Gay Travel Mexico: Spotlight on the Zona Rosa
sydney on Jun 14th 2009
One of the best gay Mexico spots is to spend time in is The Zona Rosa, knowns as the “gayborhood” in Mexico City. This translates into “pink zone” – there is also the Zona Rojo – the “red zone” as in, red light district. (Make sure you know which one you want to go to if you’re giving a cabbie directions)! Apart from the large gay population, it’s also got a high concentration of Korean immigrants. So perhaps a large ratio of gay Koreans?
The vibe here is super lively and flamboyant in this district in Colonia Juárez. It’s smack near the center of Mexico City, and it’s one of the city’s most touristy spots – there are numerous lively hotels, restaurants, dance clubs, bars, various types of entertainment and lots of shopping options. The streets are filled with merchants trying to get your attention – strip club promoters, people offering goods, services and tourist information.
Gay & Lesbian Mexico Hot Deals!
Zona Rosa is a business district and the home of the Mexican Stock Exchange, HSBC, and various other banks and offices. The straight and gay nightlife in Zona Rosa is hopping, but other areas have built up more of a club scene in the recent years, so those looking for the trendier bars may go elsewhere. Although It’s not as much of a hotspot as it used to be, it’s still busy busy with Canadian, US, and European tourists as well as locals.
Getting Around Zona Rosa:
By metro: Get off at Insurgentes Station (Line 1, pink). The station exits in the plaza in the center of Glorieta de Insurgentes.
By bus (packed but cheap and quick): Cruise down Chapultepec Avenue, ask the driver to drop you at Florencia Avenue.
By car: If you really want to brave driving in Mexico City, you can access the area via Niza Avenue, Reforma Avenue or Insurgentes Avenue. Parking will cost around $14 pesos an hour, parking meters $10 an hour, or you can opt for restaurant valet parking for $30 to $45 pesos. If you do use a meter, put in enough money, damnit, as they won’t just ticket you, but will throw a wheel lock on your car and you’ll have to pay a pretty penny to get it back.
By turibus: Double decker fun, hop on and off this tourist bus that runs along Paseo de la Reforma and throughout other areas of the city. You can depart Zona Rosa at the Angel de Independencia for connections to pyramids, the south of the city and the tourist route.
Filed in Mexico
I stayed in the Zona Rosa and found it an easy area to begin foot tours, do shopping and find easy access to and from the tourist sites. Things stay busy enough to walk around from restaurants and bars into the night without feeling uneasy.
Every city should have an area like the Zona Rosa! It is not a “gay ghetto” it is stylish with a little bit of everything for everyone.
Suerte!