Down­town Rio’s most fash­ion­able and famous sec­tion fol­lows Aveni­da Nos­sa Sen­ho­ra de Copaca­bana and is bor­dered all along one side by four kilo­me­ters of white sand and break­ing surf. The beach is sep­a­rat­ed from the build­ings and traf­fic by a broad prom­e­nade paved in black and white mosa­ic in an undu­lat­ing pat­tern rem­i­nis­cent of streets in Lis­bon, Por­tu­gal.

The beach isn’t just for show. It’s also a pop­u­lar play­ground filled with sun-wor­­shipers, swim­mers, and kids build­ing sand cas­tles when­ev­er the weath­er is fine. Stroll the streets here to find restau­rants, smart shops, cafés, and beau­ti­ful old build­ings from the days when Rio was Brazil’s cap­i­tal.

One of these, the famed Copaca­bana Palace, is pro­tect­ed as a nation­al mon­u­ment. Inside its lob­by, you can eas­i­ly imag­ine see­ing the roy­al­ty and film idols who have stayed here.