Lifeguard post 12 and a footvolley game at the west end of Leblon beach

along Avenida Niemeyer

Beaches near Vidigal

Praia do Vidigal is at the bottom of the hill, down a public staircase from Avenida Niemeyer. Leblon starts about 1 km east and São Conrado about 2 km west.

Praia do VidigalLeblonSão Conrado

Xiuli Tan, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The places

The beaches

Distances are measured from the Vidigal entrance at Praça do Vidigal, where the moto-taxis wait.

Praia do Vidigal, between about 1928 and 1938

Instituto Moreira Salles collection, public domain

The beach below the hill

Praia do Vidigal

Praia do Vidigal is a small public beach, roughly 300 m of sand, below Avenida Niemeyer in front of the Sheraton Grand Rio. Most of the people on it are Vidigal residents. The sand sits about 28 m below the road.

If you are not a hotel guest, you reach it by a public staircase of about 140 uneven steps from the avenue, near number 174, opposite the Edifício Cordeiro and about 200 m from Praça do Vidigal. The stairs were renovated in 2023 and are not step-free.

The hotel tower shades much of the sand from early afternoon, so mornings are the sunny time. Local vendors rent out chairs and tables. Before swimming, check the INEA water-quality bulletin, and stay out of the water for a day after heavy rain. A resident runs an Instagram account, @praiadovidigal, that posts sea conditions.

Access: Public stairs from Avenida Niemeyer, near number 174
Swimming: Check the INEA water bulletin and skip the sea for a day after heavy rain
Chairs: Local vendors rent chairs and tables
Photo: Praia do Vidigal between about 1928 and 1938
On the map: Show Praia do Vidigal on the Vidigal map

Xiuli Tan, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The west end of Leblon

Leblon beach

Leblon's west end begins at the rocks of Mirante do Leblon, about 1 km from the Vidigal entrance along Avenida Niemeyer. From here the sand runs east into Ipanema. Lifeguard post 12 marks this end of the beach, with footvolley nets and beach kiosks.

Walk along the avenue or take a short bus or Uber ride. Leblon's restaurants, supermarkets and pharmacies are a few blocks back from the sand.

Getting there: A walk along Avenida Niemeyer, or a short bus or Uber ride
On the map: Show Leblon beach on the Vidigal map

Where the hang gliders land

São Conrado beach

São Conrado's long beach runs west from the end of Avenida Niemeyer. At its eastern end, sometimes called Praia do Pepino, hang gliders and paragliders launched from Pedra Bonita come down to land.

It is about 2 km from the Vidigal entrance. Take a bus or an Uber west along the avenue, or the Metro to São Conrado station.

Getting there: Bus or Uber along Avenida Niemeyer, or the Metro to São Conrado
On the map: Show São Conrado beach on the Vidigal map

Then

Praia do Vidigal, a century ago

Before the avenue was busy and before the hotel, photographers came here for the rocks and the view of the Dois Irmãos. These pictures are from the Instituto Moreira Salles collection.

The Vidigal shore and rocks, between about 1907 and 1915, in an early colour processInstituto Moreira Salles collection, public domain

The Vidigal shoreline and Pedra da Gávea, between about 1916 and 1923Instituto Moreira Salles collection, public domain

Avenida Niemeyer along the sea with palm trees and Pedra da Gávea, about 1915 to 1925Instituto Moreira Salles collection, public domain

Leblon beach with the Dois Irmãos behind itInstituto Moreira Salles collection, public domain

Good to know

Beach tips

Dois Irmãos above Avenida Niemeyer and the rocks at the end of Leblon

Take a towel or a canga (a beach wrap) and some cash for chairs, drinks and snacks from the vendors.
Swim where others swim and look for the lifeguard posts on the bigger beaches. The sea off this stretch of coast can be rough when the swell is up.
After heavy rain, stay out of the water for at least a day, and check the INEA bulletin for the latest readings.
Leave valuables in the apartment. Take a phone you can put in a zipped pocket and only the cash you need.

Our guide to the best beaches in Rio covers the rest of the city, and beaches near Vidigal has the walk to Leblon and Ipanema.

FAQ

Questions about the beaches

How do I get down to Praia do Vidigal?

By the public staircase from Avenida Niemeyer, near number 174 and about 200 m from Praça do Vidigal. It has about 140 uneven steps and is not step-free.

Is Praia do Vidigal a private beach?

No. Beaches in Brazil are public. Hotel guests use the Sheraton's own stairs; everyone else uses the public staircase.

When is the best time for Praia do Vidigal?

Mornings. The hotel tower shades much of the sand from early afternoon.

Which beach is closest for a longer walk on the sand?

Leblon. Its west end is about 1 km from the Vidigal entrance along Avenida Niemeyer, and the sand continues into Ipanema.

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