Tips on Brazilian beach etiquette

Alex Bellos has been writing about Brazil for 15 years and is the author of the bestseller — Futebol — The Brazilian Way of Life. He shares his insights from the tournament’s host cities, revealing South America’s largest country’s unique lifestyle and habits. The beach is the most important public space in these cities, because it is the only place that all sections of society mix.

Towels are for tourists: The sun will dry you. If you want to sit down, rent a beach chair. If you want to lie down, take a kanga, a Brazilian sarong, and lay it out it on the sand. Men, however, have no need for kangas. The point of going to the beach is to stand and look around.

DON’T LOOK LIKE A NERD: Ditto above. The point of going to the beach is to socialise. If you want to read, stay at home.

You don’t need food: Traders walk the length of the city beaches offering treats tailored to Brazilian palates. The classic snack is a white square of cheese grilled on a hand-held charcoal oven, sprinkled with oregano and eaten on a stick. Wash this down with a mixture of ice cold matte tea and lemonade, served by vendors with a barrel under each arm.

Brazilian men dress down for the beach : If you want to blend in, wear short, tight trunks. Long shorts are for tourists (and surfers). But the women dress up as if going out to a party. They wear makeup and jewellery, because there is no better place for so many guys to see you, and the competition is fierce. Brazilian women like to be looked at. And men like to look

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