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Noted travel writer Andrew Collins has called Guadalajara “Latin America's most underrated gay urban getaway.” Anyone who’s been will know what he is talking about. Mexico’s second largest city is a few hours from Puerto Vallarta, meaning many travelers include both on their itinerary. This colorful colonial-era old city has streets lined with graceful mansions and towering baroque churches. Many old home have been turned into B&Bs, including a few that are run by and for gay men.

The many gay bars and clubs are one reason this has become a gay mecca. The scene is constantly changing, with new places opening as others close, and they range from swanky lounges to multi-level dance clubs that turn the beat around until dawn. Most are located a short stroll from downtown’s Plaza Tapita (which also happens to be cruisy after dark) busy with crowds of mostly young guys. Many of the clubs feature male strip shows, some nude, plus dark rooms and play spaces for fooling around with a new friend. If you’re exhausted from all that partying, you can relax the next day at one of the city’s saunas. Connoisseurs shouldn’t pass up the local tequila, as the liquor hails from the nearby town that gave it its name.

Guadalajara’s annual Pride is held in late May or early June. There are ten days of celebrations including fiestas, dance parties, art exhibitions, concerts, parades, pageants, a film festival, and a carnival.

 

Getting here
Guadalajara International Airport is one of the busiest in the country. Getting to your hotel will mean a local bus, shuttle bus, taxi, or limo.

Puerto Vallarta, in the same state of Jalisco, is just over five hours away by car or coach. Mexico City is about seven hours by road. ETN (website in English) is one of several companies offering modern inter-city coach service, with eleven daily arrivals from Vallarta, and twenty from Mexico City from this company alone. They also connect Guadalajara with over 70 other Mexican cities, and some of their coaches offer Wi-Fi access.

 

Getting around town
Taxis may often be the best option, and a rental car is handy for visiting out-of-the-way sights. Buses are always packed, and drivers may or may not stop (even if you wave); also bus stops may or may not be marked, and there are no set schedules. Should you want to try anyway, the main stations are at Central Vieja and Central Nueva. Take exact change with you. A guide to bus routes is sold at most downtown magazine kiosks. Find rider information, in Spanish, for the Macrobus bus rapid transit system at the Siteur website.

The Tren Ligero light rail system is easier to use. On an underground and surface network of 29 stations on two lines, the trains run about every 15 minutes between 6am and 10:30pm. Unfortunately the stations aren't close enough to most favorite tourist destinations.

 

Currency and Money
Mexico’s currency is the peso, which is divided into 100 centavos. In 2016 the exchange rate ranged from 17-20 pesos to the US dollar. See XE for current rates. ATMs are everywhere in the city, so there’s no need to carry a lot of cash.

 

Media & Resources

GayGDL.mx is the best information resource and guide to gay bars/clubs, saunas, cafes and services in Guadalajara. GayMexico also has area maps and guides. Ohm is the national Mexican gay magazine.

The website of Urbana Magazine is down, but their facebook page has events listings, and there's a monthly print edition in circulation around town.

El Closet LGBT and  Soy Homosensual (facebook) are other sites of interest.

SCTours (Marseille 80, upstairs) is a travel agency that caters to gay and lesbian travellers to Mexico and the world.

For local general-public English language information see the Guadalajara Reporter.

For map locations and website links to the businesses below, and more, see our gay Guadalajara listings pages.

 

Accommodations

Casa Alebrijes (Libertad 1016; 52-33-3614-5232), boutique hotel, rooms and suites for gay men and women and friends, garden patio, remarkable fountain, near gay nightlife and tourist sites.

Del Carmen Concept Hotel Boutique (Jacobo Gálvez 45; 52-33-3614-2640), uniquely stylish rooms/ suites, cableTV, heat/AC, WiFi, cafe/bar, terrace.

Dickinson Guest House (San Uriel 338) large home, easy taxi to downtown, perfect for a groups up to 8 to visit from beach resorts for long weekend party. Sat phones/free calls to US/Canada, WiFi, full cable TV, washer/dryer, breakfast.

Hotel Francés (Maestranza 35; 52-33-3613-1190), city's first hotel 400 years old, modern amenities, great old world atmosphere, penthouse suite, good prices, restaurant and bar.

Hotel Portobelo (Juarez 687; 52-33-3614-6751), 75 rooms at the center, buffet restaurant/ bar, WiFi, AC, in-room or breakfast buffetfast, cable TV.

Hostel Lit (Degollado 413; 52-33-1200-5505), central rooms, under US$15 per person/night, breakfast included, all new furniture and bedding; semi-private rooms with cable TV, internet, sauna and massage services, solarium, terrace,

Hotel San Francisco Plaza (Degollado 267; 52-33-3613-3256), colonial-style building, pleasant rooms, singles/doubles or suites with balcony, cable TV, at heart of the scene, traditional Mexican restaurant.

NH Collection Guadalajara Centro Histórico (Colon 73; 52-33-3942-5200), 142 rooms/suites at the center, restaurant and bar, gym, AC, WiFi, TV.

Old Guadalajara B&B (Belen 236; 52-33-3613-9958), central location, unpretentious luxury, 16th-century former convent house, opera, museums, restaurants, cathedral nearby. WiFi access, spacious suites, private baths, interior patio garden.

Villa Ganz (López Cotilla 1739, Americana; 52-33-3120-1416), ten suites, 1930s mansion, gourmet meals, 24-hr en suite dining, 24-hr honor bar, gym access, terrace, garden, concierge/tours, business center.

See another dozen options at our map & listings hotel pages.

 

Going out

Angels After Party Club (López Cotilla 1495), weekend dance club, top DJs; Saturday pre-hours cocktails and after-hours dancing 'til 11am Sunday, valet parking, lockers, VIP areas.

Babel (Morelos 741), weekend dance club, shower go-go boys, resident and guest DJs, young mostly male crowd, pop and electro music zones, performers.

Cabaret 159 (Galeana 159, upstairs), lively drag cabaret show bar, open nightly, karaoke Tuesdays.

California's Bar (Pedro Moreno 652), small and packed cantina and dance club; guys of all ages.

Caudillos Bamboo Cantina (Maestranza 223), Thursday-Sunday gay and straight mixed dancing, sexy strippers, cruise area.

Caudillos Disco (Calle Prisciliano Sánchez 407), gay dance club with terrace, male strippers, drag show, cowboys.

Caudillos Galeana (Galeana 293), weekend disco on two levels, karaoke, terrace bar, go-go dancers, cheap beer; billed as "youngest, most fun crowd" downstairs; upstairs drag shows.

Dolce Veele | Six Colors Bar (Enrique G Martínez 177), home-style Mexican food, theme party rooms, WiFi, beer, wine, cocktails from 4pm, karaoke, drag shows, go-go dancers.

El Ciervo Bar (20 de Noviembre 797), oldest gay cantina in town, local charros, rancheros and machos, jukebox, karaoke, snacks.

El Condado Bar (Colon 440), 6:30pm Wednesday-Sunday, Saturday 'til 5am, gay cowboy and karaoke bar, Wednesday drag show.

Envy Guadalajara (Avenida de la Paz 2315, Zona Rosa/ Paseo Chapultepec), Saturday night gay/mixed dance club, late hours.

Equilibrio Discoteque (Ocampo 293), gay/mixed bar/disco, DJs, drag shows.

Green Light (Madero 494), art gallery photography, paintings; gay video/eco-bar and cafe, large terrace area, WiFi, singles nights.

Maskaras Disco Bar (Maestranza 238), Tuesday through Sunday gay showbar and dance club, drag shows, comedy.

Milk Night Couture (Lopez Cotilla 2043), gay dance club/ lounge, go-go boys.

La Gozadera (López Cotilla 611), friendly & casual gay locals' neighborhood cantina/ dive bar.

La Medusa Bar (Ocampo 229), daily 3pm-1am gay/mixed dance club, live music.

La Minerva Bar (8 de Julio 73), gay karaoke bar, nude male strippers, drag shows.

La Prisciliana (Prisciliano Sánchez 394), gay cafe/bar above Club YeYe, snacks, cocktails, coffee drinks.

La Taberna de Caudillos (Enrique Gonzalez Martinez 216), gay show bar, patio, live music, nude male strippers, drag shows.

La Terraza de Chapu (Chapultepec Sur 255, Zona Rosa), Thursday - Saturday gay and mixed cocktail bar from 5pm, drag cabaret, terrace seatings, snacks.

Open Night Club (Francisco de Quevedo 117, Arcos), gay and mixed dance club, go-go boys and girls, theme nights, shows.

Seven Sins (Pedro Moreno 532), top-rated DJs, 2 dance floors, cocktail lounge and desert bar, dark room beds for whatever "sins" you crave.

Voltio Bar (Mexicaltzingo 1521), leather, bears, men's bar, erotic shows, guest porn stars, site for November Leather/Fetish Fest.

YeYé Club (Prisciliano Sánchez 396), central, all-week neighborhood video bar, snacks and basic meals, mostly women young crowd.

 

Restaurants

Gato Negro (Emeterio Robles Gil 59, Americana), pozole, tacos, encheladas, tortas, pizza, burgers, baguettes, pastas, soups, salads, sweet and savory crepes.

Kissa Café at Rompicapo (Frias 323, Centro), breakfast omelets, hotcakes, fruit plates; lunch pastas, pizza, burgers, panini, salads; coffees/lattes, teas/chai, chocolate, juice, desserts.

Tacos Gay (Prisciliano Sánchez 391A, Centro), Mexican fast-food stand on gay corner at Ocampo opposite YeYé; inexpensive, open nightly, friendly English-speaking staff.

See another two dozen nearby restaurants and cafes.

 

Saunas

Baños La Fuente (Manuel Acuña, 1107, Santa Tere), small, modern, bear-popular neighborhood sauna/steam for men, massage services, dark room, patio.

El Arenal (Leandro Valle 944), downtown sauna and gym, soda fountain social area, free WiFi, cabins; open daily 10am to 9:30pm.

Renacer Day Spa (Amado Nervo 106), men's spa, sauna, garden Jacuzzi/ immersion tub, massages, food and bar drinks, under age 23 discounts.

Riilax Sauna (Venustiano Carranza 313), sauna, steam and gym facilities, large Jacuzzi, massage, sun deck, private rooms, TV lounge, bar drinks and snacks, WiFi/ computer access.

El Sotano Cantina & Sauna (Galeana 159, at López Cotilla), men's sauna/steam, massage services, bar; attached to Cabaret 159 Showbar & Club.

 

Escorts

Note: as a North American website we can no longer link to escort service sites - see local GDL media/websites for information.

 

Shops and services

Charchek Underwear (Marsella 80), good quality, design, price; young, dynamic crew; variety of fabrics, cuts, patterns, and accessories for body parts requiring comfort, ventilation and support.

Mosko (Antonio Pedro Buzeta 424), hard-to-find elsewhere men's casual and clubbing fashions, briefs, boxers, jocks, good variety of many brands.

Ziniko Underwear (Enrique Diaz de Leon, 502), men's designer underwear, swimsuits.

For our coverage of the large and famous gay beach resort a few hours away, see Puerto Vallarta