Hidden cove
Rocks and greenery.
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Joatinga is a small hidden beach in the Joá district between São Conrado and Barra da Tijuca, under 300 metres long, so you can walk end to end in less than ten minutes. Rocks and greenery close it in, giving it the feel of a secret cove far from the crowds of Rio's big beaches, which is why well-known people looking for quiet come here. The waves are good, so it draws surfers and above all bodyboarders from the middle of the beach to its right end, and a private club sits at the left end. The beach has its quirks: at high tide the water covers the sand completely and you can't get down, and late in the day the shadow of the surrounding buildings falls across it. Getting there is part of the story: from the Estrada do Joá you enter a gated residential estate via Rua Pascoal Segreto, walk to Rua Sargento José da Silva and take a staircase down to the sand. Non-residents may enter, but guards can restrict access when the beach is full. Come in the morning on a low tide, and check the tide table before you go.
Rocks and greenery.
For bodyboarders.
Down to the sand.
Rua Sargento José da Silva, Joá, Rio de Janeiro
Through a gated estate off the Estrada do Joá and down a staircase; non-residents may enter unless it is full, and it floods at high tide.
