Ipanema.

One of Rio’s many famous beaches and a temporary home for Australia’s rowers, road cyclists, beach volleyballers, open water swimmers and some of our canoe/kayak paddlers.

And what a home away from home it is.

Made famous by the song “The Girl from Ipanema”, it is everything you’ve heard it is.

With beaches hugging the coastline as far as the eye can see, it’s no wonder our athletes seem relaxed at the seaside oasis.

Ipanema is one of Rio de Janeiro’s more affluent areas. It’s south of the city, not quite as far as Copacabana; about an hour’s bus ride from the main Olympic Park precinct.

What’s most striking on the journey south is the coastline. Sheer cutting cliff faces dropping down into aqua water.

Towards the horizon sit various small rock formations. There’s a winding walkway suspended high above for keen walkers and cyclists. It rivals Sydney’s famous Bondi to Bronte coastal walk.

Blue skies. Colourful, striped beach umbrellas secured in the white sand. Palm trees lining the footpath. Surf crashing in at the shore.

At the western end of the beach, two mountains known locally as the Dois Irmaos (translated to Two Brothers) dominate the skyline.

Balls fly high across the multiple beach volleyball nets but it’s not just beach volleyball they’re playing but footvolley – a local sport crossed between football and volleyball. (Not an Olympic sport – yet).

Entrepreneurial salesmen and women walk the beach, spruiking everything from cold drinks out of eskies carried over their shoulders to sarongs. The fold-up beach chair stalls seem to be a hit. You can even buy beer from one of the many kiosks dotted along the beach.

Shirtless men doing chin-ups on the beachfront exercise equipment.

And yes, women wearing the infamous revealing swimming costumes.

Sophie Onikul
olympics.com.au