Day and Night this is the prime spot in Copacabana. The road that sweeps along Copacabana bay is called Avenida Atlantica. Here are many open air bars and 
restaurants where you can meet lovely Brazilian women 24 hours a day(see the Eating out page for the names of some of these). The only quite period is from around 5 am to mid-day. From then on the action just builds up.
Other good beach spots are Ipanema, and Barra Da Tijuca - Recreio which have many miles of beach. It is about a 20 -30 minute ride in a taxi ( will cost 10 - 15 dollars). Probably best to go with a girlfriend if you have already met one as she can act as a tourist guide. The beach at Barra is less crowded except at weekends and the high holiday season (December-February).
A good bar/restaurant in Copacabana to start from is Mabs, down at the Sugar loaf end of Copacabana near the Meridian Hotel. A typical evening could start at Mabs then walk towards the Help disco ( away from Sugar Loaf / Meridian hotel ) , Stopping at bars on the way. You should be well "oiled" by the time you arrive.
During the day there are ample sea front kiosks and small "bars" along the beach to refresh yourself whilst enjoying the views, and marvelling at the lovely tanned Brazilian girls in their tiny little bikinis.
A view of copacabana beach from the Sugar Loaf end. Behind the hill is Ipanema. The view to the left is of a very nice ass!
Everything is right there, girls, beer, sun, sand and the sea. Just relax, enjoy it all and save your energy for the evening ( you're going to need it!).
Well that is the claim. Help Disco is at least the biggest in Rio and one of the centers of attraction at night. This place doesn't get going until between midnight and 1 am, and it gets packed at weekends. Full of fun loving Brazilian girls. Smart casual dress is required for men, you won't get in with your beach wear. There is an entry fee - approximately 10 dollars and drinks are bought inside by purchasing tickets at kiosks inside the disco. You then give this to the barman. Watch you get the right change at these kiosks.
The prices for the different drinks are listed behind the teller, they are reasonable. You won't be disappointed in here, it's almost impossible not to make it with a girl. Closing time around 6 am.
They have a website with a selection of photos from within the disco.
Click on the link:- HELP DISCO RIO DE JANEIRO
(This link will open in a separate window)
Sugar Loaf from Copacabana - early morning 
Spending time on the beach is a great way to meet the lovely girls of Copacabana. You will find plenty of Brazilian girls looking to meet single males from overseas.
Everything you need is at hand - beer, food, snacks, chairs and sun shades. Barter the prices before taking anything as the hawkers will try and rip you off. Also watch your belongings as there may be a few street kids or others who will be keeping an eye out for watches, sunglasses etc to steal if they get the chance. Apart from that just kick back and marvel at how a bikini can be that small. Funnily enough although topless bathing is no longer illegal it is still frowned upon by some.
As you stroll up and down Avenida Atlantica at night you will probably notice many girls on the roadside. Beware! Firstly most of them aren't girls, they are transvestites so unless you are into that you will get a big suprise. And if they are not Tv's then chances are they are underage girls who cannot sit at the bars or get into clubs. Unless you like the idea of seeing the inside of a Brazilian jail keep clear of them.
This beach runs for many miles, it's probably twice as long as Copacabana & Ipanema put together. If you are set up with a lovely Brazilian girl and want to get away from the crowds then this is a good place to go during weekdays. At summer weekends it gets as crowded as elsewhere. Again everything is at hand with hawkers selling food, drink etc. You also have the food & drink kiosks close to the beach that you find in Copacabana. To get there either take a taxi or get an air conditioned bus which will only cost a few dollars and they pass right along Av. Atlantica, Copacabana. You can also get one of the mini-vans which are like communal taxis, these are cheap. They also run along Av. Atlantica and will have a Barra sign in front. Only problem with these is they rarely have ac and will be uncomfortable during high summer.
If you are in to nudisim then you may be interested in visiting the naturist beach called Praia do Abrico. This is further along the cost than Barra, just the other side of Recreio. Less than an hours drive from Copacabana. Check out the >>link<<. Although the site is in Portuguese there are plenty of photos.
Then there are the night clubs (Boates - pronounced boitch) which have topless dancers and quite often a live sex show late in the night. There are plenty of other girls at the tables and on the dance floor. Entrance fee is around $20 but this normally includes a couple of drinks. The drinks in these clubs tend to be expensive. 
Unless money is no object it is recommended you don't frequent these clubs on a regular basis. But they are good and there are some stunning women to meet. They don't get busy until after mid-night and stay open until dawn. Most of these clubs are on or close to Av. Princessa Isabel, close by the Meridian Hotel which is one of the tallest hotels in Copacabana and is easy to find.
It is dark in these clubs, the author once got a bill for R$69 and paid by credit card. The next morning when checking the slip he found it was for R$96! It did not occur in any of the clubs listed to the right but beware.
Ipanema is more upmarket and not so many girls to meet but it is good for bars with music and restaurants. When you need a quieter night away from Copacabana come here and check out some of the bars and clubs listed. Try Lord Jims for a wide selection of beers from around the world, sports channels on Cable TV and a good restaraunt. The beach is as good as Copacabana.
If you think you are going to need some help to keep up your stamina in the making love department ( "Transa" in Portugese ) then check out the following page - sexual health - both natural and pharmaceutical types are available.
If you wish to experience some Brazilian music then try the Semente, a small but popular samba club at Rua Joaquim Silva 138, Rio de Janeiro ( tel 242-5165 ). Or Rio Scenarium at Rua do Lavradio 20, Rio de Janeiro ( tel 2233-3239 ) which has both samba and choro music. Both clubs are located in the Lapa district. Want something more earthy? Then.....
Check out a Rio de Janeiro funk ball (baile funk), if you like that type of music. It's loosely based on Miami Bass if you're familiar with that. Even if you don't like it, just watching the girls dance is great and it doesn't leave much to the imagination. Be careful which clubs you go to, some are held pretty close to, or in Favelas and so it could be risky. One of the biggest clubs is Castelo das Pedras. It holds up to 10 thousand people and has a large security team to maintain order. It should be ok although we have no personel experience of it.
The address is :- Castelo das Pedras Est. de Jacarepaguá, 3600 Rio das Pedras-Jacarepagua. This is a fairly long taxi ride from Copacabana, about 30-40 minutes, but it could be a night to remember.
A little more background. The following is quoted from the online Wikipedia encyclopedia:- " Baile in Portuguese literally means "ball", as in "dance party", and "funk" is how locals label the musical genre ; therefore, "baile funk" means a "funk ball" or "funk party", and is used in Brazil exclusively to describe the parties where such music is played, and not the music itself. The mainstream Brazilian media often calls the music "Funk Carioca", meaning funk from Rio de Janeiro; alternately, it is simply referred to as "Funk", especially in Rio proper. At one time there used to be large gang fights at thes bailes but that seems to have died down. The next "outrage" in the local press was that young girls were having sex on the dance floor. Supposedly the guys would sit on chairs and the girls would dance round them and then sit down on them and have sex, a sort of "adult musical chairs". There was never any proof that this actually took place.
mmm.... Brazil, don't you love it!!!
Some Clubs
in Copacabana
Scotch Bar ,
Av. Princesa Isabel, 7
La Cicciolina
Av Princesa Isabel, 185
Boite New Hi-Fi
Av Princesa Isabel, 263A
Erotika
Av Prado Junior, 63
recommended
Don Juan
Rua Duvivier, 37
Le Sensaroo,
opposite Meridian
recommended
The Copa
Rua Aires Saldanha 13a
La Cueva
Rua Miguel Lemos, 51
Barbarella
Rua Ministro Viveiros
de Castro 24
recommended
Clubs in Ipanema
Casa da Lua
Rua Barão da Torre 240A
(live music)
Shenanegan Ipanema
Rua Visconde
de Pirajá 112A
( irish bar)
Lord Jims Pub
Rua Paul Redfern, 63
( English bar )
Girl from Ipanema Bar
R. Vinicius de Morais,
49
(where the famous
song was composed )
Barra Spots
Rock In Rio Café
Rio de Janeiro
Av. das Américas, 4666
( Barra Shopping Mall )
Hard Rock Cafe
Citta America mall,
Avenida Das Americas
Blues & Beer Pub
Shopping Bayside,
Avenida das Américas,
3120, bloco 5
( live blues weekends)
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