Ipanema has the friendliest, safest, and mellowest gay nightlife options.
Here you'll find Galeria Cafe, a stylish, intimate club and art gallery
that draws a mix of men and women of all ages, most of them tending
toward the stylish, professional side. The neighborhood's other major
gay club is Dama de Ferro, which buzzes with dancing and drinking
Thursday through Saturday nights.
As is the case in many gay international destinations, bathhouse culture
is alive and well in Rio, and it does not have the somewhat shady air
about it that's occasionally the case in U.S. cities. One of the most
popular saunas, right in Ipanema, is Studio 64, which has clean and
comfortable facilities, including a video lounge, steam room, sauna, and
private cabanas. Other well-regarded saunas include Club 117, known for
its stable of strippers, and Point 202, which is near the Fosfobox
nightclub.
Although it's certainly possible to plan a vacation to Rio on your own,
the language barrier and distance between North America and Brazil can
make this a challenge. You can save yourself some trouble and ensure
that you receive plenty of reputable guidance while you're in town by
using the services of Rio G Travel, a full-service gay travel agency and
tour operator with a gleaming office right in the heart of Ipanema's
gayest block. Rio G's staff speaks English and can help you book every
aspect of your trip and also advise you on how to obtain the mandatory
tourist visa required of U.S. travelers visiting Brazil; they'll even
suggest places to eat and go out. The company also offers a wide range
of gay-oriented guided tours that show off Rio's leading attractions.
These excursions include city tours (where you see the downtown business
and cultural district and visit the famous Sugarloaf and Corcovado
mountains), day cruises on a schooner, Jeep tours of Tijuca rainforest,
helicopter rides, and plenty more.
For the latest details on the local gay scene, pick up a copy of the
local monthly gay magazine, Odyssey Brasil. It's found at many
gay businesses, including the office of Rio G Travel, which also
produces its own extremely useful gay guide to the city (it's
trilingual, written in Portuguese, English, and Spanish). Rio G Travel's
website,
www.riogaybrasil.com.br, is very useful, as is the highly
informative and easily navigated site,
www.riogayguide.com.
With so many excellent resources available, it's relatively easy for
outsiders to meet gay Cariocas and become knowledgeable about the city
and its best hangouts. Come see for yourself why Rio de Janeiro has
become Latin America's most enchanting and intriguing gay destination.
Andrew Collins is the
author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other
guidebooks
The Hunk
