No.4 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Body of water the city borders: South Atlantic Ocean
Population: 6,093,472
Average temperature in winter: 72°F
Average temperature in summer: 84°F
Cities don’t come more beach-orientated than Rio de Janeiro. Home of the world-famous Carnival, the laid-back citizens of Rio love nothing more than donning their Havaiana flip-flops and heading to Copacabana Beach.
Best beach
Stretching 2.5 miles from Princesa Isabel Avenue to Posto Seis, the iconic Copacabana Beach is where Rio’s tanned beauties lounge by day and party by night, all under the watchful eye of Christ the Redeemer, standing tall on Corcovado mountain. The beach isn’t only good for Brazil’s beach bunnies either: there are historic military forts standing at either end for culture vultures, and a Portuguese wave-patterned promenade lined with hotels, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs for the
party crowd. Oozing an atmosphere of casual-beach chic, Rio’s famous sands also plays host to world-famous New Year’s Eve celebrations.
