Reality: Copacabana Beach

The world’s most famous beach is also famously crowded. Good luck finding a spot to plant your umbrella and lay out your beach towel.  And good luck hearing the Bossa Nova music with all those beachgoers.

Also, don’t get too comfortable or you may fall prey to some of the city’s more notorious thieves. Unfortunately, Rio de Janeiro has a pretty poor reputation for petty crime so don’t take anything with you that you can’t live without.