exiting the bus at the beginning of barra beach, praia dos amores can be reached by walking about 900 meters, and turning left at the pier. this link shows praia dos amores on a wikimapia  - the link as we present it is best seen using google chrome, as it might not open correctly with other browsers.

on this link, the instituto estadual do ambiente (inea) provides the suitability of several beaches, including 'quebra-mar até pepê' which refers to the beach portion between the pier and praia do pepê, so it can be used to gauge the water conditions for the outer section of praia dos amores, along the pier - constantly updated, the red flags mean that swimming is not advisable, green flags mean waters are clean, and yellow flags suggest using own judgment. any of rio's beaches may have polluted waters within 24 to 48 hours following heavy rains.