Online Gay Guides to Brazil

[trilingual]

Just found this extremely useful site: http://www.guiagaybrasil.com.br/riodejaneiro.htm

 

Check it out if you're heading to Brazil! It looks like it contains links to some local gay travel agencies, which may be useful to those looking for travel assistance.

 

Another site of interest: http://www.gay-rio.com

 

Also looks interesting!

[trilingual]

And yet another site in English, full of useful info:

 

http://riogayguide.com

[Guest Les]

Thanks Tri,

These are great!

take care, Les:)

[Guest miguelmiche1]

Tri,

 

Having just returned from 3 months of traveling all over Brazil and checking out the sights, I wanted to share the wealth here as you have so generously done, in particular to update the marvelous "Brazilian Saunas" piece.

 

I have been going to Rio and Sao Paulo for some time now, but this time had the opportunity to additionally visit the northeast and south.

 

Just checked out http://www.guiagaybrasil.com.br and agree it is an incredibly useful and up to date site. Other than "Brazilian Saunas" I used the "Roteiro GLS" gay guide mentioned therein to get around- now online at http://www.gayplanet.hpg.com.br (click on the option "roteiro").

 

Following is some updated info and random color on the cities visited in the same order listed in "Saunas". I don't list the addresses as they are listed in the http://www.guiagaybrasil site or in "Saunas."

 

RIO

 

My favorite favorite sauna in Rio has to be Club 117, given the incredibly large selection of guys, the clublike atmosphere, and the comfort of the suites.

 

One block down from good old Roger's in Copacabana (and listed in http://www.guiagaybrasil.com), is ESTACAO, a relatively new sauna, with a good but much smaller selection of guys than Club 117 and cramped cabines (like Roger's).

 

Roger's - the classic Copacabana standby, slower than usual on the nights visited

 

Any evening of the week Cafe Maximes, next to Copacabana Palace, is an unbelievable pick-up place. Just take a seat by the sidewalk, and a wide variety of eligible macho guys will parade right by you.

 

Note on hard core local magazines - previously all you could find were soft-core mags like G or Homens or hard core magazines of very poor quality. Two recently launched, incredibly hot Brazilian hard core mags are Sodoma and Porn. (Now Homens is starting to include hard core action.) It can be hard to locate them however. You can find current as well as back issues at the Banca de Franco, Rio's only gay newstand, located downtown, Rio Branco 55, tel. 2516 0080.

 

 

SAO PAULO

 

Thermas Lagoa is the only sauna I know in SP - as it was the first one visited, and I never looked back. As you know, guys from all over Brazil continue to flock there to work, and guys from all over Brazil continue to flock there to hook up with them,so just an unending supply of unbelievably hunky guys, particularly Fri/Sat/Sun. Has to be the best male sauna in Latin America.

 

PORTO ALEGRE

 

Found Plataforma most impressive and with a large collection of guys, a large, very well maintained sauna. Outside of Rio and SP, the best I visited. Didn't visit Hero given satisfaction with Plataforma.

 

CURITIBA

 

Visited Club 773, which I understand, together with Opiniao, have the largest stables of guys. Slow the night I went (mid-week).

 

FLORIANOPOLIS

 

While I did not visit Sauna Oceano, I was informed that the boys do not hang out there; they have to called once a potential client arrives, i.e. seemingly more like an agency than a sauna.

 

SALVADOR

 

Thermas Persona is absolutely the best on offer in the city. Very handsome, muscular guys. Clean, spacious surroundings. The others listed in "Saunas" are run down and not much to offer. Rio's is relatively new with a smaller set of working guys than Persona, but with some good (legit) masseurs.

 

FORTALEZA

 

Termas Iracema is the only sauna there worth visiting. Slow when there.

 

RECIFE

 

Blue Termas for Men is the only sauna there worth visiting, some good action.

 

NATAL

 

Frankly surprised with the caliber of Eunapius Thermas Club including guys on offer in this small but absolutely gorgeous northeastern Brazilian city.

 

MACEIO

 

The ONLY sauna in this northeastern beach town is Eros Thermas. Action picked up on weekends, employs about a dozen guys. Local hangout.

 

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

Cheers, Miche

[trilingual]

Miche,

 

Thanks for all of the updates, especially on places in the Northeast and Curitiba, where I'm a bit out of date. I know what you mean about Lagoa in São Paulo; it's probably the best sauna with guys on the planet, not just in Latin America! (Truly, guys!) However, Fragata can be fun, and bit lower key. Lagoa can be overwhelming; I've heard of guys who just disappeared into the hot, throbbing throng never to be seen or heard of again! What a way to go!

 

Thanks also for your warnings in the other post. I never really think of these guys as being dangerous, but I speak Portuguese and always treat them well, so I've never had any trouble. I'm sure, though, that some of these guys could react unpleasantly if treated badly or disrespectfully. I can't emphasize often enough that respect, dignity and honor are extremely important values in Latin cultures, and doing something that makes a guy think you've breached any of those can lead to big trouble.

 

I hadn't heard the story of the Portuguese consul in Curitiba, although I know of other people who've been murdered. I've always had the sense that those were pre-planned robberies that went wrong, or revenge for bad business deals or rip-offs. Unfortunately, such things happen, even here in the first world. I haven't heard of it happening to run-of-the-mill gay tourists in Brazil, and I've been going to Brazil since 1983.

[Traveller]

Miche,

 

I'll be down in Rio in Feb. For saunas, I've gone to Roger's for escorts and Studio 64 for the best looking freebies. Where is Club 117, please? And is Estacao worth checking out? What about the Galeria (a bar in Ipanema) for picking up guys? It's new since I was last there. Also, is Bote Fada - I have no clue as to the spelling -(the dive bar a couple of blocks in from the gay beach in Ipanema) still going strong? This place was packed with hot guys every day after the beach. Any other suggestions? Thanks for your help.

 

Later.

 

PS. I promised Tri - who informed me when I called him the King of all that is South that he is really the King of all that is Eastern South America - that I'd report back on Santiago, where I'll be before Rio. When I was there last year, the saunas were decent at best. The staff at the big disco, don't recall the name now, were purchasable, cute and fun. Any suggestions for Chile? Thanks again.

[trilingual]

Trav -

 

The addresses for all of the saunas (and directions to most of them) are in the Brazilian Saunas review and/or on http://www.netgay.com.br (under Thermas/Saunas).

 

Galeria isn't a hustler bar, but it's very popular from what I understand. In fact, that whole block on Teixeira de Melo is hoppin', to the extent that the neighbors have been complaining in the papers. I doubt that will go anywhere; they're just going to have to double-glaze their windows! The Incontrus disco on Pça. Serzedelo Correia is reopening in Copacabana after remodeling; in the past there was a strong rental element. Haven't heard what's the situation since reopening/remodeling.

 

Bofetada is undoubtedly still going strong as an after-beach bar in Ipanema because it's a famous Rio institution (not just a gay one). The munchies to accompany the beer are legendary. . . Then you can disguise the drooling over the guys! :9

 

Have fun in Chile; regale us with details!