Buenos Aires’ most popular gay club, Amerika has three floors of music and room for 1,800 people meaning here there is something for everyone — gay or straight.

The roots of the Amerika gay club scene harkens back to the days of Argentina’s repressive military government when it was still taboo –and even dangerous– to be gay in Buenos Aires. At that time, the privacy of the clients was the name of the game. By the time Amerika debuted as Buenos Aires’ largest gay club in 2000, things had started to change and the owners of this mega club were only to happy lead the charge. Originally frequented mostly by gay guys, Amerika now has a reputation of being a definitively hetero-friendly club where anyone queer or straight is welcome to let their freak flag fly.

Although not as popular with foreigners as many of the city’s other large clubs, here you’ll find a congenial straight-gay mix with loads of glam boys eager to strut their stuff, a smattering of lipstick lesbians and hetero kids eager to get in on all the dance floor fun.

Straight girls love this place because they can dance without being constantly harangued by the sometimes-relentless machos of Buenos Aires. Secure straight guys swear this is one of the best places to pick up girls because the atmosphere is relaxed and the odds are in their favor.

On three dance floors, each with their own name; Carribean, Continental and Crystal,  you’ll hear techno, house, cumbia, and dance hits including an abundance of Lady Gaga among a varied crowd that isn’t afraid to let it all hang out. Those 18 years old and up are permitted entrance but the crowd tends to be 21 and over — sometimes way over.

Amerika has opened and closed a few times through the years for permit violations, and some gripe that the vibe changed when they started with a canilla libre (all-you-can-drink) policy a few years back, but its still a great destination to dance all night among the smoke machines and bubbles. These days the entrance tends to be a little pricey for many young locals unless they can drink their weight in alcohol. The cover charge ranges from AR$40-$70 and gets you free drinks all night — if you can manage to weasel your way past the thirsty and sweaty crowds to actually reach the bar.

Amerika
Gascon 1040/corner Cordoba
Almagro
Tel: 4865-4416

• Hours: Thurs—Sundays from 12 am
• Costs: Fri. & Sat: AR70; Thur & Sun: $AR40
•Entrance free for birthday boys and girls

It is refreshing to see some decent live rock in a crowded Buenos Aires nightclub, even though you’re more likely to hear covers rather than originals. Expect the usual Buenos Aires favorites; The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, Hendrix etc., to be suitably honored on the stage in all their sweaty, bare-chested glory with lighting, video displays and sound system on-par with rock venues of similar size worldwide.

The heavily-inked crowds are friendly enough and definitely how to party in true rock ‘n’ roll style, even if a few seem to be stuck in an 80’s time warp. Since not many tourists make it to the Roxy, foreigners can easily scam their way into the VIP area to throw back Quilmes beer with band members and a seemingly endless supply of groupie-types. Don’t worry if you don’t know anyone, a love of heavy guitar music is all you need to feel welcome (although some body art and piercings may help). You might even run into an Argentinean rock icon such as Gustavo Ceratti or Charly Garcia, who have been known to play and party (and in Garcia’s case, fight) here. Bands usually start their sets around 2-3 am and the party goes on into the sunlight hours.

The ambiance in the dance music zone is equally energetic, fuelled by some talented DJs and a fun-loving crowd. Expect to hear house music on the weekends from the resident DJs, although occasionally you’ll find theme nights (such as 70’s disco). While this isn’t one of Buenos Aires’s mega clubs in terms of size (the capacity is 1,500) the mood is a little more intimate, perhaps even ‘exclusive’. Here you can bust your best moves without stepping all over fellow revelers, as the dance floor is not crammed to subway-at-peak-hour extremes. The DJs start at 1am, but, as usual, you’ll feel a little lonely until the crowd rolls in a couple of hours later.

Check the website to see what acts are playing. On an average night expect to pay AR$20 for women and AR$30 for men to get through the door, although there may be a discount if you get there early. The bar here is well stocked, but once you receive the tab you’ll realize why everyone drinks elsewhere before arriving. The drinks add up, but you can’t put a price on partying like a rock star in Buenos Aires.

— by Dan Colasimone

The Roxy —$$/$$$
Casares and Sarmiento Avenues (Arcos de Sol, in front of the Planetarium)
Palermo
Hours: Fri & Sat: 12 am—5:30 am
Tel: 4777-0997

The classes, given by Cuban instructors, are low-cost and usually included in modest entrance fee. Azucar is a fun place to salsa the night away, whether is be at the original Abasto location or their newer disco in Belgrano.
A popular night is Tuesday, when there is a free salsa and meringue class from 10 until 11:00 pm. Afterward you can stay on and dance with other students and long-time Salseros until the wee hours.

Corrientes 3330
Abasto
Tel: 4865-3103

The Belgrano location of Azucar, with its restaurant, ‘Asere’ and three floors of action is twice the size of the Abasto location and hosts a more well-to-do crowd.  This location has classes everyday including weekends– on Fridays at 9:30 pm, Saturdays at 11 pm and Sundays at 9 pm. Check the website for more info.

Cabildo 2040
Belgrano
Tel: 4780-2447