TotallyOz

Gay Salvador Brazil Bars Alphorria | Rua Direita de Santo Antônio, 97 | 071 3242 0053 | no website While not in the normal sections of town you're used to haunting (and hunting), if you want to "get away" this bar has a diverse group of pretty things that flock here to listen to all manner of live music, which switches from night to night but never fails to entertain.

Gay Salvador Brazil Bars Bar da Ponta | Av do Contorno Cidade Baixa | 071 3326 2211 | no website Locals know there is only one spot from which to watch th sun set over the sea, and that is Bar da Ponta. While not a gay bar, it's fabulous enough that it just should be. Hobnob with the elite, nurse your expensive cocktail, and watch the sun set from your perch on a pier out in the water.

Gay Salvador Brazil Bars Cabaret 54 | Rua Carlos Gomes, 860 | 71 3018-7821 | https://www.facebook.com/bar54UrsosBearsGaysEAmigos This heaving bear bar is the place to be if you like 'em big and hairy. It's a smallish place, but the rooftop lounge is a life saver. Nightly drag shows are a huge draw, the staff is friendly and fun, and the DJs definitely know their audience.

Gay Salvador Brazil Bars Sankofa Brasil | Ladeira de São Miguel, 7 | 71 3321 7236 | http://www.sankofabrasil.com Sankofa is one and the same with Panela Restaurante, except this is its bar, and is considered a separaet business. Here you can find a gay-friendly crowd jamming to everything from samba to reggae, and munching on yummy African treats.

Gay Salvador Brazil Bars Bar Ray | Rua Carlos Gomes, 1001 | 71 3329 7157 | no website This is easily the most famous gay bar in Salvador, and it's right on the main drag in the gayborhood. Locals pronounce it "Bar High," and some might call it Bar Champagne. But it's a true gay scene that brings out hot young things to dance to the live music all night long.

Gay Salvador Brazil Bars Âncora do Marujo | Rua Senador Costa Pinto, 808 | 71 3242 2680 | https://www.facebook.com/ancoramarujo This bar specilizes in drag shows that are a hoot - it can get loud and raucus when the ladies take the stage. It's also a popular bear spot, so come here to get your woof on. A fun place to bring your date!

Gay Salvador Brazil Bars Mocambinho Bar | Rua da Faísca, 12 | 71 3328 1430 | no website Delicious food, cold beer, lively conversations and a bohemian vibe make Mocambinho a no-brainer hangout for the LGBT crowd. This is the place you want to try the local cachaça drink, and it's also where you want to eye the gorgeous young things hanging about.

Gay Salvador Brazil Bars Beco dos Artistas | Av. Cerqueira Lima, 10 (Entrance on Rua Leovigildo Filgueira) | no number | no website On Friday and Saturday nights from around 10pm, this is the the place to be to scope out the young hot talent who will be heading to the clubs in a couple hours. It can get crowded and some would call it a dive bar, but it is gay ground zero for weekend action.

Gay Salvador Brazil Hotels Pousada Papaya Verde | Rua Engenheiro Milton Oliveira, 177 | 71 3267 1008 | http://www.pousadapapayaverde.com/ This pousada has a residential feel, with a garden that can be a relief to spend time in after cruising the beaches. The rooms are Brazilian-colorful, the staff is super gay-friendly, and it's within walking distance of the gayborhood.

Gay Salvador Brazil Hotels Casa do Amarelindo | Rua das Portas do Carmo, 6 | 71 3266 8550 | http://www.casadoamarelindo.com/en/artigo/index/id/100 If you're in town for Carnaval, book a street facing room at this four-star hotel to have a front-row seat to the action. (Book early; there are only 10 rooms!) And it helps that you're literally a five-minute walk from all the other action, too bars and saunas and boy toys, oh my! The rooms are impressively furnished, and the view from the rooftop terrace is to die for.

Gay Salvador Brazil Hotels Bahiacafé Hotel | Praça da Se, 22 | 71 3322 1266 | http://www.bahiacafehotel.com/ The Bahiacafé Hotel could not be more cozy and adorable if it tried from its sky-blue 18th-century exterior to its polished hardwood floors to its lovely rooms, it just doesn't get any cuter than this. There's also free wifi and a delicious full breakfast included in the room price.

Gay Salvador Brazil Hotels Hotel Solar do Carmo | Rua Direita de Santo Antonio, 108 | 71 3323 0644 | www.solardocarmo.com.br/ (website timed out when I tried it) This is not the finest place in Salvador, but it is housed in an 18th-century townhouse and the rooms are well-appointed and definitely serviceable, and their rooftop terrace hilariously combines a Jacuzzi and the breakfast buffet. Book a room with a sea view balcony, as they tend to be larger.

Gay Salvador Brazil Hotels Mar Brasil Hotel | Rua Flamengo, 44 | 71 3285 7339 | http://www.marbrasilhotel.com.br/ Another gay-friendly, beachfront property with pools galore. The style is a bit of a throwback to Miami 1987, but who cares when you're spending all of your time gazing at hard bodies frolicking on the beachfront terraces? There's free wifi and cable Internet, and free parking. Actual massages are available by appointment.

Gay Salvador Brazil Hotels Bahia Othon Palace | Avenida Oceânica, 2294 | 71 2103 7100 | http://www.hoteis-othon.com.br/us/hotel/bahia-othon-palace/o_hotel.aspx When they call it a palace, they're not kidding this massive , five-star beachfront property has a lobby you could get lost in, and the lower level pool area with more terraces than you've ever seen (although the rooftop bar is where the action is). Their rooms are beautiful, and each one has an ocean view and the view from the upper-floor dining room is amazing.

Gay Salvador Brazil Hotels Vila Galé Salvador | Rua Morro do Escravo Miguel, 320 | 71 3263 8888 | http://www.vilagale.co.uk/pages/hoteis/index.php?lang=2&hotel=16 The Salvador property of the Vila Galé hotel chain has everything you have come to expect from this brand. And it's on the beach (with direct access!), so make sure to book a room with a view. Their health club has a gym, jacuzzi and sauna. Wifi is BRL 20 per 24 hours, and parking is BRL 5 per day.

Gay Salvador Brazil Hotels Pousada Estrela do Mar | Rua Afonso Celso, 119 | 71 3022 4882 | http://www.estreladomarsalvador.com/ A small hotel with only nine rooms, they've kept a lot of the original architecture and enhanced the interior with mosaics, amazing art, comfy public areas, hammocks, and breezy, comfortable rooms. There's free wifi and they have a laundry service; note there is no parking. It's located in the middle of pretty much everything, so it's convenient.

Gay Salvador Brazil Activities Cine Tupy | Avenida José Joaquim Seabra 357 | 71 3242 4179 | no website Another mixed-porn cinema that is also a popular gay cruising joint, although less crowded than Astor, so there's a better chance for privacy. It's also open only in the afternoons, from 1pm to 7pm.

Gay Salvador Brazil Activities Cine Astor | Rua da Ajuda 5 | 71 3322 7228 | no website This has porn for both men and women, but don't be under any illusion this is as much of a gay cruising spot as anything else. Note that it's only open in the afternoons (1pm-7pm), so it can be the perfect place to get in out of the hot sun and beach scene.

Gay Salvador Brazil Activities Ritual Sex Shop | R. Ceará, 815 | 71 240-1073 | http://www.rituall.com.br/ This shop has everything from cock rings to lubes to novelty aprons, as well as an extensive collection of vibrating, rotating, and multi-colored dildos. Note that this is a shop for both sexes and all seual persuasions.

Gay Salvador Brazil Activities The Hell & Heaven is a dance party that happens over a three-day weekend in November but if you can't make it then, don't fret, because there are "warm-up" parties throughout the year leading up to the big event that are staged all over the world, from Miami to Sao Paolo. http://www.hhsauipe.com/

Gay Salvador Brazil Activities Grupo Gay da Bahia GGB | Rua Frei Vicente, 24 | 71 3322-2552 | http://www.ggb.org.br/ This is an LGBT organization based in Salvador - and the first in Brazil. Their website is only in Portuguese, but is easily translatable with an online tool. On it they list the LGBT events in the city, from lectures to parades, and important people of the moment.

Gay Salvador Brazil Restaurants Panela da Bahia | Ladeira de São Miguel, 7 | 71 3321 7236 | no website With about 80 percent of Brazilian in Bahia being of African descent, it's no surprise to find African-influenced cuisine at every turn. But few do it better than Panela de Bahia, which incorporates African tastes into Brazilian dishes and is that a hint of Jamaican spices in there too? Definitely try the Moqueca, the traditional seafood stew.

Gay Salvador Brazil Restaurants Cocoon Restaurante | Rua Haeckel Jose de Almeida, 348 | 071 3368 8101 | no website Another fantastic Italian restaurant in Salvador who knew? Book a table outside, and make sure to order the pasta with whatever seafood t hey have fresh that day. The ambience is laid back, and they have live music on some nights.

Gay Salvador Brazil Restaurants Pelo Bistro | Rua das Portas do Carmo, 06 | 71 3266 8550 | no website This restaurant, located inside the Hotel Casa do Amarelindo, serves from breakfast through late night, and has excellent Brazilian cuisine. It's not the cheapest place you'll ever eat, but the quality of the food as well as the friendly service make up for the extra pennies you're spending.

Gay Salvador Brazil Restaurants Yemanjá | Av. Otávio Mangabeira, 4655 | 71 3461-9010 | http://www.restauranteyemanja.com.br/ An absolutely stunning beachfront restaurant serving absolutely delicious seafood. And yet the portions are huge, the prices are lower than you'd expect from such a setting, and the service is consistently friendly and helpful.