5 Gay Prides in Latin America you don’t want to miss!

During our travels in Latin America, we went to some pretty awesome gay pride events, particularly in Mexico, Argentina, and Uruguay.

The most famous is of course in Sao Paolo, which is the largest in the world – these guys sure know how to put on a decent party. Here are the top gay pride events we discovered in Latin America during our travels, which you also need to check out.

São Paulo Pride in Brazil

In all lists of the largest gay pride events, the “Parada do Orgulho LGBT de São Paulo” always comes out on top: it is famous for having the largest gay pride festival in the world, with estimates of around 5 million people attending – simply incredible!

It all began in 1997 as a modest political march by the LGBTQ “Paulistas” (the local nickname for the people of São Paulo). Today the São Paulo Pride has mushroomed into one mammoth colorful pink event, whilst still retaining a strong political stance, particularly in light of the high levels of homophobic violence across the country.

São Paulo Pride takes place in June. We recommend checking their Facebook events page for the most up-to-date information about the next event.

We got excited when one of our favorite Netflix shows, “Sense8” used Sao Paolo pride for sexy Lito to come out, then publicly kiss Hernando in front of everybody. The cast even attended the 2016 parade and had their own raunchy float:

Hike the Inca Trail on a gay tour

Lace-up those hiking boots and prepare for your own Andean expedition, because you're invited to join our friends at Out Adventures on their annual all-gay Inca Trail hike. By joining their sweaty scamper you'll be automatically guaranteed an Inca Trail pass, a local LGBTQ-welcoming host, and a veto-ed team of guides and porters. The tour includes time in Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley.

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Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico

Mexico City is a lot of fun, with a huge gay scene. It also has a large annual gay pride event taking place in June, which usually attracts around half a million people. One fun way to enjoy it is to tie it in with a visit to the very gay Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta is a beach resort city in Mexico’s Jalisco state, situated on the Pacific Ocean. It has a large LGBTQ community, with the majority of the city’s gay bars, nightclubs, and hotels based in the charming cobblestone streets of the Zona Romántica neighborhood.

Just before the Mexico Pride in mid-June, Puerto Vallarta has its own week-long Pride festival with a mix of pool parties, boat parties, beach parties, a drag derby, the pride parade itself, and many other festivities. It usually takes place in late May to coincide with the US Memorial Day weekend.

For the most up-to-date information about both events check online resources and social media like Facebook.

Shake your tail feathers with a gay tour of Mexico City!

Our friends at Out Adventures just launched an all-gay tour of Mexico City and its surrounding sites. The short and sweet escape ticks off the megalópolis' best-known attractions such as Frida Kahlo's house, Chapultepec Castle, and nearby Teotihuacan. Best of all, the tour mambos over to Zona Rosa where boys, booze and bad decisions await.

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Buenos Aires Pride in Argentina

Buenos Aires is one of our favorite cities. We love the gay scene of Palermo as well as the rich tango culture in San Telmo including many queer tango “milongas” (tango dance halls). Not to mention the fact that the Porteño boys (the local name for the people of BA) are simply smoking hot!

The gay pride of BA is called the “Marcha del Orgullo a Pride” and takes place in November. Around 200,000 people attend to watch our Porteño gay sisters sashay their way around the streets of Argentina's big capital, starting from the famous “Casa Rosada” pink governmental palace – where Evita/Madonna famously sang “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”.

Unlike most other gay pride events in Latin America, BA's is in November not June, which makes it unique. Weather-wise it's ideal because it's after the cold winter months (remember seasons are inverted south of the Equator line), and warm enough to wear those hot pants…

Read more about gay life in Argentina with our interview with Juan from Buenos Aires and why we think Argentina is one of the most gay friendly places in the world.

Rio de Janeiro Pride in Brazil

Rio is of course famous for its Carnival street party in February. But did you know that the gay pride in June is the city's second biggest street party? Around 1 million people attend – similar in size to the gay prides of London, Cologne, Chicago and Columbus.

Yet unlike London, Cologne, Chicago and Columbus, Rio gay pride takes place on the beach. Think Tel Aviv gay pride, but much bigger. We also love it because the entire city embraces it, with smaller gay pride parades taking place elsewhere. In addition, unlike during the Carnival festival, hotel prices are not that high during the gay pride.

Rio Pride usually takes place around September-November. It changes each year, largely due to funding problems. In 2017 it took place in November, and in 2018 in June it is rumored to be in September. Check their Facebook page for the most up to date information.

Bogota Pride in Colombia

When Stefan first travelled to South America in 2005, Colombia was off limits. It was a dangerous place to travel and tourists were advised not to come here. When we visited in 2017, so much had changed. It's not only a much safer place, but it's also become one of the more gay friendly countries in Latin America. For example, in 2016 it legalised gay marriage, making it the 6th country in the Americas to do so after Canada (2005), Argentina (2010), Uruguay (2013), Brazil (2013) and the USA (2015).

Most of the big cities in Colombia have their own gay scenes, particularly Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena, and they also have their own gay prides taking place in late June/early July. The largest is the “Orgullo Gay” of Bogota, with around 50,000 people gathering. Bogota Pride is one of our favourites because it has the best after party – at the famous “Theatron” – the largest gay club in South America. Theatron is a mega club complex with 13 clubs inside with around 5,000 people. It is one of the best gay parties we’ve ever been to in our travels and reason alone to visit Bogota.

For the most up-to-date information about the next Bogota Pride, join their Facebook group and check their Facebook page. You can also read more about what it's like growing up gay in Colombia with our interview with Jesus from Barranquilla.

Explore Colombia on a gay tour

Out Adventures' brand new Colombia tour is hotter than Maluma! Beginning in Bogotá, the carefree escape will have you shaking your arepa at the largest LGBTQ club in the Americas, hiking humid jungles in Tayrona National Park, and soaking up the country's sand, sun, and sea in coastal Cartagena. The optional gay salsa class, food tour, and snorkeling excursion make this adventure muy caliente!

Find out more

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:

• These are the biggest and best gay prides in the world
• As well as the best gay prides in Spain
• Make sure you check out what to expect of Barcelona pride, one of our favorites
• Along with our New York City pride guide
• Find out why we love attending London gay pride each year
• Be inspired by these sexy gay pride outfit ideas
• And make sure you pack these must-have gay pride accessories