Praia do Diabo.

Praia do Diabo is a pocket of sand wedged between the rocks of Arpoador and the walls of the Copacabana Fort, throwing up an A-frame peak that breaks short and sharp over sand. Southeast to southwest swell wraps and wedges into the bay, producing critical, vertical takeoffs that spit into brief, hollow barrels running fast down the line. When the wind swings NW and grooms the face, the righthander can run into a slab-like section further along the point, hitting an offshore reef past the old military ground. It sits in the same central strip as Arpoador and is one of the busiest peaks on this coast, pulling bodyboarders and stand-up surfers from dawn to dusk. Roadside and metered parking line the beachfront, so the walk to the sand is short. In the water expect a tight lineup: the takeoff zone is narrow and the beach is tiny, so locals hold the peak and outsiders who do not wait their turn will hear about it. Arpoador and the Fort break sit in view on either side, each its own wave.