at a glance

there was a time when whales traversed the waters in front of this flat rock, and people used to throw harpoons to the animals in order to catch them, thus giving it the current name as 'arpoador' is the portuguese word for 'harpoon-thrower'.

accessible via francisco bhering avenue, the rock is one of the must-see landmark in rio de janeiro, as it has great views of the atlantic, of ipanema, the morro dois irmãos, and of the cagarras islands -  the small stretch of sand to the west, just before the beach, is known as praia do arpoador, and to the east there is praia do diabo (devil's beach), so named due to how dangerous the waves can become at certain times.

praia do diabo extends eastward until it connects with another rocky isthmus, where the historical fort of copacabana stands.