We will never forget the gay scene of Bogota!
One minute, we were dancing under the disco lights to Cher's ‘Believe', the next, we were in the adjacent room, getting down to some Latino-infused techno. Moving between 13 rooms of music, each with a different style or atmosphere, we had a baker's dozen worth of experiences in a single night.
This is Theatron – a mega-club built from the ruins of an old cinema; where most of the Bogota gay boys end their Saturday night and party until the early hours of Sunday. After paying a visit to it, you know nothing else you do that night can top it!
Theatron is the biggest gay club in Latin America where most of the Bogota gay boys end their Saturday night
But where do all the gay boys of Bogota head to before congregating at the mother of all gay clubs? After all, Theatron doesn't really get busy until after midnight.
We found the gay scene of Bogota to be full of many excellent bars. There is something for everyone, no matter what you're into. In this guide, we've put together some of the best gay bars in Bogota to head for a drink before partying the night away.
The gay scene of Bogota
The gay scene of Bogota is mainly based around Chapinero, located north from the downtown area of Candelaria. There are over 100 LGBTQ establishments in the area alone including bars, clubs, cafes, shops and more.
Theatron is, of course, the main highlight, where we strongly recommend you head to on a Saturday night in Bogota. For more about the best gay hangouts, where to stay, things to do and more, check out our detailed gay travel guide to Bogota.
El Recreo de Adan
With a name that translates to “the creation of Adam“, El Recreo de Adan bar is certainly the ideal place to start the creation of your night…!
With eye-popping artwork on the walls, brightly coloured panels, beanbag chairs, chatty (and super cute!) staff, this place has a brilliant communal spirit that encourages everyone to speak to one another. For us, this was definitely our favourite gay bar in Bogota outside of the almighty Theatron.
Be sure to try out the “Crazy Margarita”, which is pretty daunting when you first see it: we were a bit taken aback when we saw the waiter bring it out loaded with syringes! Seb thought for a moment we were about to be drugged…
The lighthearted soul of the place was truly contagious. After a couple of minutes of entering, we found ourselves in the centre of an impassioned game of UNO (we almost broke up after Stef pulled out the reverse card attack!), as well as other fun activities like Jenga and Scrabble.
El Recreo de Adan was so popular that a second bar opened up. The first is located at Cra.12a #79-45 in the northern part of Chapinero and the second is located towards the south of the neighbourhood at Cra. 9 #59-85. They are open daily (except Mondays) from 5 pm till around 3 am (midnight on Sundays).
El Perro y La Calandria
In the mood for a rumba? Then El Perro y La Calandria is the place for you! Also known as ‘The Dog and the Calendar', this bar is open late – until around 2.30am.
With giant screens, heavy tech music, and epic drag performers, dancing in this place felt like being a part of a grand party.
Drinks were reasonably priced, which is good, considering our weakness for cocktails. It's definitely a place you'd nip into for a quick natter with friends before heading out on the town.
El Perro y La Calandria is open daily from 5 pm until 2:30 am and it is located at Cra. 9 #59-16 in Chapinero.
STAY WITH A GAY LOCAL
Misterb&b is the Airbnb equivalent for the LGBTQ community. Unlike on Airbnb, you know your host is gay, avoiding any nasty surprises when you check in. It is also a great way to meet gay locals and discover the underground gay scene. Click below to get 10 € (or $10) off your first booking.
La Estación Cafe
Calling themselves ‘the gay cult' of Chapinero, we received the kind of reception at La Estación that made us feel as if we had frequented it for many many years.
With a warm atmosphere, it was the perfect place to chill out, listen to some good music, and watch funny videos on the screens before heading out. The music is a mix of pop/rock anthems in both English and Spanish. This is also the perfect place to get a quick bite to eat from a menu filled with lots of tasty Colombian treats.
Handy tip: if you sign up on their website, you can claim a free cocktail.
La Estación Cafe is open daily from 4 pm till around 3 am (1 am on Sundays). It is located at Calle 62, No. 7-13, which is in the heart of Chapinero.
Leos Bar Mistica
A newer kid on the block, Leos Bar Mistica is a unique and fresh face on the Bogota gay scene. With a dance floor of a pretty decent size for a bar, some might just decide to stay here for the entire evening!
Described as a ‘bear cave', we noticed lots of hot daddies on the prowl! Although this might not be for everyone, we absolutely loved it and recommend it to the over 30s crowd. Look out for their Monday-Friday 2 for 1 Happy Hour and also for some of their themed nights like “Fiesta Blanca” (White Party) and rumba shows on Saturday evenings.
Leos Bar is open daily from 2 pm until 3 am (on weekends until 6 am) and is located at Cl. 59, No. 9-36 in Chapinero.
Village Cafe
With catchy music that is played at a moderate level (all the better to hear you with, my dear!), the Village Cafe is a friendly, warm bar that got us pumped for a night out at Theatron.
The interior has a lush atmosphere, with luminous pink lighting, stained glass windows, and deep velvet curtains. In fact, we thought we'd stumbled into some type of storybook when we stepped in. With deep purple walls, photos that depict a host of cartoonish caricatures, and quaint furnishings; this bar fused together elegance, with whimsical wonder. Basically, it gave us, drama queens, our ideal fantasy, as it felt like a castle condensed into a quaint little room…you have to check out Village Cafe just for its fantastic decor!
One of the best nights to head here is on Saturdays and Sundays when they have karaoke. Also, look out for the “Quick Dates” speed dating-type events on Thursdays.
The Village Cafe is open daily (except Mondays) from 4 pm until 10 pm (1 am on weekends), and it is located at Cra. 8 #64-29 in Chapinero.
Color House Cafe Bar
With a name like this, we were expecting a color-ful night…and boy, was it something! We couldn't get enough of the cheesy anthems and the eclectic crowd.
Having been on the gay Bogota scene for 11 years, this is a place that knows how to please its patrons. Color House is a stone's throw away from Theatron, so if you're planning on heading there for the night, a quick layover here is a must.
Color House Cafe Bar is open daily (except Sundays) from 5:30 pm until around 3 am, and it is located at Carrera 9A No60-74 in Chapinero.
Tabu Cafe Bar
Stepping into the Tabu Cafe Bar, our jaws dropped to the floor. In what appeared to be a carnival-like setting, we saw hoops dangling from the ceiling, balconies circling the dance floor, and confetti blasting from canons.
This was an experience like no other. With friendly clientele, delicious drinks, and an epic music playlist, this felt like the perfect prefix to an epic night out on the town.
We got chatting with some locals who told us about how the bar throws some exquisite performances. We were lucky to see a really cool show by one of the drag queens, yet we would love to go back to see some of the other stuff they put on. From rumba nights to circus acts, it really seemed like Tabu had the ability to shapeshift each night depending on the mood of its patrons.
Tabu Cafe Bar is open daily (except Tuesdays) from 7 pm to 3 am. It is located quite far out from Chapinero at 1 De Mayo #69A-13 in the Carvajal neighbourhood. It took us around 40 minutes to get here by taxi (from Chapinero), which annoyingly can increase a lot in the infamous Bogota traffic.
Punto 59
Well… this bar really stood out for us. Why? Whilst some bars take on a circus-y vibe, others decorate themselves in gay iconography; this one adorned itself with a space-like vibe! With geometric shapes fitted into the furnishing, such as zigzagging staircases and balcony handles, to UFO-shaped lighting fixtures, we were literally taken out of this world by the atmosphere at Punto 59.
The drinks were pretty decent too, but honestly, we were more taken by the gorgeousness of the staff and patrons. A really fun night out and another one of our favourites gay bars in Bogota alongside El Recreo de Adan. We also loved that this is one of the few places other than Theatron that has a late licence on weekends when it's open until 6 am.
Punto 59 is open daily from 6 pm to 3 am (and until 6 am on weekends). It is is located at Cra 13 # 59 24 Int 6 in Chapinero.
Brokeback Mountain Cafe Bar
What happens in the tent, stays in the tent…just like what happens in any gay bar, stays in the gay bar…
Yes, it's called Brokeback Mountain after the incredible gay cowboy movie. No, we didn't see Jake Gyllenhaal here (unfortunately). But at the very least, the cocktails were divine.
Although, if we were to be picky, we found the service to be a bit slow and they mixed up the orders quite a lot. Nevertheless, we had a fun night and found ourselves asking ‘why can't I quit you?' as we were leaving (get it?)…
Brokeback Mountain Cafe Bar is open daily (except Mondays) from 5 pm until around 3 am. It is located at Cl. 60 #28 in Chapinero.
Theatron De Película
Whilst Theatron is a famous club, it also has heaps of bars inside where you can enjoy a few drinks. There are at least 10 different bars inside this uber complex, as well as a restaurant. Each one is themed, for example, there is a 70s bar next to the upstairs outdoor courtyard area, a female-only bar (which turns into a dancing area later in the night), a bar area for drag shows on Saturdays and a male-only rooftop bar area, which has some pretty raunchy strip shows.
The bonus? The entry fee of 50,000 pesos ($15) includes open bar (yes OPEN bar) until 2 am!
Theatron is open only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from around 9 pm to 4 am. Note that on Thursdays and Fridays, not all the bars/clubrooms are open, whereas on Saturdays all areas are open. Theatron is located at Calle 58 # 10-18 in Chapinero.
OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL TIPS
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For more inspiration:
- Make sure you check out our full gay city guide to Bogota before you go
- If you're travelling with your partner then you might also like some inspiration for truly romantic things to do in Bogota as well
- Find out what it's like to grow up gay in Colombia in our interview with local boy Jesus
- If you're travelling on from Bogota make sure you also check out our full gay country guide to Colombia
- Find out the best Colombian food and drink you need to try while you're at it!
- Check out our gay city guide to Cartagena
- AND our gay guide to the city of Medellin
- If you're travelling to Medellin as well then don't miss this article about the incredible Medellin flower festival
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