Praia Barra da Tijuca is more relaxed than your ordinary urban beach, with cleaner waters and less touristy than Copacabana and Ipanema. Approximately 40 minutes from downtown Rio, the beach is 12 kilometers long so finding the right spot in the sand will not be hard. The eastern end is filled with restaurants and bars, and Barraca 1 in the Praia do Pepê area is where the cool kids hang out.