Farme de Amoedo Beach (Ipanema, Postos 8-9)

Farme is the gay section of Ipanema beach, on the sand where Rua Farme de Amoedo meets the shore, between lifeguard posts 8 and 9. Look for the rainbow flags on the beach-tent stalls. It is the busiest LGBTQ+ beach spot in Rio, packed on sunny weekends and around Carnival, with a young, gym-heavy local crowd mixed with tourists. Rent a chair and umbrella from one of the barracas and order drinks there. Bring only what you need: phones and bags get stolen on Rio beaches, so keep valuables minimal and never leave things unattended when you swim. Rua Farme de Amoedo itself has several gay-friendly bars for after the beach.