Copacabana Posto 6 (Rainbow Flag)

Copacabana's gay stretch flies its flag literally: look for the rainbow banner planted in the sand near Posto 6, toward the Rua Sá Ferreira end of the world's most famous beach. It is the neighbourhood counterpart to Ipanema's Farme de Amoedo - older-school, more local, and lively year-round. Practical: barracas rent chairs and umbrellas at the flag; the Copacabana Palace stretch nearby has its own gay-popular history. New Year's Eve here - two million people in white on the sand - is one of the queerest mass celebrations on Earth.