Out Traveler Award Winner: Hottest Gay Beach

Hottest Gay Beach: IPANEMA (RIO DE JANEIRO)
Runner-up: L'Home More (Sitges, Spain)

Readers love Rio so much — they previously named it Sultriest Place on Earth — that it's most famous sandy spot was voted Hottest Gay Beach on the globe. Knocking out beaches in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Fire Island, N.Y., and Sitges, Spain, Ipanema remains the ultimate fantasy land for gay travelers. There are the nubile bodies playing football and frisbee, the blink-and-you'll-miss-them bathing suits, the clean water, and the beautiful topography, which include two mountains ringing the world-famous sand. Try to stick around for sunset, a vision and experience that will long stay with you. A nearby Rio Metro station opened in 2009, making it super-easy to get there.

Click here for the full list of Out Traveler Awards categories and nominees.