arguably the hippest part of barra beach is the famous praia do pepê, described in more detail separately. delimited by the pier (quebra mar de barra) on one side, and avenida érico veríssimo on the other side, this is the most famous meeting point among all the beaches in the west zone of rio. it was named in honor of pedro paulo guise carneiro lopes, nicknamed pepê, one of the best surfers of his times and a hang gliding world champion.

crowds here generally include surfers, artists, actors, and local residents - during the summer months, small concerts and musical events take place along this beach.  generally, few foreign visitors attend this beach, unless they are in the area to specifically practice or learn kite surfing.