the beaches of zona sul, in particular of copacabana and ipanema, are rio de janeiro's most well known and frequented because they offer the perfect balance of natural beauty, infrastructures, and social elements - further, they are easy to access via public transportation, and near many of rio's landmarks such as the sugar loaf and the pedra do arpoador.

nearly all of zona sul's beaches have sporting facilities along the promenade, many kiosks and restaurants, as well as bathrooms, showers, and even private lockers.