Praia de São Conrado, Beach in São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Praia de São Conrado is a beach in Rio de Janeiro where the final stretch of shoreline is known as Praia do Pepino. The sand runs about 2 kilometers, and the shore is framed by Pedra da Gávea, the largest coastal rock block on the planet, and Morro Dois Irmãos.

São Conrado grew from land owned by Conrado Jacob Niemeyer, who built its namesake church in 1903. A road opened by teacher Charles Armstrong in 1912 gave access to the area, and Avenida Niemeyer was widened and named after Niemeyer in 1919. Lots were sold along the 1920s and 1930s, and in the 1960s the Lagoa-Barra expressway and wider main roads brought the vertical apartment blocks that define the district today.

The beach is known as Praia do Pepino, a name tied to the Pepino family who once owned land nearby. It is also the landing zone for hang gliders and paragliders who launch from the Pedra Bonita ramp and descend onto the sand, a practice that has become a regular part of the beach's daily life.

The beach has lifeguard stations, showers, restrooms, and food kiosks spaced along the shore for quick refreshment. Facilities for renting chairs are available, and there is generally enough space to find a comfortable spot even on busier days.

A section of this beach serves as a landing zone for paragliders and hang gliders who launch from the nearby Pedra Bonita mountain. Watching these fliers descend toward the sand while sitting by the water is a striking and unexpected sight.