I was happily able to spend the 2018 holiday season with my family and friends in my favorite place on Earth – my hometown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As if being home was not amazing enough, it was summertime! December-January are beautiful months in the hot summer of Rio de Janeiro when the average high temperature is about 38°C (100°F).
As a true ocean lover, I made sure I spent a good amount of time at the amazing beaches near my house. Praia do Secreto is one of the locals’ favorite beaches and one my favorite personally. It is a great stop after the trail through which it is accessible. While its name literally translates to “Secret Beach”, it is not really a beach but a naturally formed pool of sea water created by the surrounding rocks (the beach spans about 10m by 5m). While you need to do a bit of climbing to get down to the rock pool (or take some sun on the rocks above) it has probably the most stunning ocean view in the city.
I also went to Prainha, known as a favorite among surfers and home to many national and international surf championships. It received its name due to its small size, translating literally to “small beach”. It has a beautiful view as it is surrounded by mountains covered with green Atlantic forest, crystalline green water, and light-colored sand. What I also love about Prainha is that, in contrast to other beaches in Rio, this beach has no buildings, with just a couple restaurants where you find natural coconut water, açaí, seafood, and other typical meals.
Another great spot located in my neighborhood is Macumba Beach, where you can seat on the big rock by the ocean and watch beautiful sunsets.
I highly recommend visiting Rio de Janeiro if you ever have a chance to go to Brazil!
See you in my next post!
Published on March 9th, 2019
Last updated on April 1st, 2021