What to do in Rio ? Apart from Boys and Beach

[Mavica]

On 4/12/2023 at 9:32 PM, Latbear4blk said:

I do not relate to the exaggerated fears and paranoia about security. Remember, I feel closer to feeling at home here than in the US. I think Americans are overconcerned about insecurity here and blind to the ridiculously violent culture they are immersed in. To make an analogy that most forum members may understand, when I am in South America, I feel like a White guy feels in the US, while many Americans here experience what people of color feel in US streets: targeted. 

I view the security issue differently, or think I understand the concerns ... as a USA born / resident but someone who has lived in several countries and traveled to many others.

"exaggerate fears and paranoia" and "blind to the ridiculously violent culture they are immersed in" might themselves be exaggerations.

In the cities we come from in our own countries - each of us - we know a lot more than we know about places we haven't been to before.  We know, at home (most of us), where troubled spots are, where to stay away from, etc.  For many years I lived in Chicago, but the areas I lived in were not insecure.  Although the crime rate in Chicago is less than many other USA cities, there are neighborhoods / sections of the city where rates of crime and violence and deaths are dangerously high - and we know to stay from them.  I would read of reports of tourists turning off highways into the "bad" neighborhoods looking for a gas station, a grocery store, or someplace to eat.  Some were badly victimized.

The challenge when we travel away from familiar areas is we don't know what we don't know.  The personal safety / security concerns regarding Rio de Janeiro are well documented ... and reinforced by local residents cautioning tourists, hotel staff cautioning tourists, travel blogs and forums reporting on incidents of crime and harm and local residents cautioning visitors walking in sections of Rio ... to be careful.  

Some years ago travel forums for Rio saw many reports, first-hand witness reports, of individuals waiting for the tram up to Santa Teresa being mugged, robbed and badly injured by gangs.  Real, not imagined.  I rode the tram up to Corcovado, and the tram was protected by an armed security guard because gangs had been hopping aboard along the way and robbing tourists / passengers.  My first trip to Rio, with an elderly friend of mine, we were waiting for a bus on Av. Nossa Sra. de Copacabana at Rua Siqueria Campos, not far from Hotel Atlantico Copacabana, when three or four young men approached, as the bus approached, and proceeded to beat-up a man waiting for the same bus, standing 10 ft. away from us.  Real, not imagined.  On another visit, I was on a chair under an umbrella at the Impanema beach when a gang from a favela tore through that area hitting people sitting nearby with clubs robbing them of valuables.  Yet another visit, a local resident approached me when I was walking in Centro and in pretty good English cautioned me against street violence and asked me why I was walking there.  Real, not imagined.  My concerns have not been exaggerated and though I attempt to be as cautious as I can ... I continue to wander about with an intuition I think I've developed ... I hope I've developed!

I lived in Mexico for 6 years, and when there I've been the victim of multiple crimes:  drugged in a bar and all of my valuables robbed from my apartment, my apartment(s) robbed at other times, mugged on the street multiple times.  I thought / think I know the city and "dangerous" areas ...but I was victimized nonetheless.  After having moved back to the USA, I still return to Mexico City once or twice yearly.

I don't know how long you've lived in the USA, but the comment "I feel like a White guy feels in the US, while many Americans here experience what people of color feel in US streets: targeted." lacks context.  To the best of my knowledge and observation, crimes against persons of color are perpetrated by persons of color.  White people aren't killing Blacks on the South Side of Chicago, Blacks are killing Blacks.  On the West Side of Chicago, Latinos are killing Latinos ... not "White" non-Latinos.  Drug cartels / gangs and the obscene availability of firearms are principal culprits responsible for the violence and carnage.   

None of us should NOT be concerned for our safety when traveling to unfamiliar places.  Gay men oftentimes place ourselves in harms way more than some other individuals.

Thank you for listening / reading.

[BlkSuperman]

On 4/13/2023 at 3:12 AM, Mateo_37 said:

Can anyone maybe recommend a gay guide to do some day and/or night sightseeing in Rio and around?

This guy is AMAZING he has AMAZING TOURS and connections with some of the sexiest men in Rio. Trust me, HE WON'T DISAPPOINT!

[floridarob]

3 hours ago, Mavica said:

Gay men oftentimes place ourselves in harms way more than some other individuals.

Because we're whores.....

[Latbear4blk]

6 hours ago, floridarob said:

Because we're whores.....

We? Exclude me, sir. I have never charged a dime, as the Proud Slut I am.

[Riobard]

[error; delete]

[Riobard]

12 hours ago, floridarob said:

Because we're whores.....

Balls and ball’s sorta in your court on that one. 

[pauleiro]

If you are bored to go to the beaches in Copacabana and Ipanema, you can go visit other beaches nearby. There are quite a lot ! 

All beaches in Barra da Tijuca, Recreio, Pontal, Macumba and Secreto and partly Grumari are sand beaches. From Grumari, it is sand and rocks.

Abricó is the only nudist beach in Rio. With Prainha, it is for me the nicest.

Praia de Abricó

It is relatively small. During week days you can keep your clothes pn if you want. During week ends, you must remove all clothes. A guard might remind you this obligation.

Some action may occur near the rocks or on the nearby trail later in the day.

[pauleiro]

How to get to the beach :

- taxi or uber is a solution. But at Abricó, it may be difficult and expensive to find one to come back. In addition, signal is very weak and you may have to walk to a higher location to get signal to call uber.

- renting a car is another solution. It is quite cheap. With Localiza, I paid 25 USD for a day + 40 R$ gasolina. I rented in Santos Dumont. If you do not want to drive much in the city you can rent in Ipanema or even in Praia de San Conrado (rental agency is 10 minutes walking from San Conrado metro). With this option of renting a car, you can easily stop at various beaches and go to one of the many restaurants alongside the beach. 

This week, I had lunch af Flor de Grumari. It was one of the best bobó de camarão I had in Brazil and it was quite cheap but even though we were alone, it took the cook an extremely long time to prepare ...

In the past, I tried Pesqueiro much more visited (closer to Rio) and expensive 

 

 

[pauleiro]

There is even an instagram site on praia de abricó if you want to have more info.

 

 

Here is what is said on gaycruising site : "Cruising works on the rocks at the end of the beach, but at nightfall it happens all over the beach.  Access only by car, no buses, very quiet place".

Be careful if you dare stay until nightfall. 

Of course many porn movies were shot in this location ... 

https://www.xvideos.com/?k=Amador+gay+praia+cruising+abrico

[pauleiro]

Pedra do Telegrafo 

There are many rocks around Rio de Janeiro from where the view is spectacular. The pedra do Telegrafo is one of them. It is located 50 km from Rio, not too far from the Grumari beach. 

You can go there and to the nearby beaches renting a car or go with uber or taxi. 

You can start from the beach Praia da Barra da Guaratiba (1 hour one way) or start from the parking lot (40 minutes one way).

Avoid going there during the week ends : lots of people go there and you may have to wait quite a long time to make the picture that everyone wants to make ... and that a photographer present locally can make for you (10 R$).