Recreio dos Bandeirantes
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Recreio dos Bandeirantes (or simply Recreio, as the Cariocas call it) is both the name of the beach and neighborhood in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, and is located to the west of the adjacent Barra da Tijuca neighborhood. It has been recently populated which makes the region more preserved than others in the city. The beach is a spot for surfers and beach volleyball players and, although it is about one hour from the city centre, and most of the people living there are middle-class family who are afraid of the growing violence of the North Zone.
The name in Portuguese means, literally, "rest of the scoutmen" (bandeirantes were Brazilian colonial scouts) as it was the first (or last) resting stop with fresh water for travelers between Rio and São Paulo back then.
