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If you're expecting gay nightlife to rival San
Francisco or Sydney, you may well be disappointed. There are
few areas of concentration and, apart from transvestites who
hang out on street corners and during Carnaval, the
scene is unexpectedly discreet.
A good starting point for an evening out is Rua Visconde
Silva in Botafogo, which is lined with numerous gay and
lesbian cafés, bars and restaurants.
The best introduction to Rio's more traditional male gay
society is Le Ball, a bar in the Travessa Cristiano
Lacorte, just off Rua Miguel Lemos, at the Ipanema end of
Copacabana. Opposite this, the Teatro Brigitte Blair
hosts a gay transvestite show from around 10pm. Also in
Copacabana, Encontros, on Praça do Lido set back from
Avenida N.S. de Copacabana, is popular, although mainly with
tourists.
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In Centro, the Café Bohemia, in Avenida Santa Luzia
off Avenida Rio Branco, features now legendary transvestite
shows that are considered a must-see for many gay tourists.
A five-minute walk from here in Lapa, behind a pink façade
under the Aqueduto da Carioca, is the Casanova, Rio's
oldest and most interesting gay bar. In business since 1929,
the Casanova features lambada and samba music, with
large ceiling fans to cool down the frenetic dancers.
In the daytime, the beach area in front of the Copacabana
Palace Hotel is frequented by gay bathers, and the café
next door, Maxims, is a fun gay place to hang out.
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Rio de Janeiro
guide
Brazil guide
Nearby on Avenida Atlântica at the junction with Rua
Siqueira Campos is the Rainbow kiosk, a summer-time
information point that helps out gay visitors. The strip
of beach between Rua Farme de Amoedo and Rua Teixeira do
Melo in Ipanema is another well-known gay meeting point.
See the "Carnaval" section for information about Rio's gay
balls
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