Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s 2nd biggest city and the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is in between the Atlantic Ocean and the foothills of the Brazilian Highlands. It is 1,221 square kilometres in total serving as a home to 6.5 million people.
Rio was founded by the Portuguese in the year 1565 but it only became significant when diamonds, gold, and ore were discovered in 1720 in Minas Gerais. It was once the capital of Brazil and the residence of the Portuguese monarch before independence was proclaimed in 1822. Today, Rio is renowned for its breath-taking landscape and its laidback beach culture.
Vila Mimosa – the most popular red light district in Ro de Janeiro. It has been estimated that 3,000 prostitutes work in the area, offering sexual services in more than 70 adult venues. They reportedly generate as much as $430,000 a month even if the majority of their clients are local men. The women typically charge $10-$20 for sex. Some of them hold part-time jobs like cashiers and maids aside from their sex work in order to pay the bills.
Male prostitutes and transvestites have been banned from Vila Mimosa in an effort to preserve its tradition as an area for exclusively heterosexual prostitution. When Rio hosted the 2016 Olympic Games, the price for sex rose considerably but since then the prostitutes in Vila Mimosa have dropped their rates. Other notable light districts in Rio include
History of the RLD
When King Albert of Belgium arrived in 1920, police officers rounded up Rio’s lower-class prostitutes and moved them to the outskirts of the city. In the process, the cops inadvertently created Rio’s first red light district. Police erected walls around the RDL in 1967 to conceal it during Queen Elizabeth II’s procession around the metropolis. The red light district was moved again twice to make way for Rio’s “New City” administrative complex. That wasn’t the end though. For the fourth time in a century, the RDL was threatened to be evicted when Brazil hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Vila Mimosa is currently half a block away from the metro expansion site, one block from Praça da Bandeira; one mile from the Maracana Stadium; and 1.5 miles from the Porto Maravilha port renovation project.
How to Find the RLD
Vila Mimosa is It is located near the city’s historic center between the metro stations Praça da Bandeira and São Cristóvão. It is a five-minute walk from the Praça da Bandeira metro station.
Stay Safe in the RLD
The RLD is infamous for its criminal syndicates and it is routinely raided by police officers for drug trafficking offenses. However, don’t be discouraged or deterred from visiting Rio because most travellers have a great time with no untoward incidents. Just be street-smart and keep your wits about you. Follow these simple rules and you should be just fine:
There are four options for finding a woman to cater to your needs: spas (Termas), escort agencies, strip clubs/dance clubs, and the beach.
Adult Cinemas
Adult Cinemas are not quite popular in Rio but there is one that’s worth a visit:
Street Prostitution
Street prostitutes still roam the streets of Vila Mimosa and Copacabana. There is also street action along Prado Junior, Avenida Gomes Freire and in Praça Mauá. You can also find street prostitutes in Zona Oeste, a fast-growing suburban area that includes the districts of Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepaguá and Leme. Of particular mention in Zona Oeste is the intersection of R. Ronald de Carvalho and Av. Nossa Sra. de Copacabana. The cost for sex is around 100 real.
Prostitution was legalised in 2000. Within that year, the Ministry of Labour came up with a new version of the Brazilian Classification of Occupations (CBO). This recognised prostitution as a profession and named the people involved in the practice as sex professionals or “profissionais do sexo.” However, a contradiction exists because prostitution houses were not legalised even if it was evident that prostitutes cannot work in an autonomous way. Consequently, sex workers rallied for the repeal of legislations that criminalise pimping and the maintenance of whorehouses. Both offenses carry penalties of two to five years in jail.
The prostitution of minors, those under the age of 18, is prosecuted by the state and punished by the law, as stated in the Penal Code and the Statute of Child and Youth of 1990. As for gays, they enjoy many of the same legal rights as straight people. In May 2011, the Supreme Federal Court voted in favour of affording same-sex couples the same legal rights as married individuals. This gave same-sex couples in stable partnerships the same social and financial rights enjoyed by those in opposite-sex relationships. Two years later, same-sex marriage was legalised by the Justice's National Council of Brazil. The ruling ordered all civil registers to conduct same-sex marriages and convert existing civil unions into marriages if the couples so desire.
Cariocas certainly love to party and there are several performance venues that host various local and international events. There are plenty of chic bars and clubs in Barra, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon, but downtown Lapa boasts some of the finest live music venues. Live music is actually night-time Rio's raison d'être, with street corners, regularly hosting impromptu renditions. New bars and nightclubs continue to sprout up and there are underground musical styles competing with chorro, samba, and Brazilian pop. A much-loved pastime is guzzling a well-chilled chopp and enjoying the lively ambiance of an authentic Rio botequim. Each neighbourhood has its share of upscale options but no less entertaining are the hole-in-the-wall spots that offer ice-cold beer and the opportunity to chat with regular patrons.
Brazil is very liberal when it comes to treatment of gays and lesbians. Rio, in particular, is known for being gay-friendly and it has a huge and highly visible gay scene. There is a profusion of gay bars, dance clubs and sex clubs throughout the city. Moreover, the Gay Pride celebrations draw more than a million visitors to Copacabana and Ipanema. Gays also get together every Sunday at Ipanema Beach.
General Attitude Towards Gays
Gays are obviously welcome in Rio where they don’t feel any form of animosity, discrimination or threats. They are pretty much part and parcel of the social fabric. The most gay-friendly street in the city is Farme de Amoedo in Ipanema, with lots of bars cafes, nightclubs, restaurants and drinking spots. You may have also heard of the abbreviation GLS in relation to the events and venues. It stands for Gays, Lesbians, and Sympathizers, and suggest that anyone with an open mind is welcome. On the whole, the gay atmosphere is much more integrated than elsewhere; and most of the parties involved a mixed crowd.
Transsexual Prostitutes
Copacabana Beach is one of the most popular places in the city where transsexual prostitutes can be found, although they are mostly visible only at night. Transsexual street prostitution has been reported in Lapa and Barra da Tijuca. The rates of the shemales are relatively cheap when compared to termas and majority of them are willing to come to their client’s place for 100 to 200 real. Some t-girl escorts also offer their services in hotels and from private flats.