#Brazil Sightseeing Guide #4 - Pepê Beach, Rio de Janeiro

Greetings Steemians! My birthday was yesterday and there couldn't be a better way to celebrate than visiting a place I never went to, although I was born and raised here in Rio de Janeiro. It's the Pepê Beach!

This time I had some great company. My sister in law, Fran and her cousin, Marina, are in vacations here in Rio and accopmanied me during the visit. The beach is gorgeous and is perfect for people that wish to run away from the hysteria of the big city.

_{Marina at the left, Fran at the right, and me, as red as a pimento, in the middle.}

A bit of History

The beach is named after the late Pedro Paulo Guise Carneiro Lopes, Gliding world champion and believed to be the inventor of the notorious around here Natural Sandwich, which is a fitness-friendly version of the common sandwich. He owned a kiosk in the beach until his death, in 1991, on an accident in a gliding competition in Japan.

Due to his friendship towards the natives and his support to beach sports like surfing and kite surfing, the people of the area named the and the avenue located at the side and beach after him, as a of tribute. Pepê still lives there!

_{Pepê's Kiosk, still up and running! Image source}

The beach

The beach is located at Barra da Tijuca and is comprised by a string of fine white sand, that extends from the Barra's Marina towards the Lucio Costa avenue. It's a rather small beach and the waves are a lot calmer than the ones from other beaches, like Recreio and Copacabana.

But the beach is no less beautiful. The Barra da Tijuca neigborhood is known for being a top class region, with beautiful houses and hotels around the place. Modern architecture is very present in the region and these buildings just make the place even more beautiful. Such flair has a cost, of course, being this area one of Rio's most expensive places to live.

But be careful, when entering the caribbean cool waters of Pepê Beach, have in mind that sea streams are particularly strong in the region, so avoid going too far into the sea. Although live savers are plenty, you wouldn't want to drown, would you?

Adding to the view, is the Gavea's Rock, a known place for its trails and gliding jump point. The rock divides the South Zone from the West Zone, where the Pepê Beach is located. The Gavea's Rock is somewhere I really want to tell you people about in a later time!

_{Gavea's Rock, an imponent postcard in Rio.}

The waters around there are very lively. You can find several species of fish and even mantas, if you're lucky. Albatrosses and Atobás, named Brown Boobies in the USA, swarm the place looking for some fresh fish and make a fun spectacle to watch, as they dive into the sea to pick their lunch.

But be careful of jellyfishes, since they are fairly common there. Do not EVER grab them, or you're gonna get stung. Avoid coming into contact and you'll be fine! If it happens, just throw some vinegar over the wound and wash it. If there's no vinegar around, pee on it haha - I'm serious. It neutralizes the venom and reduces the pain. I just made some research and it's very unadvisable to do so, since it can cause infections. Use just vinegar instead or antisepsis medicine to clean the affected area.

The day was cloudy at first, but by the afternoon, the clouds dissipated a bit and the blue sky finally showed up, helping the water to attain an even more beautiful tint.

_{The other small islands in the horizon help creating an unforgettable vista.}

Getting there is really simple: you can go by Metro there. It's kind of a long trip, but the renewed Rio de Janeiro Metro system makes sure the trip is very pleasant. There's also plenty of public transport options to the place. It's a longer shot, but it's great for sightseeing.

This is it for now, people! If you come around here, please make sure to visit it! You won't regret it! See ya people, and Steem on!

--

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