| NOTE: SORRY, I WILL PROBABLY DISCONTINUE THIS BLOG. ALL POSTS ABOUT RIO DE JANEIRO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN IN FRENCH (HERE). THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF POSTS ABOUT THE CITY IN MY PORTUGUESE BLOG (HERE)
Some people prefer Grumari Beach
while others are deeply in love with Prainha Beach. Both
beaches are situated in an environmental protection area, away from real estate
speculation. Both are practically deserted on weekdays, principally when it is not summer.
Prainha is much bigger than Grumari and they both are safe for swimming (good
water quality). Grumari and Prainha are very far from the center of the city
and are not accessed by public transportation.
Comparing Grumari and Prainha this way
is easy. What is difficult is to say which of them is more beautiful. If you
are in doubt about which of them to go to, I suggest you visit both to have
your own opinion and, of course, enjoy both. I prefer Prainha, it's one of my
favorite beaches in Rio.
To reach Grumari Beach from Barra da Tijuca, you'll have to get Recreio dos Bandeirantes and access Avenida Estado da Guanabara. Soon you will first see Prainha and then Grumari. There's plenty of space to park your car in Grumari, but avoid the weekends and holidays (principally in summer), when you might not be able to reach the beach since only a limited number of cars is allowed to access it for avoiding horrible traffic congestion. Or you may arrive very early. From Monday to Friday, Grumari Beach is very peaceful, but not so deserted on the weekdays of summer, principally at the end of December, in January (period of school vacation) and during Carnival. And, for being almost empty, some people advise that you not visit it from Monday through Friday for security reasons. Well, I rarely go to Grumari (only because it's distant from my home), so I cannot say much about it, but the photos of this post were taken on a Thursday and I did not feel any insecurity. The best thing to do is to park your car where there is more concentration of people, and we did it. We left our car at the end of the beach, next to Flor do Grumari, a simple beach restaurant. In my opinion, it is the best place to stay not only because it has more people around, but also because of the restaurant, a large parking area, and a lifeguard tower.
Being in Grumari, forget your cell phone, you won't get good signal. But
why would you need a phone? All you'll want is to forget the world
there. And, if you like nudism, there is a place for you in Grumari: Praia
do Abricó. It is right after Prainha
(another great beach) if you drive in the direction of Pedra de
Guaratiba. A sign in front of some rocks on Praia do Abricó will welcome
you and warn that that is a nudist area. If you want to enter the beach,
you'll definitely have to get undressed.
Below I show you some of the pictures I took in Grumari on a cloudy Thursday (September).
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| During the weekdays, Grumari is a deserted beach. |
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| A good idea is to stay in the part of the beach that is in front of a bar/restaurant called Flor do Grumari. There are tables inside the restaurant and outside on the sand. |
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| Grumari Beach is considered to be a wild beach for being (still) in an environmental protection area. It' so peaceful here! |
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| If you decide not to eat at Flor do Grumari (right in front of the beach), I suggest you drive up to this more formal restaurant called Point de Grumari. It is only a few minutes away along the road "Estrada do Grumari". You'll enjoy both their view and their food. |
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| The view from one of the windows of Point de Grumari. This place is Restinga de Marambaia. |
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| Seafood is a specialty of Point de Grumari. My suggestion is a very traditional fast food (and appetizer) in Brazil called "pastel". At this restaurant, there are several fillings to choose from and shrimp is one of the best. The variety of dishes is very attractive and you can check it out on the site of the house. The restaurant is a little expensive, but you will enjoy the food and your peaceful hours if you go on a weekday. |
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| When you go back to Recreio dos Bandeirantes, you will go down this road facing this paradisiacal view. To me, one of the most beautiful in Rio. In the background, you see Prainha, another beach of your dreams. |
Rio de Janeiro is a city for lots of agitation, but it also offers peaceful hidden spots. It's up to you to discover them!
If you wish to see more photos of Grumari and Prainha, click here and here.
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This is my first post on this blog, which is entirely written in English and particularly dedicated to travelers outside Brazil who want to visit or revisit Rio de Janeiro. Other posts about Rio will come. You can also visit my blog in Portuguese, Travel Experiences, with dozens of posts on this city. If you do not speak Portuguese, you may make use of the Google Translator available on the page.
