Neighbourhood guide

Ipanema

The beach of bossa nova

Rio

The vibe

Between Arpoador and Leblon, Ipanema is Rio’s most stylish beach, with the twin peaks of Dois Irmãos as a backdrop. The nearby streets are full of shops, bars and restaurants, and on Sundays the Hippie Fair sets up on Praça General Osório.

Good to know

At sunset, head to the Arpoador rocks: cariocas applaud when the sun goes down.

When to go

In the afternoon, until sunset from Arpoador.

Getting there

Metro to General Osório or Nossa Senhora da Paz (Line 4).

The story

How the neighbourhood came to be

In 1962, Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes wrote “The Girl from Ipanema” while watching a young woman walk past a local bar. The song went around the world and made Ipanema the symbol of bossa nova and the easy carioca lifestyle.

Did you know?

1The bar where the song was born is now called Garota de Ipanema.
2Each lifeguard post, or “posto”, has its own crowd: families, surfers, artists.

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