Heading a short distance west from the central part of Rio, away from Copacabana and Ipanema, you end up in the slower-paced, less tourist area of Barra da Tijuca.
Because it is not as such a tourist spot as the more well-known areas, the beach along Barra is cleaner, calmer and the water in the area is cleaner too.
There are plenty of Posto's and Kiosks so you can go to the toilet, have a wash and grab yourself a fresh, chilled coconut to drink, while laying on the beach.
During the week, the beach is only busy in the morning and evenings. The rest of the time (from about 10am until 6pm) it is calm and perfect for visitors. However, as can be expected, during the weekend it is packed with many inner-city carioca's (residents of Rio) who want to escape from the main tourist spots.
One key part of the beach is the area known as "Pźpe ", which is a popular point for windsurfers, surfers and kite surfing - named after kitesurfer from the area.
If you are in need of some food or drink, you are never far from a resturant, cafe or bar. In the Jardim Oceānico area (east) you'll find cafes such as "Bibi Sucos", bakeries, and other quaint eateries.
In the central part of Barra, there is a fantastic "Kilo resturant" called Beco de Alemao, whereby you only pay for what you put on your plate.
You'll also come close to the huge shopping centre, Barra Shopping, which along with the New York Centre next to it, has a huge range of resturants, fast-food, and cafes.
All along the main road, Avenue das Americas, which stretches the length of Barra, you will find many resturants which are open until late most days.
If you want to do some shopping, head towards the "butterfly" banners of Barra Shopping. "Huge" does not do this place justice. There are more shops that you can think of, and it is lucky they are open early until late (usually 10am until mid-night) as you can easily spend all day there.
Plus, there is a bowling alley, and a complete medical centre there, with a whole array of private doctors, examination centres, treatment centres, etc.
As mentioned briefly, there is another centre joined to Barra Shopping - New York Centre. And yes, it had a model of the Liberty Statue outside.
This is a smaller shopping mall, but it packs a punch with an excellent cinema (most films are in English with Portuguese subtitles), and some excellent restaurants. (Outback Steakhouse is great!)
There are a few other good shopping centres, cinemas, etc in Barra - but it would take too long to write about them all.
Night-life in Barra... There is not a huge range of places to go. But then again, when you have this extensive stretch of beach, and these wonderful restaurants, you do not really need to worry about things to do in the evenings. If you have no idea of what to do, stroll along the beach in the evening breeze.
For those that might want somewhere "else" to stay for a night, there are plenty of motels - which are good if you and your partner need a little privacy, especially if you are travelling in a group, or staying with friends/family.
The main road along the coast (Av Sernambetiba) has a whole array of hotels, apart-hotels, apartments... There is no shortage of finding somewhere to stay. However... when it is near to Carnival or New Years, book early.
All-in-all, Barra is a great location if you want a nice beach, good range of food, somewhere to shop, and just want to get away from the hustle-and-bustle of the more popular areas of Rio, but want to be close enough to visit the tourist areas too.
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