Like any country, if there is going to be a gay scene it is going to be the biggest in the capital city.
If you are flying to Costa Rica, you are likely to be flying in to San Jose.
Most people move straight on, but we think it is worth spending the weekend here first, there are a lot of gay bars in San Jose to check out first.
Its relatively modern by Latin America standards and is said to be one of the safest and least violent cities in the region. We felt perfectly safe while we were here and at night, used Uber to be extra safe.
For a complete and detailed guide to Costa Rica as a whole, head over to our guide, Gay Travel in Costa Rica.
Gay Bars in San Jose, Costa Rica
We had one of the craziest nights out yet in San Jose.
A lot of bars have the concept that you pay your entry fee and then its an open bar (which can be somewhat dangerous if like us your are a lightweight!).
Here is our list of gay bars and clubs in San Jose:
Club Teatro
This is another larger dance club.
Here you can expect to find drag shows, themed nights such as Glitter & Glam and then dedicated night to celebrities Beyonce and Demi Lovato.
This costs $15-$20 to enter depending on the night and the time you arrive but includes an open bar.
Crowd: Mostly younger mixed crowd
Music: Pop, house, electronic, remixes
Location: Av 16, San José, 10103
La Avispa
This is a long running (since 1979) gay bar and disco.
It plays diverse music, runs shows, and special events. On Sundays it has Latin evenings!
Crowd: Mixed crowd
Music: Salsa, samba and merengue and pop chart hits
Location: Calle 1, Avenida 8 & 10, San José, Costa Rica
Oráculo, Bar and Grill
This is one of the more risqué clubs you will find in San Jose. Its open every night and you can expect strippers, gay erဝtic n*ked shows, gay darkroom, shows, underwear nights, n*ked nights etc.
Crowd: Mixed ages, fetish
Music: Mixed (People probably don’t go for the music)
Location: Calle 11, Av 8 & 10, upstairs
El 13
In the daytime this place is a café. During the night it becomes a trendy upscale dance club and lounge. They have shows and themed parties.
Crowd: Trendy young mixed.
Location: Avenida 14, Calle 9
Club Venue
Now permanently closed.
Bocho (Bo Club)
Now permanently closed.
Buenas Vibraciones
This was a Lesbian-owned bar but is now permanently closed.
Pucho’s
Appears to no longer be running.
We were pleasnatly surprised by the number of gay bars in San Jose, we had no idea that (overall) Costa Rica had sucha thriving and welcoming gay scene – we will definately be back for more.
Please let us know if any new bars open!
