The world’s best gay beaches span the globe, and some might not be in the places you’d expect! The list below includes all sorts of gay beaches, from the most popular and densely packed party spots near the biggest international gay destinations to lesser-known and secluded hangouts that only locals know about.
Ipanema – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
There’s no doubt that the gay beach in Rio de Janeiro’s hotspot of Ipanema is the world’s most talked-about gay beach. Tons of sexy Brazilian men (along with the tourists) are always taking photos with the iconic Dois Irmaos (Two Brothers) mountains in the backdrop.
The exact center of Rio’s gay beach is between Posto 8 and Posto 9. You can’t miss the enormous crowd of gay men!
Will Rogers Gay Beach – Los Angeles
Will Rogers is the most popular gay beach in greater Los Angeles. It’s another one of the most well-known gay beaches, at least among Americans. The gay area of Will Rogers is near lifeguard tower 18, There’s so much to do here, from playing volleyball (or watching other guys play volleyball) to drooling over the gorgeous lifeguards.
The Will Rogers gay beach is informally known as “Ginger Rogers Beach” and has a ton of history. The LGBT crowd has been coming here since the 40s!
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Coastal Spanish cities, Italian islands, the coast of Croatia, all the best gay beaches in the United States and dozens more are all on wolfyy’s ultimate guide to gay beaches worldwide.
Discover all the Best Gay Beaches Around the World on wolfyy
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San Francisco is one of the most popular cities to visit in the U.S. – and not only because of the Golden Gate Bridge or its iconic Cable Cars, but also for its diverse food scene. From Mexican and Central American food to Chinese restaurants and authentic Italian cuisine – there is nothing you can’t get in San Francisco.
Since there are literally hundreds of restaurants you could go to, I’ve selected ten restaurants you shouldn’t miss on a visit to San Francisco. Of course there are dozens of others that are also worth visiting – so don’t see this as an ultimate guide, but rather as an ‘appetizer guide’ to get you started. This is the 2017 edition – 12 restaurants that are worth including in your San Francisco itinerary. Some of these restaurants have risen to fame in recent months or are brand new and buzz-worthy, others are all-time San Francisco classics, and then there are a couple of fine dining gems.
Without further ado: Twelve essential restaurants you need to visit in San Francisco:
1 BEST BURRITOS: LA TAQUERIA
The Mission District is a mecca for foodies – thanks to its large Latino population, you find a myriad of Mexican, Latin American and Central American eateries here, and to choose a place for a burrito can be overwhelming. I suggest La Taqueria, which was recently awarded the title America’s Best Burrito. Head there to find out if they deserve this recognition, but the continuously great reviews and long lines speak for themselves. What makes the burritos here special is the fact that they don’t have rice. Instead, the flour tortillas are filled with pinto beans, meat, and toppings that include salsa, guacamole and hot sauce.
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
The Castillo Inn is a five minute walk from the heart of San Francisco’s gay area, The Castro, at Market and Castro Streets, and just two blocks to major city transportation.
Our guest rooms share a bathroom. Three of our rooms have queen beds, and the fourth has a double bed. Our rooms are clean, quiet and comfortable.
Stays at the Castillo Inn B&B include a continental breakfast each morning, and in the common area, we have a a refrigerator, microwave and a telephone with a voice mail for guest use.
Wireless internet access is also available for your laptop, and we have a fax as well for business travelers to use.
Ask for parking. The Castillo Inn, is a non-smoking establishment.
The next time your travels bring you to San Francisco, come stay with us at Castillo Inn Bed & Breakfast.
Osento, a Japanese bathhouse on Valencia Street in queer San Francisco, is long gone, closed now for nearly a decade. I could have used a soak, though: It was an uncommonly hot and muggy day in the city, and I’d been walking its streets for hours.
Back in the day, people looking for Osento on a similarly soupy afternoon were probably just as confounded. The women-only communal bathhouse, a frequent haunt for lesbians, didn’t have a sign out front. It was mostly known through word of mouth by its clientele, who say its founder ended a nearly three-decade run when she shuttered it in 2008 and moved north to Lake County, Calif.
Now it is a splendid Victorian dwelling, kaleidoscopic in hues of magenta, turquoise and gold. On its facade are stunning sculptured plaques of sea horses, conchs and starfish. Elaborate cast reliefs of tattooed mermaids by a San Francisco artist named Natasha Dikareva gaze ahead. While the relaxation rooms, saunas and a secluded deck for nude sunbathing were all gone, somehow the bathhouse’s spirit lives on.
You don’t have to travel halfway around the world to experience the Japanese tradition of celebrating the blooming of the cherry blossoms in springtime. In April, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is happening for the 49th year in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown.
The festival concludes April 16-17, bringing together food booths, live bands, martial arts demonstrations, a pageant, cultural performances and more than a few young people dressed as their favorite anime character. The April 17 Grand Parade starts in City Hall and ends in Japan Center.
The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival attracts about 200,000 people, which makes it the best time of year to visit Japantown, one of only three designated Japanese neighborhoods in the U.S. and which also happens to be the oldest and largest.
San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener confirmed Thursday that there will be no Pink Party in the city’s gay Castro district the Saturday before the annual LGBT Pride parade.
Following a March 17 meeting with key stakeholders, Wiener told the Bay Area Reporter that there will be no street closures this year. In previous years, the streets were closed for the unofficial party.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence had produced what was known as Pink Saturday for nearly two decades. Last year, however, the Sisters decided to end their oversight of the street party due to escalating violence. A sister and his husband were attacked in 2014, while Stephen Powell, 19, died after being shot toward the end of the party in 2010.