Extra-large events for bears and their admirers. Continue reading Ursound
Category Archives: latin america
Gávea, Rio de Janeiro’s Gay Friendly Hotels
The affluent residential neighborhood Gávea is a must-visit for any frequent traveler to Rio de Janeiro. Located in the city’s zona sul, the southern region of the city which also encompasses Ipanema and Leblon, Gávea also enjoys spectacular views of the coast. Continue reading Gávea, Rio de Janeiro’s Gay Friendly Hotels
Éxodo Restopub
Alternative spot for locals in Valparaíso
Calle Blanco 298
Valparaíso, Chile Google map »
Have drinks and tapas with the porteños a few blocks away from Plaza Sotomayor. It’s a great place to hang after a long day of walking the hills of Valparaíso.
The playlist at Exodo is a great selection of alt rock, electronica, and even some Chilean pop classics.
Club Instinto
Everything but the kitchen sink to give you a midweek good time. Continue reading Club Instinto
Best Apps for Gay Travel in Latin America
Planning a trip to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, or Uruguay? From our travels to all four countries we’ve created the following list of must-have apps for gay men. (And don’t forget our guide to mobile data and SIM cards.)
Google Maps
Essential! Google Maps over the years has evolved into one of the best ways to navigate unknown territory. The latest update provides the best public transportation directions available. And for walkers, try plugging one earbud in to listen to turn-by-turn audio directions to avoid walking to avoid exposing your mobile phone while barcrawling at night. (Pre-load our Google Maps for Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, and Sao Paulo for offline browsing.)
One note for Buenos Aires, the Moovit app is a highly recommended supplement to Google Maps with some of the best tips for the city’s public transportation system.
We assume most visitors will be walking, taking the bus/metro, or being driven by taxi, but for visitors who will be driving, the Waze app is essential too. And after you finish driving, Onde Parar is the best way to find a parking spot (only available in Brazil.)
99Taxis
More popular, and more available, than Uber in Latin America, the 99Taxi app uses both contracted drivers, and the existing pool of yellow and white taxis. Options like the ability to pay via PayPal are great. One downside is drivers who accept your request and then cancel if a better option appears. 99Taxis was recently in the news after one of their homophobic drivers expelled a gay couple in Rio during Carnival. The company quickly terminated the driver from their service.
This recommendation is mostly for Americans, since the extremely popular WhatsApp is one of the most downloaded mobile apps in the world. In Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, everyone already knows the app allows free messaging, photo/video sharing, phone calls over wi-fi, and location sharing.
Grindr
“But, I’m not one of the those types of guys who uses Grindr.” Yes, the world’s most popular mobile app for gay men does have a slutty reputation, but Grindr is what you make it. You can create a G-rated profile stating that you are only looking to meet new people … Or, create and X-rated profile looking for sex. Enjoy Grindr and be safe!
Other hook-up apps with sizeable populations in Latin America are Hornet, Scruff, Adam4Adam, and Disponivel (more about that one below.)
Disponivel
What began as a hook-up website whose biggest competitor was ManHunt (remember them?) has since made the leap into the age of mobile apps to be one of the most popular ways to find men in Brazil. The Disponivel app’s interface now has an English option, but often reverts, or has untranslated Portuguese elements.
TripAdvisor
Still on top after all these year! If you must have one app for general city info and tourism recommendations (in English), TripAdvisor is the way to go. If your phone has enough storage space, try Foursquare, Yelp, and Vespa.
VamosGay
No, we don’t have a mobile app, but we do have a mobile website! Choose the “Add to Home Screen” option and you’ll see a shiny new icon on your phone which will take you to our listings for restaurants and nightlife whenever you need them.
Gay Couple Ejected By Homophobic Driver in Rio
A 36 year-old businessman will file a claim with the organization “Rio Without Homophobia” against a driver hailed using the 99taxis app (a popular alternative to Uber in Latin America.)
The plaintiff and his boyfriend were ejected from the car in the dead of the night on Avenida Almirante Barroso in downtown Rio. The reason for expelling the couple? One boyfriend fell asleep during the ride resting his head on the other’s shoulder.
They claim the driver informed them “I think you better leave. I don’t want perversion in my car.” as reported by Brazilian newspaper O Globo.
The couple had just left the popular Carnival bloco “Bunytos de Corpo” at 2AM.
The story of the homophobic 99taxis driver sparked a firestorm on Brazilian social media. Shortly thereafter, 99taxis issued a statement in a follow up story by O Globo announcing that the driver in question had been dismissed.
Le Boy
Rio’s most popular gay nightspot! Continue reading Le Boy
Olympics 2016 Gay Guide to Rio
Over ten thousand athletes from 206 different countries will converge upon Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The biggest sporting event on the planet promises to attract a record number of tourists. To assist them, the city of Rio has created an English-language guide full of attractions and useful tips. (Try our guide for getting a mobile data and SIM card in Brazil.)
For the many gay tourists who will be visiting the Cidade Maravilhosa, we have created the VamosGay Guide to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. It will build upon our current listings for gay-friendly hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs … and even places to hook up.
The opening ceremonies will take place on August 5 and the Olympic Games will run until the closing ceremony on August 21.
Bookmark vamosgay.com/olympics-2016-rio to view the complete city guide later this year. And, follow VamosGay on Twitter, and Facebook to get the latest updates for #Rio2016.
São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade Announces 2016 Event Will Focus on Transgender Rights
Guide to LGBT Pride Parade 2016 »
The world’s largest LGBT pride parade in São Paulo Brazil will commemorate its 20th anniversary with a focus on transgender rights. The Parada do Orgulho LGBT de São Paulo is scheduled for Sunday, May 29, and will fill the streets of South America’s largest city. (In 2013, parade organizers estimated over 5 million revelers from across the globe converged on the city’s parade.)
The decision to spotlight transgender rights in 2016, according to the Association of the LGBT Pride Parade [in Portuguese] is to both recognize the role of transgender individuals in the fight for LGBT rights, and to gain momentum in the push for Brazil’s Gender Identity Law. This new legislation (named for João W Nery, Brazil’s first declared male transsexual) is currently under review.
Guide to LGBT Pride Parade 2016 »
Click for our 2016 gay guide to Rio »
Il Tempo
Performances take center stage at this long-standing nightspot. Continue reading Il Tempo