This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Latin America is a vast region of over 656 million inhabitants. Stretching across two continents, it’s a storied location where people and cultures from Europe, Africa, the Americas and elsewhere mixed and settled. Spanish and Portuguese, vestiges of two rival superpowers, are the dominant languages. The ancient empires, Aztec, Incan, Mayan and others, still make their presence known — from the archaeological highlights of museums to the living spectacles of carnivals, parades and religious celebrations, like the macabre Day of the Dead and the continued worship of goddesses like Yemanjá brought from the West African coast.
The region’s powerhouse cities are where LGBTQ+ nightlife, culture and political progress are most visible, from the Beaux-Arts streets of Buenos Aires to the sun-kissed Rio de Janeiro, with its spectacular natural setting of mountains and beaches. Indeed, it’s these sandy stretches many tourists come to Latin America for, whether they’re seeking the golden shores of the Caribbean coast or the dramatic, mountainous landscapes that butt against the Pacific, creating conditions that every surfer dreams of.
The Vallarta Pride Festival in Mexico is a week-long event.
Photograph by Wirestock, Inc. Alamy
Argentina
One of the most thrilling of all Latin American destinations, glamorous Buenos Aires should be the starting point of every Argentine adventure. It’s also one of the world’s leading countries on LGBTQ+ human rights issues — it passed a national same-sex marriage equality law in 2010, five years before the US and three before the UK. Peppered with French Beaux-Arts architecture, Buenos Aires is crisscrossed by grand boulevards and marble-embellished monuments. Visitors will find hundreds of bookshops to explore, the most famous of which, El Ateneo Grand Splendid, is housed in a former theatre. There are cafes, museums and a glittering opera house. To walk along any street, especially the Nueve de Julio, is a dizzying experience.
Where to go at night in Argentina?
Buenos Aires is home to some of the best LGBTQ+ nightlife on the continent, and it’s not for the faint hearted. Things don’t get going until past midnight, with locals out long after sunrise. Club Amerika in the Almagro neighbourhood is the city’s largest nightclub and a centre point of LGBTQ+ nightlife. El Lugar Gay is a small, men-only budget hotel located in the historic San Telmo neighbourhood, an area known for its Sunday antiques fair and tango performances.
Where to see Argentinian culture?
Though a controversial figure in Argentina, former First Lady Eva Perón, better known as Evita, remains one of the country’s most well-known figures — a Dior-clad gay icon to many LGBTQ+ locals, with stars like Madonna, Patti LuPone and Elaine Paige having portrayed her. Her myth, mystery, legend and wardrobe are explored at Museo Evita in the elegant Palermo neighbourhood.
Where to go with family in Argentina?
This nightlife-oriented city has plenty for queer family gaycations, from watching the famous ‘cat ladies’ take care of felines in Recoleta Cemetery to the Abasto neighbourhood’s Museo de los Niños, with educational science activities for children. Argentina’s Patagonian region makes an excellent option for skiing or hiking trips in Bariloche. Those of drinking age will enjoy Mendoza, an important wine region, where the Malbec grape reigns supreme.
How to do it:
HE Travel, one of the oldest gay travel companies in the world, offers a multi-day trip to Argentina taking in Buenos Aires, Patagonia and beyond, with extensions available for Iguazú Falls and Antarctica. Pricing and dates to be determined and have ranged from about $8,000 (£6,250) per person.
Brazil
Few places in Latin America rival the powerhouse experience that is Brazil. One of the largest countries in the world, this South American nation pulsates with a landscape as diverse as its people, with thousands of miles of beachfront, metropolitan cities, mountains and the Amazon rainforest, to name just a few points of interest. With so much to see and do, it’s hard to choose what to start with first in Brazil, and many LGBTQ+ travellers make repeat visits.
Where to go at night in Brazil?
Rio is an effervescent metropolis and former capital where neighbourhoods jostle between mountains and beaches, the giant art deco statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado mountain rising above it all. The highlight of the year is Carnival — the largest such celebration in the world — in February or March, depending on the Easter calendar. It’s all about the beaches here and two are main centres of LGBTQ+ life — Ipanema, especially its Rua Farme de Amoedo gay beach, and the densely urban Copacabana beach, where locals and visitors alike pose for sunset photos with the curvaceous Sugarloaf Mountain in the background. A Brazilian cultural highlight is in Rio’s Flamengo Park, which is home to the Carmen Miranda Museum, celebrating the actress whose oversized fruit-covered headdresses inspired many a drag queen.
Ipanema and Copacabana beach are Rio de Janeiro’s biggest LGBTQ+ friendly hotspots.
Photograph by Angela Macario, Alamy
Where to explore in Brazil?
Visitors will find urban charm in São Paulo, with its contrasting wealthy and impoverished neighbourhoods operating within walking distance of each other. Every May, it hosts a massive gay pride parade with millions of spectators lining Avenida Paulista. Salvador, in the northeastern state of Bahia, is a hotspot for Afro-Brazilian culture. Statues of Yemanjá, mother of orishas (divine spirits) in the Yoruba religion, are everywhere — a nod to the area’s past. A visit to Pelourinho is a highlight for many, its cobblestone streets lined with colourful buildings stretching to stunning vistas.
Where to go with family in Brazil?
For LGBTQ+ family travellers with kids, no trip to Brazil is complete without visiting Iguazú Falls, a series of waterfalls in the country’s south where it edges against Argentina and Paraguay. Several times larger than their North American counterpart, legend says Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed, “Poor Niagara!” upon seeing them.
How to do it:
Out Adventures offers Brazil trips, taking in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo or the Amazon. Contact them for specific dates and pricing
Mexico
Visitors to Mexico should start in its glorious capital, filled wih museums and cultural venues like Palacio de Bellas Artes, with its Beaux Arts facade and art deco interior, or the fascinating National Anthropology Museum. Once the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, the city is centred around the massive Zócalo, a square where Spanish buildings were constructed over ancient temples and pyramids.
Where to see the best of Mexican nightlife?
Only in Zona Rosa — literally the Pink Zone — can travellers find such a dense concentration of LGBTQ+ nightlife. Near the Angel of Independence monument along Avenida de la Reforma, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and other venues popular with LGBTQ+ tourists and locals abound, along with some of the city’s best hotels.
The Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City has been open since the late 1950s.
Photograph by imageBROKER.com GmbH & Co. KG, Alamy
Where to see Mexican culture?
The Frida Kahlo Museum is located in the bohemian Colonia del Carmen neighbourhood. Known as the Casa Azul, this tribute to the bisexual artist has been open to the public since the late 1950s.
Where to explore nature in Mexico?
Mexico’s coastlines offer a wide array of beaches to explore. Cancun and the Riviera Maya on the Yucatán peninsula are among its jewels and the source of much of the country’s income from tourism. Storied Puerto Vallarta, one of Latin America’s most popular LGBTQ+ beach destinations, overlooks the Pacific.
How to do it:
Olivia Travel, aimed primarily at lesbian, trans and bisexual women, offers a six-day cruise to see the whales of Magdalena Bay, stopping in San Carlos, Bahia Almejas and Boca de Soledad. Prices start at $6,299 (£4,939) and includes accommodation, transfers from Loreto Airport, excursions, meals, entrance fees and more.
Peru
Peru is geographically diverse, with beaches, mountains and the western stretches of the Amazon jungle, making it a must-visit spot for nature-seeking travellers.
Where to see the best of Peruvian nightlife?
Peru’s capital, Lima, is a gastronomic paradise, with native cuisine like ceviche, a raw fish and citrus dish, and drinks such as the pisco sour a popular choice. The country’s large and influential Japanese population has also impacted the culture and the cuisine. The main LGBTQ+ area is garden-like district Miraflores, the name of which means ‘look at the flowers’. Sadly, two prominent gay nightlife spots, Lola Bar and Discoteca Legendaris, have recently closed; luckily, a number of new joints are in the works. However, ValeTodo DownTown, a bar central to the strong gay residential presence here, remains open and thriving.
Where to go on an outdoor adventure in Peru?
One of the reasons many visitors come to Peru is to trace the country’s ancient Incan roots. Two of the world’s most coveted bucket-list destinations are in Peru: the ancient Andean temple complex Machu Picchu with its stunning views, and Cusco, which was a capital of the Incan Empire. Visitors will come across colonial buildings representing the Spanish conquest built on top of ancient temples, the periods of architecture instantly recognisable via differing stonework. A rickety train traverses a stunning mountain pass to connect Cusco and Machu Pichu, allowing for day trips. More adventurous travellers can hike the various Inca Trails over several days, finding lesser-known historic ruins along the way.
How to do it:
Zoom Adventures offers a week-long tour of Lima, Cusco and Machu Pichu including accommodation at five-star hotels, all breakfasts and transfers, from $6,499 (£5,075) per person.
Chile
While certain parts of Latin America might be known for a degree of brashness, travellers will find a more reserved destination when they visit Chile. Santiago, the capital, stretches along the city’s main thoroughfare, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins, and sits either side of the Mapocho River.
What to do at nighttime in Chile?
The gay heart of Santiago is in the quaint district Barrio Bellavista, much of which dates to the 1920s. Chile is a former Spanish colony, and these influences can be seen in much of the area’s architecture, from the terracotta shingles to the white stucco walls. At night, the district comes alive with music and partying, as locals and visitors head to clubs, restaurants and bars, many with live music. The neighbourhood is dominated by San Cristóbal Hill and its statue of the Virgin Mary, a symbol of the city, connected by a not-always-functioning funicular.
Where to see Chilean culture?
Argentina’s Mendoza on the other side of the Andes might be South America’s better known wine region, but Chile has one of the continent’s largest. What makes it even more ideal for visitors to the capital is that there’s no need to fly to a second destination. The wine region surrounds Santiago, most of it within an hour-and-a half drive by car or organised tour to Casablanca Valley, the Maipo region or the Central Valley, where wineries like Concha y Toro create magical elixirs from Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes.
How to do it:
HE Travel offers a 10-day Patagonia tour of Chile taking in Puanta Arenas, Magdalena Island, Torres Del Paine National Park, the Pingo Valley and Puerto Natales, from $8,298 (£6,483) per person (shared room option) including all breakfasts, six lunches and six dinners.
Published in the Latin America Collection 2024, distributed with the May 2024 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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