Gay Rio De Janeiro
Rio De Janeiro was recently selected as the most popular gay destination in the world. This South American paradise, Brazil's second-largest city, is all you'd expect it to be. Rio is famous for its stunning landscape that will take your breath away.
Love the feeling of warm sand between your toes while you sip on an ice-cold drink? Don't forget about Rio's amazingly gorgeous beaches. Rio is best known for the beach Copacabana, a beach of crystal white sand stretching 4 kilometers wide and located on the south side of the city. The temperatures here remain warm year, making it a popular vacation destination.
Don't forget about the rampant gay nightlife that exploded last decade. Visit the hottest clubs and bars and party the night away with new friends and great drinks. Are you looking for something more relaxing? Rio De Janeiro also boasts a wide variety of restaurants, clubs, art galleries, universities, theaters, and lots of shopping. Gay Rio De Janeiro is a city of superlatives. Despite perceived problems, gay and lesbian tourism has climbed over the past decade. There are nearly a hundred live theaters, sixty-plus museums, nightclubs, and evening entertainment centers, too numerous to count.
What do you want to discover?
Best Time to Visit Rio de Janeiro
Top Things to See and Do in Rio de Janeiro
MUST DO: Attractions & Activities
MUST VISIT: Gay-friendly Bars & Nightlife
Gay Scene in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro has been attracting gay and lesbian tourists since the turn of the 20th century. Gay balls date to the 1930s, and Carnaval has always been the perfect excuse for gay travelers to dress up and strut their stuff. While there, make sure to stop by the Ipanema neighborhood and the nearby Leblon, which are the centers of the GLBT (LGBT in Rio De Janeiro) community and the gay scene, featuring gay venues mixed in with art galleries, schools, and plenty of shopping.
While reading through all the travel information, you will learn that Rio's best-known beach is Copacabana, which sits in the Southern part of the city near Avenida Atlantico. The area in front of the Copacabana Palace hotel, known as Bolsa, is where gay travelers worship the sun and take more-than-passing glances at scantily clad bodies. Gays also are concentrated at Farme de Amoedo, also called Farme Gay, which is more cruise-oriented than Bolsa.
Gay travelers fill Rio during Carnaval, an annual festival that kicks off Mardi Gras in February, and a gay pride celebration, which marches a parade down three miles of beaches, in early June. Also, if you go, learn some of the slang. A "Barbie" is a term locals use to describe muscular and well-off gay men who live on the South Side.
Best Time to Visit Rio de Janeiro
The best time to visit Rio de Janeiro is between December and March. The weather will be warm, the beaches will be stunning, and the atmosphere will be festive. If you are looking for a real rowdy time, Carnival is in February. This is when the city will come alive with music, festivities, and more!
Photo Credit: Kevin Wasilevski on Unsplash
Top Things to See and Do in Rio de Janeiro
MUST DO Rio de Janeiro Attractions & Activities
There are plenty of things to do while visiting Rio de Janeiro. You can spend the day longing around its many famous beaches, explore the art and culture of the city, try some local food, or just people watch. February is when Rio De Janeiro hosts its annual Carnival. The mood will always be festive and colorful when you go to Rio de Janeiro. Below are some ideas that you can use while visiting Rio De Janeiro.
Copacabana - A must-visit while visiting Rio De Janero. Music and fashion are always in fashion at the Copacabana. This beautiful beach has many bars and restaurants where you can eat, drink, and dance. You can also spend the day lounging on the beach and enjoying the scenic view or even people-watch.
Sugarloaf Mountain - This site is famous for its large mounting towers over Guanabara bay. You can take a cable car to the top and take in the panoramic views of the waters.
Visit the Botanical Garden - With over 340 Acres and over 6,000 native species of plants, the Botanical gardens of Jardim Botanico. You can see beautiful orchids, native flowers, wildlife, and more here—a great way to take a quiet stroll and take in nature.
Christ the Redeemer - Probably one of the most iconic landmarks of Rio De Janeiro, this statue stands at an astonishing 2,330-foot elevation and is considered one of the world's seven wonders.
MUST EAT Rio de Janeiro Gay-Friendly Dining
Brazilian food gets its influence from many different types of cousins, and Portugal is one of them. The food in is vibrant, flavorful, delicious, and fresh. There are fresh seafood options, quick snacks, barbecued meats, and other delicacies you can try while visiting. Below you can find some traditional Brazilian food you can try while visiting and some popular restaurants that serve them.
Pão de queijo - Roughly translates to "cheese bread," a fluffy Brazilian-style bread made with soft cheese. It's usually eaten for breakfast with jam or butter. It's also a popular snack that can be eaten at any time of the day.
Empadão - A Brazilian-style empanada is traditionally made with stewed chicken and vegetables and stuffed in a very airy and flaky pastry. Sometimes, they can be made with shrimp, beef, or other stuffings. Check out the local shops and see what they have to offer!
Feijoada - A traditional soup made up of different types of pork cuts and beans. It's considered the country's national dish and is something you should try while visiting. This dish can take up to 24 hours to cook to bring out the flavors. Don't worry; you won't have to make this dish yourself; it's a popular dish found in many restaurants throughout the country.
Galeria Café
A small club with charming people, different, excellent drinks, and nice music. The best night to go is Thursday.
Confeitaria Colombo
With outdoor tables under the trees with a view of the bay and the entire Copacabana beach and skyline, this place is a real gem!
Rio Scenarium
Nice dinner, and good to see the local's culture through music and food.
Carretão
It is one of the best all-you-can-eat steaks in Rio and is not that expensive!
Quadrifoglio
Locals consider this the best place for Italian in the city, and once you've had their spinach ravioli, it will be hard to disagree.
Porcão
Everybody going to Rio should go to at least one churrascaria, and if you only plan to go to one, you should go to Porcão.
MUST VISIT: Rio de Janeiro Gay-Friendly Bars & Nightlife
Rio De Janeiro has a vast and active gay nightlife. Rio De Janeiro has many gay bars and clubs throughout the city, giving you plenty of options to visit. Most bars can be found in Copacabana, Lapa, and Impanema. You can identify the bars by looking for the gay flags around the establishment. Also, the locals are amiable and outgoing and will be happy to guide you in the right direction or even go to the bars with you! The clubs are known to go on pretty late, and dancing can go on late into the night.
Travel Safety Tips
Rio de Janeiro is considered a safe place to visit. Primarily in the tourist areas. However, areas away from the well-traveled areas can get a little rough at night. While visiting, it's always smart to practice common sense travel tips. Make sure you have someone else with you, and you will be fine. Take advantage of your hotel safe and lock up valuables. Carry a map and remember how to get back to your hotel.
Rio De Janeiro was recently selected as the most popular gay destination in the world. This South American paradise, Brazil's second-largest city, is all you'd expect it to be. Rio is quite famous for its amazingly beautiful landscape that will be sure to take your breath away.
Love the feeling of warm sand between your toes while you sip on an ice-cold drink? Don't forget about Rio's amazingly gorgeous beaches. The temperatures here remain warm year round making it a popular vacation destination. Rio is best known for the beach Copacabana, a beach of crystal white sand stretching 4 kilometers wide and located on the south side of the city.
Don't forget about the teeming gay nightlife that has exploded within the last decade. Visit the hottest clubs and bars and party the night away with new friends and great drinks all around. Looking for something more relaxing? Rio De Janeiro also boasts a wide variety of restaurants, clubs, art galleries, universities, theaters, and lots of shopping. Gay Rio De Janeiro is a city of superlatives. Despite perceived problems, gay and lesbian tourism has climbed over the past decade. There are nearly a hundred live theaters, sixty-plus museums, nightclubs, and evening entertainment centers too numerous to count.
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