
Praia do Leme
Crescent of sand beneath a colonial-era fort, framed by cliffs and a fishermen's stone walkway.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Praia do Leme in Rio de Janeiro reconstructs one Sunday afternoon, September 24, 2023, when a wave of young men swept down the packed beach snatching bags and phones, scattering beachgoers into oncoming traffic before police from the nineteenth battalion moved in. It follows one victim, twenty-eight-year-old Ana Clara Souza, who watched her bank balance drain as her stolen card was tapped at kiosks along the strip. Stand at the Mureta do Leme, the stone wall below Leme's rock where fishermen have cast lines for generations, in the shadow of the colonial-era fort above.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Ipanema Beach
Crescent of white sand backed by a hand-laid mosaic promenade and borrowed lifeguard numbers.
Duque de Caxias Fort
Clifftop fort with rock-cut gun wells and sweeping views over Copacabana and the bay.
Copacabana Beach
Sweeping stretch of sand backed by a hand-cut, wave-pattern stone promenade from a modernist master.
Praia vermelha
Crystal-flecked red-sand cove beneath Sugarloaf, once the site of a bombed-out army barracks.
Point do Telegrafo
Wartime lookout point above a fishermen's trail, now known for a viral cliffside photo illusion.
Copacabana Fort (Army History Museum and Copacabana Fort)
Coastal artillery fort turned army museum, its historic turrets now facing a beachfront pastry cafe terrace.