There are two gay beaches in Rio de Janeiro which can be found in the heart of the tourist centre and are both relatively close to each other. There is also an unofficial third gay beach in Rio we will share.
The first is Farme Gay Beach in Ipanema and the second Bolsa Gay Beach in Copacabana (full details on each gay beach below).
Unlike most gay beaches around the world, these gay beaches in Rio de Janeiro are easy to find, there is no need to go hiking!
Both Farme Gay Beach (Ipanema) and Bolsa Gay Beach (Copacabana) have rainbow flags raised so it is clear where to find them.
The gay beaches in Rio de Janerio are known for being very social and a great place to spend the day drinking with friends, topping up your tan, showing off your new swimwear (make sure to check our our top ten gay swimwear brands as well as our Rio de Janeiro packing list) and meet new friends.
You can also find club promoters around selling tickets to the parties later than night.
Gay or straight, Rio de Janerio’s beaches are stunning and you will not be disappointed!
Gay Beaches in Rio de Janeiro
Here are the top gay beachs in Rio de Janeiro, two official and one unofficial. For us, we would stick to the two official gay beaches as they are much more central and easy to get to.
1) Farme Gay Beach, Ipanema
Farme gay beach in Ipanema can be found opposite the Ipanema Plaza Hotel. This is the most popular gay beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Specifically, the gay beach can be found between lifeguard posts 8 and 9.
The beach has a huge gay flag and you will see a sudden change in crowd from families to many gay guys.
The crowd is locally named as ‘Barbie boys’ – think tanned muscly gay Brazilian guys.
Please see the map below to see the location of Farme Gay Beach in Ipanema:
2) Bolsa Gay Beach, Copacabana
This gay beach in Copacabana is not quite as popular as the one in Ipanema.
It can be found in front of the Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel. This beach is said to typically attract an older crowd but is much more easy going and relaxed compared to Farme gay beach.
This won’t appear when you search on Google Maps so it is easiest to use the hotel and map below as a reference point and look out for the rainbow flags (there is also a ‘Rainbow Pizzeria’ if you need more clues!)
Please see the map below for the location of Bolsa Gay Beach Copacabana:
Praia do Abricó (Praia de Grumari)
Our final gay beach is Rio de Janeiro is a nudist beach (the only nudist beach in Rio) and like most nudist beaches is a little bit further away and difficult to get to.
Technically like all beaches this is mixed but of often on our travels we have found that ‘nudist beach’ and ‘gay beach’ go hand in hand.
The beach itself is wide, chilled and has views of the offshore islands
The beach is in the Grumari district and to drive there directly would take just over an hour.
For more on Rio de Janeiro, head over to our Complete Gay Guide to Rio de Janeiro.
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