beach is considered Rio’s crown jewel. 

Charmingly, beachgoers often applaud the sunset.