Ipanema in Manitoba

Beach bums such as Sarah Sitarz, a lifelong cottager from the nearby area known as Grand Marais, love Grand for its “pure sand and the Grand Beach Surf Club,” a fun beachside patio bar that offers people-watching of the highest order. Winnipegger Joanne Forzley says she’s lived elsewhere, but Grand Beach always draws her back. “It’s my favorite place in the world,” says Forzley, who’s been going to Grand Beach since she was five. Come summer, she’s always prepared: She keeps a bathing suit in her purse and a towel in her trunk. Paula Siwinska, visiting from Warsaw, Poland, was left in awe of the views while sauntering up the beach with relatives. “This is the most beautiful place in Manitoba, no?” she asks, adding that Grand Beach reminded her of seaside resorts on the Baltic Sea.

In fact, there’s an ocean feeling to the entire experience. The powder sand and grass-topped dunes set the stage, and Lake Winnipeg seems so vast that it can be difficult to make out its westerly shores at the horizon line. Add intense sand volleyball games, oiled-up sunbathers, sailing, and sexy socializing, and it’s less of a hyperbole than you’d think to compare it to Rio de Janeiro’s famed Ipanema Beach. The only visible difference is the windsurfers on waves rather than surfers navigating rollers. Oh, and the concession stands here hawk burgers, hot dogs, and fries not coco gelado, grilled prawn kebabs, and cold beer.

The Grand Beach campground, with its close proximity and easy access to East Beach, provides a quieter, family atmosphere. It’s also the best bet to view Manitoba’s most spectacular sunsets. A couple of years back, I spent my birthday camping with friends at Grand Beach. My memorable gift? One of the most breathtaking sunsets I’ve ever caught, plus s’mores and banana boats by the campfire.

Grand Beach has been a favorite holiday destination since 1916, when it was developed by the Canadian Northern Railway. Alf Goodall, a spry ninety-year-old, recalls trainloads of sun lovers taking advantage of the boardwalk, carousel, and dance hall. He’s watched its evolution since the 1940s, when he began a “lifelong obsession” with Grand Beach. “In the 1950s, we bought a cottage so we could spend even more time here,” he says.