Located in the west zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, more specifically in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood, Prainha beach is one of the most beautiful and spectacular beaches in the marvelous city!
Prainha beach is within an environmental protection area, the Prainha Municipal Park, and has a beautiful preserved Atlantic forest. The beach has excellent infrastructure for bathers and surfers, with bathrooms, kiosks and a great seafood restaurant in the right corner.
Just like the Reserva beach, Prainha has the blue flag seal, an international certificate promoted by the NGO FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) in which it challenges local authorities and managers to achieve high quality standards in four themes: water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety.
During the week the place is very quiet, but during weekends and in high season, the beach is crowded and parking lots tend to end before 11am, so get there early! Another point worth highlighting is the lack of cell phone signal.
How to get to Prainha beach, Rio de Janeiro?
The best way to get there is, without a doubt, in your own or rented vehicle, since there is no public transport there. It is also possible to arrive with transport apps, but due to the distance and lack of cell phone signal, it may take a long time to find a driver. The ideal would be to arrange a time with the driver to pick you up on your return.
What to do at Prainha beach?
In addition to swimming in the sea, surfing and contemplating nature, it is possible to take a low-intensity hike to the Caeté viewpoint, which starts at the entrance to Prainha Municipal Park.
It is also possible to visit the beautiful Grumari beach and go to the Secreto natural pool.
Prainha is also one of the Rio Surf Experience options, our surfing experience where we take you to the beach with the best conditions of the day for your level!
We pass through there in our Jeep Tour Pedra do Telégrafo & Prainha and Jeep Tour Wild Beaches!
History of Prainha Beach, Rio de Janeiro:
Discovered by surfers in the 70s, it was first called "Leprosy beach", to prevent people and other surfers from visiting the place. At this time, access to the beach was only via a trail through dense vegetation.
In the 90s, the beach's wild state was threatened by real estate speculation. A project that would build a residential condominium on the site was discovered by chance. The discovery was made by a surfer who was going to sell his motorcycle to an employee of the construction company and, upon arriving at the office, he saw a huge model of the future condominium with 8 buildings with 18 floors each that would be built on the site.
In addition to the destruction of vegetation, the project also included the construction of two breakwaters that would extinguish the waves on the beach, a key factor in awakening the movement of unity and revolt among surfers who held several riots throughout the city. The mainstream media also joined the movement and the repercussion in the city was enormous. Finally, the site was transformed into a protected area and the city hall negotiated with the former owner of the Prainha land to exchange it for other public land.
Surf at Prainha beach, Rio de Janeiro:
Prainha beach is famous for the constancy and quality of its waves and for receiving waves well from all directions, but mainly from the south and southwest. It can withstand waves of up to 3 meters, but on small days it offers great conditions for beginners. The crowd gets quite intense on the weekends.
If you are looking for unique experiences, off the beaten path and that will make you experience Rio like a true Carioca (local), check out our website (www.onecariocaday.com) and follow us on our social media!
Gabriel Lannes is the founder and one of the guides and surf instructors at One Carioca Day. His passion for surfing, trails, nature, travel and, of course, the city of Rio de Janeiro, motivated him to leave a traditional career in environmental engineering for undertake ecotourism.
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