Barra da Tijuca - Beaches, trails, restaurants and many attractions!

Surprises all around

When we think of Rio de Janeiro, the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood is not the first option that comes to mind.
However, there are beauties and attractions that should never be forgotten or crossed off the itinerary of anyone visiting Rio de Janeiro.
For many years, the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood was difficult to access and was considered far away for most cariocas and tourists.

But today there are several ways to get to the neighborhood and even the metro makes it easier for cariocas and tourists.
Okay, Cris, but what's so cool about Barra da Tijuca?

Barra da Tijuca is home to beautiful beaches, Rio's wetlands and the most popular hiking trails in Rio de Janeiro.
Barra da Tijuca is also where the nightlife boils and the restaurants delight us.
It is in this neighborhood that shows and attractions for all tastes take place, making everyone happy!

Barra is a sensational neighborhood!

Ever since I was very young, Barra da Tijuca enchanted me. My parents would always walk around the neighborhood with us. With its wide avenues and modern buildings. We used to joke that it was a little piece of the USA in Brazil! With lots of signs, gigantic shopping malls, gated communities and huge avenues, it's not quite the Rio we imagine when we make a picture of the city.

You know that saying, if I haven't seen the Eiffel Tower, I haven't been to Paris? Well, in Rio it is. If I haven't seen Christ or the Copa or Ipanema promenade, I haven't been to Rio. And that ends up being quite funny, because the vast majority of Cariocas prefer the beaches of Barra da Tijuca, lol.

It's also in this neighborhood that you'll find the hustle and bustle of the city. If on the one hand we have Lapa with its bohemian nightlife, on the other we have Barra da Tijuca with its trendy nightclubs.
Restaurants are also famous in the area. Numerous options for all tastes are scattered throughout the neighborhood, which is great for people who enjoy good food.

Barra da Tijuca Beach

Barra da Tijuca is home to Rio's longest beach, with 14.4 kilometers of beauty all the way to Recreio dos Bandeirantes.

Its water with strong, crystal-clear waves attracts surfers who play and glide between the waves, the sand is white and there are plenty of kiosks dotted around. The waterfront offers excellent infrastructure, appealing to people of all ages!

However, there is an environmental reserve on Barra beach, which we affectionately call Reserva beach, and there is no promenade on this part of the beach, which stretches from Ayrton Senna Avenue.
One of the most popular kiosks in the region is right next to Praia da Reserva.

Beach, hustle and bustle

But if you really want to enjoy the beach at a busy point, prefer the beginning of Barra da Tijuca, where you'll find the famous Pepê hut, which belonged to the free flight world champion who gave his name to this part of the beach, a symbol of youth and beautiful people. Nearby it's also easy to find people who like to fly low on their surf kites.

Barra da Tijuca beach is perfect for practicing sports, with a predominantly strong wind and good lengths of sand.
But don't go thinking that the buzz of Barra beach is limited to the daytime, many kiosks and bars have special lighting along with great music at night! Ideal for enjoying this bustling neighborhood 24 hours a day.

Reserva Beach

As I said, Reserva beach is just after Barra beach, next to Recreio beach.
It is an environmentally protected area, where there is no promenade and the kiosks are almost dispensed with.

The sand is white, along with a wonderful sea and restinga vegetation that is still alive. If you're looking for a bit more peace and quiet, this is the best beach in the region.

Marapendi Lagoon, the Carioca Pantanal

But it's not just at the beach that you can have fun in the water! In the Marapendi Lagoon, you can play and speaking of water sports, there are good options for those who enjoy water beyond the beach.
For example, games such as flyboarding or even crossings that go as far as the Tijucas Islands

There is a comparison with the flooded lands of the Pantanal, nicknamed the Rio's wetlands, there is even a ferry that takes us across the lagoon, showing us the best that nature has to offer.

The tour lasts an hour and you can see alligators, birds, some fish and lots of plants that enchant us and remind us that it is possible to have nature in the middle of the city!

The tours leave on Sundays at regular times and are offered by EcoBalsas.
I loved the idea of the tour to raise awareness of conservation.

Trails

Many of the trails start near the Barra neighborhood, and if you like a good adrenaline rush, you'll love them! There are light, moderate and very hard core trails!

I'm sure you've heard of Pedra da Gávea, haven't you? It's a very heavy trail in Rio de Janeiro, but one of the most beautiful too. It's 844 m high with a rocky outcrop in the middle that has earned it the reputation of the heaviest trail in the city!

It usually takes 3 hours to climb and requires a lot of physical fitness, no fear of heights and courage lol.
Pedra da Gávea is also known for being the largest stone block by the sea in the WORLD!

We know it's high up, but does the view really enchant? WOW! Without a doubt, the view makes us feel like we're in the clouds, seeing the beauty and enjoying the tranquillity.

But if you don't like climbing and freeze just hearing the name Carrasqueira, relax! You can still enjoy other trails like the Pedra Bonita for example, which, by the way, is BEAUTIFUL!

From there you can face the giant's head on Pedra da Gávea. The view is also breathtaking and the climb is much easier.
If you want to know all the details of this trail, click here and enjoy its beauty.

A little history of the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood

Barra da Tijuca was originally full of swamps and unsuitable for planting, which slowed down the occupation of the region.
It wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that it began to be occupied by fishermen.
The occupation that we know today began at the extremities, in the well-known sub-neighborhoods of Barrinha and Jardim Oceânico.

One of the great milestones in the neighborhood's development came during Negrão Lima's administration.
Together with the urban planner Lúcio Costa, they created a beautiful urban project for Barra da Tijuca.
By the way, Lúcio Costa is the name of one of Barra's most important avenues, and that's why.

If you look closely, Barra da Tijuca has large avenues with open spaces, which makes the neighborhood different from the rest of Rio de Janeiro.
Barra da Tijuca's Pilot Plan dates back to 1969. It is similar to the Pilot Plan for Brasilia, a trend at the time, created by rationalist urbanism.

Then, in 1970, the Lagoa-Barra highway was built, connecting Barra to the South Zone much more quickly.
At the same time, the large condominiums in Barra began to appear, known for their grandeur to this day! Each of these condominiums is a mini neighborhood.

More accessibility

Thanks to the Olympic Games, the metro, linked to the BRT system of exclusive lanes, makes the neighborhood much more accessible.

Speaking of which, one of the areas that has gained the most prominence is around the Olympic Park, which has gained new hotels from internationally recognized brands, also fueling demand for business, as offices are increasingly migrating from the city center to this thriving region.

So it's worth a visit and even an overnight stay in its chic hotels with very attractive prices. I recommend it!

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