white sands, dozens of kiosks and restaurants along it, an iconic black-and-white promenade and blue waves all make of copacabana beach a prime destination for rio's residents and international visitors.

crowded in the summer months, copacabana is never empty. beachgoers start running along its shores before sunrise, on the bicycle path or on the sand.

then, the beach is lived up by thousands of people, beach vendors, sports players, surfer, photographers, and even street performers.