at a glance

the beach of flamengo was one of the first areas of rio de janeiro to be occupied by the portuguese. throughout the early history of the city, the beach was known by many names including praia de uruçumirim, praia do sapateiro, praia da carioca, praia da aguada dos marinheiros e praia da sapocaitoba. the current name is believed to come from the portuguese word for flamingo - flamengo, because these birds were once common in the area.