Originally Posted by
mrrego
Surely D.Lurker is joking. All the beaches on the south side of the city (Copa, Ipanema, Leblon, and ___ (I forget the name of the fourth) are far removed from any favela. We swam at Ipanema and walked around the others--no sign of crime, criminals, or unfriendly people. Just lots of Brazilians and a few foreigners enjoying the city.
Well depends on your definition of far. Apart from Rocinha and Vidigal at the end of Leblon beach, Jardim de Alah in between Leblon and Ipanema and Cantagalo between Ipanema and Copa I can’t think of any favelas close to the beaches in Zona Sul.
The proximity of some of these slums is the reason why some streets in Copa are more dangerous than others e.g Sa Ferreira and Souza Lima because of Cantagalo and why some bus routes e.g. 474 from Jardim de Alah are more dangerous than others at night. In Copa at least, the “danger” really can vary drastically street by street.
As a general piece of advice one of the dodgier times in Copa is late afternoon on a Sunday when many youths from the Zone Norte favelas are heading home by bus from the beaches in Copa. Ave. Nossa Senhora is much quieter than usual then and a quick grab on a tourist makes it a profitable trip to the beach.
