at a glance

while there are not many empty taxis going back to copacabana or ipanema, there is a taxi stand at the far side of the beach where the hang gliders land.

when available, a great option is the surf bus, a special private bus taking visitors from zona sul to all the main surf beaches in rio, including são conrado beach - the surf bus leaves from largo do machado every day at 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, and 4 pm - more details are posted on their webpage. 

on this link, the instituto estadual do ambiente (inea) provides the suitability of several beaches, including praia da gávea / são conrado.