The Rise of Gay-Friendly Peru

Lima & Paracas

By Paul Rubio

Just ten years ago, Peruvians could hardly imagine a country hospitable to the longshunned homosexual lifestyle. As quickly as Peru’s economy has grown since the dawn of the millennium, the country’s mentality has begun to follow the progressive footsteps of neighboring Brazil and nearby Argentina. By no means will Peru legalize gay marriage in the near future, but this new period of transition means gays no longer have to emigrate to Miami and Mexico City for refuge, and that opportunities for the national GLBT population and the visiting LGBT traveler are greater than ever!

Though Peru’s macho culture has relaxed its rigid ways, gay nightlife is still confined to the capital city – Lima – and to an über artsy kitsch bar in Cuzco called Fallen Angel (www.fallenangelincusco.com). Once upon a time, not so long ago, Lima possessed very little touristic appeal to the average visitor. The dirty and dangerous streets, crumbling architecture, and overpopulated madness deterred most from a stopover. But, at the center of the country’s economic revolution, Lima has cleaned up its act and offers big city sophistication including a handful of gay bars and clubs, gastronomic sanctuaries, pristine parks, and Starbucks on every corner.

The oceanfront Miraflores neighborhood, one of the swankier spots in town, is by no means a ‘gayborhood’ but it’s definitely the place to be in Lima. By day, wandering eyes are everywhere at the Malecón de Miraflores, the esplanade along the edge of Lima's cliffs. Besides shopping and people watching, the Malecón is the point of embarkation for a paragliding adventure over Lima. Nearby, the city’s most famous and revered hotel, Milaflores Park Hotel (www.miraflores park.com) also offers a birdseye view of the Pacific Coast at its fabulous rooftop swimming pool. The hotel suites are decked out in traditional luxurious 5-star fashions, adorned with every creature comfort possible and packaged with Lima’s most phenomenal breakfast buffet, featuring all types of local delicacies.

By night, the neighborhood’s long-time GLBT favorite is still Vale Todo Downtown (www.gayperu.com/downtownvaletodo), with a balcony that encircles the dance floor and delightfully demented drag queens who entertain with Vegasstyle routines. Those tired of Downtown can quickly disco dance down the street to a nearby club competitor, Legendaris (www.gayperu.com/legendaris), for a change of scenery. Those still single, hot-andbothered come 3 a.m., can hop in a cab to the most respectable of local gay saunas, Ozono (www.gayperu.com /ozono). There are also some shadier late-night clubs in the colonial center and Lince, but take a taxi because the streets are still a bit dicey after dark.

Venturing beyond Milaflores’ boundaries, the colonial architecture of the city center, namely the beautiful bohmenian neighborhood, Barranco and its famous “Bridge of Sighs” is charming and picturesque. Nevertheless, as wonderful as it has become, Lima pales in comparison to the astounding sights outside the capital, scattered about the vast countryside. For example, just 150 miles south of Lima, the coastal city of Paracas combines the swaying palm tree feel of the Caribbean, with the desert landscapes of the Middle East and the biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands.

As far back as the 1940s, Paracas was branded the “Hamptons of Peru,” hosting the who’s-who of Limeño society (the local word for residents of Lima). Though a “Fire Island” counterpart never materialized, the centerpiece of the city – Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Resort Collection (www.libertador. com.pe/en) - serves both the Hamptons elitist and Cherry Grove homo in a surreal setting of “tropically island breeze,” South Beach style, and the desert landscapes of Sex and the City 2. Similar to secluded 5-star Caribbean resorts, Hotel Paracas is a self-contained world of relentless sunshine, picture perfect sunsets, seductive infinity pools, daiquiris by the bar, and unadulterated relaxation and pampering. During weekends and public holidays, the resort fills to capacity with Speedo-clad, fit, light-skinned Latinos (think Ricky Martin), romantic honeymooners, power gays, and, of course, the full spectrum of Lima high society, from the hairsprayed abuela, to the nipped and tucked mom, to the ridiculously spoiled offspring.

While the Peruvians come here for standing and posing, tourists combine the pompous Paracas glory with excursions to extraordinary nearby attractions. The mysterious and magical Nazca Lines are a mere Cessna flight away, while a miniature version of the Galapagos Islands, the Islas Ballestas, beckon opposite the resort’s oceanfront, teeming with tens of thousands of seabirds, penguins, and sea lions. Queens who long to play the Sex in the City 2 role of damsel in the dessert, can brave the massive sand dunes of the Peruvian desert, and even indulge in dinner and star gazing on a remote and strewn peak (and unlike in “Abu Dhabi” you won’t get arrested for public displays of affection).

Visit www.gaylima.com for further information on gay Lima and www.tikary.com.pe to book once-in-a-lifetime excursions near Paracas. Select portions of this article originally appeared in The Guide Mag, a Pink Triangle Press publication.