Gay Buenos Aires: where to stay, eat, party & more

Fresh off the plane, our Porteño friends Pablo and Gustavo welcomed us and took us straight to a restaurant in Palermo so we could have our first taster of the famous Argentinian steak.

At that moment, we knew we were going to enjoy this city a lot!

We've been to BA several times during our big trip across Latin America, using it as a base. This allowed us to explore the best of the gay scene and make lots of local friends along the way.

We've taken all this info and bundled it up to create this bumper gay guide to the Buenos Aires gay scene including the best hotels to stay, gay hangouts, events, things to do, and more. One thing we can confidently say is whoever you are, whatever you're into, you're in for a treat in Buenos Aires.

Discover Buenos Aires with gay local, Marcelo

Marcelo is a proud “porteño” (born and raised in Buenos Aires), and one of the city’s first openly gay tour guides.

He specializes in creating private gay friendly tours in both English and Spanish, that reveal an authentic side of Buenos Aires.

Claim an exclusive 5% discount on your tour with Marcelo by quoting NOMADICBA when you reach out to him on his website.

Is Buenos Aires safe for gay travelers?

Buenos Aires is overall a gay friendly and safe city to visit as long as you stay within the main tourist trail. It has a large gay scene and one of the largest gay Prides in Latin America. Argentina itself ranks as one of the most gay friendly countries in the world in our humble opinion with very progressive LGBTQ laws.

Homosexuality in Argentina has been legal here since 1853, loooong before the UK in 1967 and the USA in 2003. It was also the first country in Latin America to legalize gay marriage in July 2010, which included full adoption rights.

When we arrived at our hotel in San Telmo, we were told by the reception staff and a few other locals that the city is extremely dangerous for first-timers and we should take care, avoiding going out alone after 6 pm. In hindsight, we realized Buenos Aires is no different than New York, London, Paris, or Barcelona. Gay travelers should keep their wits about them and avoid dodgy neighborhoods like Boca at night. If anything, we found Buenos Aires to be one of the safest cities in South America.

All the hotels we stayed at in Buenos Aires welcomed us as a gay couple without ever questioning our choice of a double bed. Is there a gay neighborhood?

Unlike the gay scene of Montreal, there is no exact gay village in Buenos Aires, but Palermo is considered to be the main gay area of Buenos Aires. The majority of the gay bars and clubs can be found here, with pockets of fabulousness spread further afield in the Villa Crespo, Retiro, Recoleta, and San Telmo neighborhoods. Palermo is also very residential, which makes it the ideal base.

The majority of the main tourist sites are spread across Recoleta, Retiro, and San Telmo, which are all very easily accessible from Palermo via the city's metro system or taxi. We relied on Uber in Buenos Aires, but be warned that officially Uber is “not legal”, so your driver will ask one to sit in the front so it doesn't look like a taxi service.

Where to stay in Buenos Aires

Whilst the majority of the best gay nightlife in Buenos Aires is in Palermo, we think some of the best gay friendly hotels can be found further afield, particularly in San Telmo, Puerto Madero, and Recoleta.

We've included a few options in Palermo we tried out for those who do want to be based here. Check out Airbnb or Misterbnb for apartments to stay in Palermo if you prefer to rent your own place and also be sure to hit up our detailed guide to the best gay hotels in Buenos Aires.

01

Faena Hotel

Puerto Madero

The rooms at Faena are large and lush – the epitome of decadence. The best rooms are the ones overlooking the river and the iconic “El Puente de La Mujer” bridge.

Puerto Madero has a lot of green space, which is ideal for hiking and biking. The area around Faena Hotel, particularly along the river bank is perfect for morning jogs. We made a point of doing this every morning as it's a great way to explore the neighborhood, whilst burning off those dulce de leche calories…!

02

Mio Hotel

Recoleta

The rooms are elegantly designed to offer intimacy and luxury. The carved wooden bathtub is the crowning glory center piece where Sebastien spent many hours deliberating over life's most existential issues.

There's also a library where you can order drinks and listen to music while reading. For some extra pampering, we love the spa with a giant jacuzzi and a variety of treatments available.

Mio is located in well-to-do Recoleta, close to the famous Evita cemetery and the large metallic Floralis flower. There are many excellent restaurants nearby such as the highly-rated Fervor, the more local Rodi Bar, and the very plush Italian La Pecora Nera.

03

Patios De San Telmo

San Telmo

We love the high doors and ceilings as well as the really quirky art exhibitions on display…look out for the, er, horse installation with its head coming out of its backside!

Breakfast is complimentary and the hotel even caters to guests with dietary requirements such as celiac disease, if ordered in advance. The pretty garden patios are the perfect place to relax away from the bustle of the city.

The Patios de San Telmo is located right in the heart of San Telmo, which is our favorite neighborhood of Buenos Aires. You're minutes walking distance to the vibrant Sunday market as well as the Pride Cafe and the Tuesday queer tango classes of Maldita Milonga.

04

LGY G A Y Bed & Breakfast

San Telmo

LGY G A Y is kind of a mix between a hotel and a hostel so even though it's a budget option you can still expect a daily room-cleaning service, fresh towels, and a yummy complimentary breakfast.

The staff are terrific and really make you feel welcome. Solo gay travelers will particularly love LGY G A Y because it's so easy to make friends here.

There's a shared kitchen, lounge, library, and mini-gym available for all guests. Make sure you also check out their rooftop terrace, complete with a hot tub!

Gay bars to start the party

There's a handful of gay bars spread out throughout Buenos Aires, but you'll find the majority of the gay scene in Palermo. Just remember that Argentinians start the night very late, so most places don't get busy until after 11 pm. These are a few of our favorite gay bars in Buenos Aires, but be sure to check out our detailed guide to the best gay bars in Buenos Aires for a more comprehensive list.

Peuteo

A small “hetero-friendly” unassuming video bar. It's super cozy and friendly, but the drinks here are quite expensive compared to the other bars. The best time to visit is on weekends. The name “Peuteo” is a play on the naughty Spanish slang word, puto. We'll leave it to you to discover what that means…! Peuteo is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9 pm to around 5 am and is located at Gurruchaga 1867 in Palermo.

KM Zero

One of the only gay bars in Buenos Aires that is open every day of the week, although it's busier at weekends. KM Zero is a basement bar featuring a range of drag shows and quirky acts like ꜱtriþpers dressed as aliens. It's open daily from midnight until 7 am and is located at Avenida Santa Fe 2516 in Recoleta.

Gay clubs of Buenos Aires

As we said earlier, Argentinians do things veeery late, just like in Spain. Dinner is from 9 pm onwards, and going out for drinks doesn't happen till after 11 pm, so for clubs, you don't want to be thinking of heading there until at least 1 am – 2 am, otherwise, you'll be waiting by yourself for quite a while! As a result, the gay nightlife of Buenos Aires goes on until the early hours of the next morning. We strongly advise having a siesta if you're planning to go out partying in Buenos Aires. We certainly did and felt better for it!

These are a handful of our favorite gay clubs in Buenos Aires:

• Glam: definitely the best gay night out in the city in our humble opinion. It has the perfect mix of a cool crowd who are mainly in their 20s and 30s. It's large, spread over 2 rooms, one for electronic music, the other for Latino pop. They also feature live shows with dancers throughout the night. Glam is open every Thursday to Monday evening (closed Tues/Weds) from midnight till 6:30 am and is located at Cabrera 3046 in Recoleta.

• Contramano: is the most popular bear club in Buenos Aires. It's only open on weekends, but nights out here are always a laugh with a really friendly crowd. Unlike Glam, the people at Contramano are generally a lot older, mainly in their 30s/40s+. For us, the highlight is the music. We are pop kids at heart and they're always on point here with the best Latino pop hits that every good gay boy wants to hear! The entry includes a free drink: the popular one that all the cool kids here drink is called “Speed” – it's Argentinian red bull with vodka. Contramano is open on Friday-Sunday only, from midnight till 6 am, and is located at Rodriguez Peña 1082 in Recoleta.

• Amerika Disco: the largest gay club in Buenos Aires, and second after Theatron in Bogota, one of the largest in South America. This place is massive, with 3 floors and 3 separate dance areas attracting around 2,000 people every weekend. The crowd is generally quite mixed; expect to see lots of handsome Porteños here! They have a famous bear night every other Saturday evening. Amerika is only open on Friday to Sunday from midnight until around 7 am and is located at Gascon 1040 in the Almagro neighborhood.

• Fiesta Plop: popular parties with a young crowd every weekend at Teatro Vorterixm. They have live DJs, dancer shows, and a mix of pop hits and Latin music like cumbia (similar to salsa). Fiesta Plop parties usually happen every Friday evening but look out for other ad hoc events that take place during large events like Pride. Teatro Vorterixm is located where Federico Lacroze and Alvarez Thomas streets meet in Palermo.

Cool cafes in Buenos Aires

The main gay cafe in Buenos Aires is Pride in San Telmo – one of our favorite gay hangouts in what we think is the most exciting area of BA.

• Pride Café: one of the most famous gay hangouts of Buenos Aires and one we love coming to, especially on Sundays after shopping at the famous San Telmo market. Tip from us: their dulce de leche brownie is DIVINE! Pride is located at Balcarce 869 in San Telmo and is open daily until 8 pm.
• Maricafe: shop, cafe, and LGBTQ bookstore all in one. Fancy a rainbow cake and a new rainbow mug? Buy it here! Want to catch the latest episode of Ru Paul's Drag Race? This place has the city's best viewing parties for it. Maricafe is located at Honduras 4096 in Palermo and is open daily from 10 am till 9 pm (weekends till 2 am).
• Gout Cafe: another “hetero-friendly” cafe in Buenos Aires. Not as famous as Pride, but more notorious for its gluten-free menu (and delicious coffee). Gout is located at Montevideo 1480 in Recoleta and is open daily from morning to 8 pm.
• El Patio de la Casona: is a tiny hidden cafe tucked away in a courtyard in San Telmo. We stumbled on it during the Sunday market when we were looking for a space to chill out from the crowds and noticed the rainbow flag flying outside. It's not as popular or well known as Pride, but still worth a visit, if anything for the super Instagrammable courtyard surrounding it. El Patio is located at Defense 1179 Local 9 in San Telmo.

Gay saunas and gay bathhouses in Buenos Aires

There are a few places in the big city to go and play. Here are the main ones:

• A Full: A Full has a cool bar on the 1st floor and 3 different large cruising areas on the 2nd floor. There’s also a Jacuzzi with an open ceiling so guys can smoke there. The steam room and the sauna are large and well-maintained. Of the gay saunas in Buenos Aires, this one is the cleanest. A Full is located at Viamonte 1770 in Retiro and is open daily from 1-10 pm.
• Club Homo Sapiens: This bathhouse is enormous, sprawled over 3 floors. The first floor has a large bar (that also serves food) and plenty of tables to eat and drink. When you walk back into the dark space there is a long row of beautiful, minimalist, white leather sofas facing a porn screen. There are more private dark spaces on either side. The 2nd floor is where the lockers are located. It is also where the sauna, Jacuzzi, and showers are. There’s also a long line of cabins where guys can meet and play. There are 250 lockers so if you arrive during peak hours (Sunday afternoon for example), you may have to wait in a long queue. Club Homo Sapiens is located at Gáscon 956 in Palermo. It is open daily from midday until 10 pm.
• Madison Club de Hombres: another three-level bathhouse. The basement has a swimming pool, steam room, showers, and sauna. The first floor has a small bar, sofas, and lounge chairs. The top floor has small dark rooms with TV screens with 7 long benches. Behind it is a small room with a sling. There’s also access to an outdoor patio where guys smoke and play. Madison Club de Hombres is located at Medrano, 1047 in Palermo. It is open daily from 1 to 10 pm.
• Markus Day Spa for Men: more a male-only massage parlor than a gay sauna. Everyone we met locally recommended it as the best place for a massage…and a massage! Happy endings are always offered but at a premium… Markus Day Spa is located at Avenida Callao, 1046 in Recoleta. It is open daily from 11 am to 8 pm.

Milongas for queer tango

Sadly, since the late 1800s, male tango dancing got lost in Buenos Aires… until 2002, when queer tango milongas (tango clubs) set up, offering classes for the LGBT community. The 2 best and most popular ones are:

• Tango Queer: queer tango class happens every Tuesday evening from 8:30 pm followed by freestyle dancing and a live show. It takes place at the Maldita Milonga, located at Perú 571 in San Telmo.

• La Marshall has a queer tango class every Wednesday evening from 8:30 pm, with freestyle dancing happening late into the night. La Marshall is located at Yatay 961 in Villa Crespo.

Learn to dance tango

Gazing into your partner's eyes, grasping his hands, and allowing yourself to be guided by tantalizing music is one of the most sensual experiences one can have. Take a private tango lesson with a professional dancer to learn the steps of this very powerful dance.

Find out more

Gay travel agent in Buenos Aires

If you have very little time for travel planning, we highly recommend using a personalized concierge service who can take care of all the minutiae of your trip.

The excellent gay travel agent Ursula Hosting is offering our readers an exclusive 5% discount on their services, giving you the luxury of being able to delegate all the travel planning of your trip to them. Fill out the form below to get a free consultation from Ursula hosting:

Our favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires

These are some of the best gay restaurants we visited in Buenos Aires, including gay owned and gay friendly/mixed:

• Pride Cafe: we mention it again because it's also a great bunch spot. Highlights include the pork loin sandwich, Eggs Benedict, and different salads. Pride Cafe is open daily from morning till around 8 pm, so it's perfect for late breakfast and lunch.
• Lo De Jesús: not only one of the best parilla (steak house) in Buenos Aires, one of the most gay friendly. It's located in the heart of the Palermo gay scene so it gets a large LGBTQ crowd dining here. For us, the steak and wine choices were always on point. The staff are also super friendly and can give you tips about the gay scene and best things to do in the city. Lo De Jesús is open daily from 11am to 1am (till 2am on weekends), and is located at Gurruchaga 1406 in Palermo.
• Caldén del Soho: another parilla gem in Palermo we loved. It's large, so you can turn up without a reservation, but we found the service to be less personable than at Lo De Jesús. Caldén del Soho is open for lunch from 12-5 pm and then for dinner from 7 pm till after midnight. It's located in Honduras 4701 in Palermo.
• Buenos Aires Verde Restaurant: after the obligatory meat fix, you may crave a vegetarian meal. This is also one of the best vegan restaurants in Buenos Aires for vegans. It's quite cozy and gets really busy so make sure you book ahead. It is open every day except Sunday from 9 am to midnight and is located at Calle Jose Ignacio Gorriti 5657 in Palermo.

LGBTQ events in Buenos Aires

As well as having one of the best gay pride events in Latin America, Buenos Aires has a few other gay events worth checking out, all of which take place in November:

• Asterisco Film Festival: the city's LGBTIQ film festival takes place in early November. It showcases the best movies about diversity and unites both filmmakers and activists.
• Buenos Aires Gay Pride: the annual Marcha del Orgullo is one of the largest gay pride events in South America, attracting around 200,000 people, and is the city's largest street party. Pride always takes place in the Plaza de Mayo.
• Queer Tango Festival: every November, this 5-day festival takes place, which has grown to become one of the city's most unique and important dance events. It includes performances, lessons, and numerous workshops hosted by several milongas.

Our top experiences in Buenos Aires

Whilst Buenos Aires is guaranteed to fulfill all steak, Evita, and tango cravings, you will no doubt have before touching down, we've set out a comprehensive list to include the obvious and not-so-obvious sites, experiences, and highlights you should check out:

Feria de San Telmo

We love the Feria de San Telmo. It's our favorite neighborhood, always bursting with character, and full of history, and street art. The cherry on top is this terrific not-to-miss Sunday market. The cobblestone streets of the neighborhood are lined with antique and souvenir sellers. Buskers and tango dancers perform on almost every other street corner, adding to the intensely colorful atmosphere. This is a definite must-see in the city. We completely fell in love with it and are certain you will too.

Watch a tango show

A candlelit dinner while watching a tango show is one of the best memories we have of Buenos Aires. There are many places offering tango shows with dinner but our favorite is Madero Tango. The food is a delicious mix of Argentinian classics and the show is based on a story of the evolution of tango with very impressive dancers. The location is at the bottom end of the Puerto Madero neighborhood, so you get some pretty stunning night views across the river when it's all lit up. Also at the end of the show, the performers offer a dance class as part of the experience so you can learn the basic moves to show off back home.

Casa Rosada

The Casa Rosada is the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina but you may know it as the pink building where Evita Madonna sang THAT famous anthem! It's considered one of the most emblematic buildings in Buenos Aires and has been declared a National Historic Monument of Argentina. If you'd like to visit (and even step onto that balcony) you can do so via this private tour which teaches you all about Eva Peron's life and work.

Recoleta Cemetery

This is where Evita's grave can be found along with many other incredibly dramatic and extravagant ones. The Recoleta Cemetery is like a maze, with hundreds of tombs under tiny stone houses and miniature churches. It's quite a sight to behold and is supposedly haunted as well. We recommend joining this tour to see a few different sights in the area, including wandering around this fascinating and beautiful cemetery.

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Floralis Génerica

The iconic metallic flower of the city is located in the Plaza de las Naciones Unidas in Recoleta. The enormous silver flower blooms in a pool of water next to the National Museum of Fine Arts weighs 18 tonnes and is 75 feet wide. It opens its 13-meter-long petals at 8 am and closes them up again at sunset. The opening and closing take about 20 minutes and is a sight not to be missed. This cycling tour will take you through all the main landmarks of Buenos Aires including Floralis Generica.

Boca Neighbourhood

La Boca is a vibrant part of the city filled with art galleries, museums, and tango street performances. Make sure you check out the cute colorful street of Caminito which is a traditional alley and street museum. Boca is also home to La Bombonera Stadium, one of the most popular soccer stadiums in South America. To make the most of the La Boca neighborhood, we recommend hiring a private guide who will tell you all about its rich history and show you the highlights.

Puerto Madero

The old port of Buenos Aires was recently revamped into a very cool neighborhood with lots of bars and restaurants. An evening walk here when it's lit up is quite simply magical, especially with the view of the iconic Puente de la Mujer bridge. This barrio is also home to two nautical museums on ships, perfect for ship enthusiasts or those who just want to take some great photos of the Buenos Aires skyline. For nature lovers, there's a huge ecological reserve filled with running and cycling paths so you can burn off some of the calories from all the amazing food you'll be eating!

Take a Cooking Class

Teatro Colon

The Teatro Colon is the main opera house in Buenos Aires and is considered to be one of the best opera houses in the world. It's beautiful to look at inside and out. But the real highlight is to see and hear a performance at Teatro Colon. Even Pavarotti agrees that acoustics make it one of the best live performance venues in the world! Why not book a small-group tour of the city and see inside this stunning building on the way?

Learn to play polo at a traditional Estancia

We had a fun day out in the countryside learning to play polo in an estancia. The experience is set in a traditional estancia (cattle ranch) where we got a flavor of the gaucho culture, enjoyed a Sunday asado, and of course, played lots of polo. Polo is like hockey, except on a horse, and quite difficult because you have to reach down from your horse with your stick to hit the ball. After winning the polo match, we shared a bountiful asado (Argentinian barbecue party) with the players, washed down with Malbec and lots of polo banter. Book your own experience and feel like a real gaucho here!

Cool day trips from the city

Tigre Delta day trip

This day trip takes you to the unique suburb built around the swampy land where the Rio Paraná empties into the Rio de la Plata. You'll be able to take a boat ride on the delta and view the homes on stilts, stately mansions, and museums of the area. It's also just a great way to see a different way of life than the bustling city of Buenos Aires and you may even get to rub shoulders with celebrities like Madonna, who sometimes holidays there!

Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay

We loved exploring this gorgeous historic town of Colonia del Sacramento. It has beautiful UNESCO World Heritage architecture, quiet cobbled streets, and miles of nearby beaches for a day away from the hub of Buenos Aires.

Uruguayans are also some of the friendliest (and hottest!) people in Latin America, so you'll also be able to expect a very warm welcome to this peninsula town.

Montevideo in Uruguay

Another great option for a day trip from Buenos Aires is to the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo.

We visited by taking the ferry along the River Plate and spent the rest of the day exploring the cute Downtown and walking along the beach promenade. Montevideo is rich with culture especially museums, ad hoc singers in the streets, and of course, Tango – remember Argentina and Uruguay share the origin of this iconic dance!

Tips to prepare for your trip to Buenos Aires

We've put together some handy hints and tips to help you plan your own trip to Buenos Aires. Read on to find out everything the gay traveler should know before they go.

Gay map of Buenos Aires

Here's a gay map of Buenos Aires which includes all the gay bars, clubs, hotels, and sightseeing highlights we've mentioned in this post. Use it to plan your own amazing gay trip to Buenos Aires!

Read more travel adventures like this in our book!

We've published our very own gay travel book called, ‘Out in the World'. It has all our practical safety tips, first-hand advice, and travel stories from some of our favorite destinations.

We hope it inspires you to have a fun and safe trip!

Click on the book to order:

For more inspiration:

• Check out these awesome gay bars in Buenos Aires
• Read about our romantic trip to Corrientes and Misiones
• Find out about gay life in Argentina in our interview with Juan from Buenos Aires
• Here's our complete gay guide to Rosario
• As well as the ultimate gay guide to Córdoba
• Check out our Mendoza gay travel guide
• And look for accommodation with our 5 unique gay hotels in Mendoza
• Explore romantic Buenos Aires in our guide for couples visiting the city
• And make sure to try some of our favorite Argentinian foods
• Find out some interesting facts about Argentina
• Read about the best Pride events to attend in Latin America

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