Ipanema - with its narrow, tree-lined streets and attractive
colonial-style buildings - is the best neighborhood to base your
explorations, as it has a number of appealing, gay-friendly hotels in
every price range, and it's mellower and safer than nearby Copacabana,
which you can still easily walk or cab to. Another plus about Ipanema is
that it borders the trendy Leblon district, which is rife with fine
boutiques and diverting cafes. And Ipanema also has the city's best gay
beach (between Rua Farme de Amoedo and Rua Teixeira de Melo). Among
hotels, consider the hip Ipanema Plaza, a moderately priced high-rise
just steps from the beach, on the city's gayest street. The ground-floor
restaurant serves great food, including excellent feijoada (the
Brazilian national dish, which contains just about every part of a pig
stewed in a black-bean-based broth). Two other good hotel bets are the
artfully designed Marina All-Suites Hotel, which is close to the great
shopping of Leblon, and the oceanfront Hotel Praia Ipanema, whose rooms
all have balconies.
Copacabana is the city's main tourist district, a bustling, slightly
brash, neighborhood whose beachfront is lined with massive hotels and
condos. It's still an appealing neighborhood, but the scale here is less
intimate than Ipanema, and crime can be more of a factor, especially at
night along the beach. During the day, however, Copacabana's long,
crescent-shaped beach is undeniably lovely - great for sunning, reading,
and people-watching. Overlooking the waterfront, you'll find the city's
grandest hotel, the lavish Copacabana Palace, which dates to the early
20th century. Another excellent, high-end property in the vicinity is
the Hotel Sofitel, a modern beauty with full or partial ocean views from
every room.
When it comes to food, Rio - and especially Ipanema - has plenty of
offer, and you'll find that Cariocas approach meals with great gusto;
they also tend to eat late by American standards, usually heading out to
dinner between 8 and 10 p.m. The city has many great Italian
restaurants, with Mio a particularly romantic favorite for same-sex
dates. If it's a truly special occasion, head to one of the city's most
hallowed eateries (it's said to be a favorite of Madonna), Satyricon, a
swank seafood restaurant famous for its lobster and shellfish.
Cozy and inviting Colher de Pau is a short walk from the beach; indeed,
many beach bums who want a break from the sand head here to dine on
pastas, sandwiches (try the one with smoked salmon, brie, and capers),
pies, and pastries. It's a nice option for breakfast, too. Galitos Grill
is a casual, tres gay choice for chicken dishes. And affordable Carretao
is a traditional Brazilian rodizio (a steakhouse serving all-you-can-eat
beef, sausage, fish, and chicken, plus a wide variety of sides). A
coffeehouse ambience prevails at Cafeina, which offers an extensive
array of sandwiches, and is a good place to fill out those postcards or
peck away on your laptop.
Copacabana is where you want to go if you're up for a late night of
dancing and partying - just keep in mind that tourists are sometimes
preyed upon in the clubs by hustlers and scam artists (never accept a
drink from a stranger). The most famous gay hangout in the city is the
Copa, which has long been the domain of hunky muscle men and toned
pretty boys. Cine Ideal is a popular weekly party held on Saturday
nights - it rumbles well into the wee hours. Le Girl (held on Monday)
and Le Boy (held on Sunday) are well-attended weekly parties geared
toward lesbians and gay men on their respective nights. One other
happening Copacabana disco to keep in mind is Fosfobox, which is busy
Thursday through Saturday. Continue to page
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The Hunk
