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rio de janeiro, sex

Gay Saunas, Cinemas, and Sex Clubs of Rio de Janeiro

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Do gay men really need a guide to getting laid in Rio de Janeiro?  It is a city with several gay clubs and an open culture where a stroll along the beach can lead to a sexual conquest.  Combined with mobile apps like Grindr, Scruff, and Tinder (all very popular in Brazil) sex is almost too easy in Rio.  (Also, don’t forget,  prostitution is legal in Brazil.)

However, in Portuguese they say  o que é bom pode ser melhor (what is good can be better.)  The following list of Rio de Janeiro’s saunas, cinemas, and sex clubs will definitely make a hot time even hotter!  Most of the locations are tourist friendly, but use caution.  And try the VamosGay Google Map to Gay Rio de Janeiro to navigate the city.


Cine Iris

Rua da Carioca 49
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Mon – Sat 10AM – 9PM
Sunday 12PM – 9PM
Creepy former cinema palace in downtown Rio.  There are three floors where action takes place in the shadows while porn is projected onto the main screen.  At the box office there is a schedule of live strip shows, however the performers are female.  Location is also popular with transsexual prostitutes.

Cine Rex

Alvaro Alvim 33
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Mon – Fri 11AM – 8PM
Sat and Sun 2PM – 8PM
Another one of Rio’s former grand movie theaters in the Cinelândia neighborhood.  Cine Rex has fallen into disrepair and become a XXX theater.  By day, there are patrons from the nearby offices of Rio’s bustling business district.  For the most part, the clientele is not-so-hot.

Club 117

Rua Cândido Mendes 117
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Tue – Sun 3PM -1AM
Closed on Mondays
Best little whorehouse in Rio!  This sauna where muscular escorts solicit clients is also home to some of the city’s most popular drag and stripper performances.

Kabalk Sauna

Rua Santa Luíza 459
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Everyday 3PM – 11PM
Sauna offers massage and an outdoor area.

Klub Meetings

Praça Tiradentes, Rua Pedro I  num 7 sala 903
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Open Sunday through Tuesday morning.  Text for specific hours.
Invitation-only private club in downtown Rio with selective membership for in-shape and well-hung men.  Not a sauna but more of a private grand party house.  Send a WhatsApp message to get on the list +55 (21) 98367-8172

New Meio Mundo

Rua Teófilo Otoní 18
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Mondays and Fridays 3PM – 12AM
Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Sat 3PM – 11PM
Sauna located downtown is popular with the after-work crowd. Stripper and drag shows on the weekend.  Reasonably-priced guys make it popular with locals.

Nova Manhattan 21 (formerly Manhattan Rio’s)

Rua Buenos Aires 21
Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil Google Map »
Mon – Fri 3pm to 11pm
Sundays Closed and Saturday (mostly closed)
New sauna with escorts and drag shows … Read full review

Praia do Abricó / Abrico Nude Beach

Near Grumari Beach
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Open ever day
How many nude beaches does Rio officially have?  Only one!  Yes, one of the world’s sexiest cities actually had zero clothing-optional beaches until the government approved Abrico Beach in 2014.  The crowd is mixed and respectful.

Praia da Farme / Posto 9

Rua Farme de Amoedo & Avenida Viera Souto
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google  Map »
Open everyday
Look for the rainbow flag and the buff bronze lifeguards to find the gayest section of Ipanema Beach.  Enjoy the sun and watch the natives play volleyball.  No sex here, but flirt all you want.

Point 202

Rua Siqueira Campos 202
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google  Map »
Tue – Thur 3PM – 11PM
Wednesdays 3PM – 12AM
Sauna for escorts and clients in Copacabana has gone down over the years, but is still worth a visit for those looking spends some cash for a good time.

Rio G Spa

Rua Teixeira de Melo 16
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Everday 3PM to 12AM
Very popular destination after a day on Ipanema Beach.  Few to zero hustlers.  Almost always a crowd of in-shape men after 5PM.

Sauna Copacabana

Rua Dias da Rocha 83
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Everday from 12PM to 12AM
For older daddies and their fans.   No escorts.

Sauna Carioca

Rua de Guaratiba 20
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Everyday from 3PM to 12AM
Sauna with a relaxed social vibe.

Seven Cruising Bar

Praça da República 141
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Mon – Sat 10AM – 11PM
Sundays 7AM – 10PM
Bar with cabins and other areas to play.
Click below for our review and event listings for Carnival 2017!
Read our full review of Seven Cruising Bar

Sex Rose

Rua Álvaro Alvim, 37
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Mon – Thur 9AM – 11PM
Saturdays 9AM – 10PM
Sundays 1PM – 10PM
Enter what appears to be a simple adult bookstore with condoms, videos, and toys … then pay the entrance fee and continue upstairs to a very hot crowd of 20, 30, and 40 year-olds.  There’s even a small bar and club music!  This hidden gem is highly recommended.

Termas Catete

Rua Corrêa Dutra 34
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Sun – Thur 1PM – 12AM
Fridays and Saturdays 1PM – 6AM
Escort-free sauna for the average Jose.

Termas Leblon

Rua Barrão da Torre 522
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil      Google Map »
Mon – Wed 12PM – 12AM
Thur – Sun 12PM – 6AM
Great facilities for the over 40 crowd.

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rio de janeiro

Scala Rio Gay Ball

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« Return to Carnival 2018 Home

Carnival events in Rio de Janeiro can be placed into one of three categories:

  • blocos da rua – These are block parties originally organized by neighborhood groups.  One of the oldest, Banda de Ipanema, is also a gay-friendly bloco
  • bailes (formal indoor balls) – These cabaret-style balls are a long standing tradition with food, drinks, and amazing live performances.
  • parada / desfile – Huge spectacular parade in which escolas de samba (Samba schools) compete for the grand prize in Rio’s massive Sambadrome arena.

The Scala Rio Gay Ball is a baile (one of its many names is the Baile Gay do Rio Scala.)  During Carnival, many balls are held at the Scala Rio nightclub, but they save the best (and most fabulous for last.)

Getting There / Getting Tickets

In 2018, The Scala Rio Gay Ball will take place on Tuesday, February 13.  Doors open at 11:00PM, but we recommend entering after midnight.  There are many blocos nearby in the Cinelândia neighborhood.  There are various levels of tickets: one is general admission that gives access to an open-bar and snacks (R$118 = US$35), the others are VIP levels that have full dinner and a separate area (prices vary.)

Some websites offer tickets, but we recommend ordering them through the front desk of your hotel.  Any of the hotels on our list of gay-friendly hotels in Rio will be happy to assist!

The Scala Rio nightclub is easily accessible via Metro (the Cinelândia station connects with stops in Copacabana and Ipanema.)  Consult our Google Map of gay Rio.

What to Expect

The Scala Rio Gay Ball began as a costume ball, but over the years the rules have loosened.  Some attendees pull out all the stops with Vegas showgirl style drag, or full S&M leather gear.  Superhero costumes are increasingly popular as well as spooky outfits you might expect for Halloween.  Attendees are free to not wear costumes, so throw on a festive hat and you’ll be welcome to join the fun.

If you enter at midnight, the ball will appear a bit lame.  The fabulous people are still out partying in the streets.  However, if you are with a group, it is a good hour to relax a bit and enjoy the free drinks.  You can also watch the red carpet full of travestis in full drag regalia.  At the entrance of the Scala Rio nightclub, camera crews will be set up to broadcast the over-the-top drag queens.

The main hall has a DJ and the dance floor can get crowded.  Once the live samba band takes the stage, the true feeling of Brazilian carnival takes over.  The atmosphere is very friendly, full of Brazilians and tourists looking to have a good time.

The crowd is a mix of ages, but men over 40 will feel very comfortable.  Gays who are looking for a circuit party where they can dance until dawn with their shirts off will be much happier at The Week.

Share your Carnival experience or get more from VamosGay via email, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

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brazil

SIM Cards & Mobile Plans for Tourists Visiting Brazil

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Millions of foreign tourists visit Brazil every year.  A large percentage come to celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.  Others take to the streets of Sao Paulo for the world’s largest gay pride parade.

As a tourist, staying connected to essential travel apps like Google Maps, WhatsApp messenger, and (let’s confess … Grindr) can be difficult, because unlike most countries, Brazil remains a difficult place for foreigners to acquire a SIM card with a mobile data plan.  In preparation for World Cup 2014, Brazil’s mobile companies released special packages targeting international visitors.  However, after the World Cup games, these are now almost impossible to find.

To help foreign visitors (gay and straight) find the best options, VamosGay researched all of the pre-paid options (also known as pre-pago) available in Brazil via the nation’s four biggest operators: Claro, Oi, TIM, and Vivo.

Factors for deciding the best option for foreigners included:

  • ability to acquire without a Brazilian national ID number (CPF)
  • availability of short-term plans (daily and weekly, not monthly)
  • ease of recharging credits
  • stores with English-language staff
  • price
  • bonus wi-fi hot spots

Details for each operator is listed below, but the clear winner and the provider that we recommend is Claro.  Read more about all four below and please leave a comment if you have updated information.

Claro

Our first, and most important criterion was the ease of purchasing a SIM card without a CPF (the Brazilian national ID number.)  To acquire a Claro SIM card and mobile data plan, just take your passport to any Claro store.  You will find one at most airports and shopping centers.  Unfortunately, it’s rare to find English-speaking attendants in any of Brazil’s mobile stores. However, Claro and TIM stores located in the tourist centers of the country’s biggest cities are the most likely to have helpful associates who fala inglês.

The Claro team is the friendliest and will most likely direct you to their “Internet Turbinada” plan which delivers 50MB per day for the low  price of R$0.99.  The deal gets event better with data used by WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter being thrown in for free.

Heavy data users can upgrade to daily packages of 65MB for R$1.29 or 85MB for R$1.99.  The SIM card itself from Claro will cost you R$10, but its a powerful 4GMax chip that includes automatic connections to wi-fi hotspots throughout the city.

One downside for tourists: Claro like all Brazilian operators offers no English-language customer support.  With that said … go get a Claro SIM card and get online!  (And remember, newsstands and grocery stores can sell SIM cards and are convenient places to buy credits, but you should make your initial SIM card purchase at a Claro store since only they can activate your line with your passport.

Oi

Beware of the pre-paid plan which does not require a Brazilian national ID … but does require a Brazilian credit card.  That’s a nasty surprise for tourists who sit down at an Oi store and start the paperwork with their passports in hand.

There is such a thing as the “Oi Visitor” package.  For R$40, the user gets a SIM card and R$30 in free credits.  It was a popular option when the World Cup games brought millions of foreigners to Brazil … but now, good luck finding an Oi location which carries it.

Currently, rates for Oi are nearly identical to Claro (R$0.99 per day) but without the perks.  For this reason, Claro remains a better option for foreigners.

Vivo

The only mobile company that didn’t bother targeting World Cup tourists plans to ignore their needs for the Summer Olympics too (as far as we know.)  It’s a shame since Vivo offers great service, and used to be available for foreigners without a CPF number ten years ago.  However, as of today, Vivo is not an option for international visitors.

TIM

Spotty service and shady billing are the hallmarks of one of Brazil’s most popular cellular service companies.  TIM mobile gained a huge market share thanks to advertising and its early success offering unlimited calls and messages between TIM customers.

For foreigners, the company offers TIM Visitor, a special SIM card with 1.5GB of download data.  The package lasts for 7 days and cost R$24.  Like all of the operators listed, add-ons such as international calling and SMS can be added for additional fees.  In the case of TIM, international calls are R$1.00 per minute and SMS is $0.50 per message.  Despite being a partially European company, contacting Europe via TIM does not deliver any special discount.

operadoras-brasileiras-vivo-tim-claro-oi-showmetech

In conclusion, Claro wins.

Load up your phone with our best apps for gay travel in Latin America, get a cheap Claro SIM card, and have a fun (and safe) time in Brazil. And, don’t forget to make sure your apps are not draining your battery and mobile data. Here are a couple of articles with useful tips … Android and iPhone

são paulo, sex

Thermas Lagoa

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World famous Brazilian sauna has it all!

Rua Borges Lagoa 287
São Paulo, Brazil Google map »
Hours: Sun – Thurs 2PM to midnight
Fri 2PM – 2AM  and Sat 2PM – 1AM

Hot muscular Brazilian men are the main attraction at Thermas Lagoa, so don’t be timid if you feel like a kid in a candy story at one of the nation’s best gay saunas.  Prostitution is legal in Brazil, but before you jump in … sit back and enjoy the show!  In fact, many visitors go just to see the live entertainment.  Friday nights are particularly a good option to catch the show from 10 to 11PM and still have time to hit a nightclub or two.

The shows are wilder (and gayer) then anything the Chippendales could ever deliver, and the seating is within a few feet of the small stage.  Behind the stage, a glass-enclosed shower room gives patrons an eyeful of good clean fun.

After the show, clients and garotos de programa have the option of getting a room, or just relaxing in one Thermas Lagoa’s many areas (steam room, pool, and dry sauna.)

For those concerned with safety, the management knows they have a good thing going and do not tolerate on any sort of criminal activity.  Visitors have a locker room separate from the working boys, and the streets outside of Termas Lagoa are quiet and conservative with no indication of what goes on behind closed doors.