Gay bars in old san juan

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From the colorful streets of Condado to the artistic vibes of Santurce, the city offers a diverse range of gay bars that cater to every taste. However, location wise, the Old Town is a much prettier area and then venue wise, Meet Macerena which is ten minutes south of Santurce is my favorite overall.

Let me share the best gay bars in San Juan with you…

The Best Gay Bars in San Juan, Puerto Rico

SX The Club

SX The Club was one of my favorite gay bars in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Now operating as part of the Loews Hotels collection (and sometimes referred to as Loews Hotel 1000), this upscale property blends sophisticated metropolitan style with the distinctive character of the Pacific Northwest. With so many options to choose from, it’s time to dive into the vibrant nightlife that San Juan has to offer and discover your new favorite spot!

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We scoured through the internet and read through 17 reputable sites and blogs like Lonely Planet and dailyxtratravel.com.

It’s a good sized but the name in this case it quite literal – it is pitch black. Seriously, this app does it all!

This site and app let me do all the planning for our 15 day trip in a little over 6 hours! The organization this app provides has taken a huge weight off my shoulders.

Puerto Rico Gay Bars

Hotel 1000

Hotel 1000 is a luxury urban resort located in the heart of downtown Seattle at the intersection of 1000 First Avenue and Madison Street. DREAMCATCHER by DW is adults-only and low-key for a quieter reset. Reviews mention a mix of straight and gay in the crowd and that the drag show was very entertaining.

LadyBug

The only gay bar in San Juan where you can be the DJ using their app.

You’ll find a visible queer scene, lots of mixed crowds, and a city that’s easy to do without a car if you stay near Condado, Ocean Park, or Old San Juan. Or perhaps you’d prefer the eclectic atmosphere of La Factoría, where you can explore multiple bars under one roof.

San Juan works well for LGBTQ+ travel because you can keep it simple: beach time by day, Old San Juan streets and bars at night, and quick rides between areas.

I loved that it had a little bit of everything here and plenty of different spaces – it also, in my humble opinion, had the prettiest guys….

The cocktails here were particularly good, and I am fussy when it comes to cocktails!

La Sombrilla Rosa

Over to Old San Juan, La Somrilla Rosa is a very cute queer bar to visit in Old San Juan.

El Cafetin

Not a gay bar per se, but with the hot bartenders stripping off their shirts each night you can see why this is indeed popular with the gays.

Well worth a visit and a great vibe!

For nightlife, hit La Sombrilla Rosa on Calle San Sebastián for cocktails and crowd energy, Tía María’s Liquor Store in Hato Rey for old-school bar vibes and pool tables, and Atrévete Bar & Café for DJs, karaoke, and a dance-friendly dinner stop. January gives you the SanSe energy, while March and April feel calmer but still lively. The only light inside is from a candle at the bar which the bartender uses to make drinks!

This is near Condado beach (one of the gay beaches in Puerto Rico) so is often busy with beach goes at the end of the day at the weekend.

Mike’s Bar “El Cojo”

A more local and casual gay bar with a small dance floor.

La Cantina

Small local gay bar with karaoke.

The best window is mid-January to April. See our San Juan Trip Planner.

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Clearly there is plenty of gay bars in San Juan to keep everyone happy! The hotel has received numerous accolades for its design, service, and amenities, including recognition on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List. There is a good selection, some aimed at different crowds and it some evern offering a darkroom if that is your scene.

The first four gay bars in San Juan mentioned below, SX The Club, Toxic, El Purgatorio and Kweens are all within a block of each other in Santurce.

Beyond that there are some in the Old Town of San Juan and some others dotted around but never more than a short taxi journey away from each other.

If you want to do a little gay bar crawl in San Juan, Santurce is a good spot so you can try a few options.