Gay Guide to Lima
Peru decriminalised sex between men in 1924, but it still has no legal recognition for same-sex couples. Lima's Marcha del Orgullo at the end of June is the country's biggest public show of the community: marchers gather at the Campo de Marte in Jesús María and loop through the city centre past the Plaza Bolognesi.
Visitors usually base themselves in Miraflores, the clifftop district above the Pacific. Legendaris, the famous gay megaclub, did not survive the pandemic, so nights now run through smaller venues: Open Deck on Avenida La Paz is a relaxed bar for an early drink, and ValeTodo Downtown, on the little Los Pinos street, is the long-running gay club.
Much of the rest of the scene is a short taxi ride inland. In Lince, Andel is a cheap and cheerful karaoke bar that keeps singing all night, and Out & Pride is a Saturday-night party with DJs and drag. La Cueva in San Borja has drag and go-go nights for an older crowd.
Assia in Surquillo, just beside Miraflores, is a large, modern gay spa, and 240 Club, with a gym, bar and massage, is the downtown sauna.