201 Best Nightlife in Mexico

A breath of fresh air in the nightlife scene of Puerto Vallarta, Act2PV is a multigenre theater, cabaret, and sophisticated bar all in one. On the top floor of a little shopping center in Zona Romántica, it offers a great diversity of shows, both on the Main Stage and in the more intimate Red Room. Altogether, it's an excellent option for a different kind of night out in Puerto Vallarta. 

Miami meets Cabo at this restaurant, bar, and club with an over-the-top feeling of luxury. White gauze canopies shade plush sunbeds and lounge chairs around multiple swimming pools, while DJs spin until 6 pm daily. Their sushi menu pairs well with a fruity cocktail and will help keep the buzz under control.

It housed conquistadors during the 16th century; today the Centro is a Spanish cultural center with daily art exhibits, plays, films, and other events, including occasional live indie, electronic, and rock bands on the terrace of the bar-restaurant.

Like its successful sister properties in Cancún, Coco Bongo has things like flying acrobats, bar-top conga lines, live bands, and DJs mixing everything from rock to hip-hop. The cover charge includes unlimited drinks.

This grand, cavernous 1940s-era cantina has a long antique bar to one side and a kitchen serving up tasty Asturian Spanish fare. It's filled nightly with the sounds of the tercera edad (a polite phrase for the elder generation) playing exuberant games of dominoes and millennials chatting about their adventures at Roma's latest gallery opening.

This oceanfront bar is just the way a beach bar is supposed to be—small, hip, and laid-back—making it a real pleasure to enjoy a beer while watching the waves of Playa Camarones. There's live music on Friday night and a DJ on Saturday. There's always a good vibe, and if you feel like having a bite, you can always ask the waiter to bring you some food from their next-door sister restaurant, El Barracuda.

Best known for its terrific cocktails and live music, Fayne's is a brightly painted place with a hip, energetic personality. The party kicks off nightly at 8 with everything from American rock to Caribbean rhythms providing the soundtrack. Bring your dancing shoes.

One of Guadalajara's hot spots, I Latina is where you will spot a cool, upscale local and international crowd having cocktails. Their food has long been considered the best cuisine in all of Guadalajara.

This sloppy gem of a loft is part metro stop, part college-dorm commons, part debating society, and part pulquería. It's run by 1950s national lightweight boxing champion and folk hero Epiphanio "Pifas" Leyva, and serves beer and pulque (a drink made with the fermented sap of one type of agave plant) to a young, intellectual crowd that loves to sing and dance to the excellent jukebox of punk and local guacapunk (Mexican ska) classics. If you want a rowdy afternoon (the bar is usually closed by 11, and always closed on Sunday), this is the place. Note that it's technically in the Doctores neighborhood, but borders Colonia Roma.

Remember—whatever happens in La Mina Club stays more than 1,000 feet underground. This is the world's only nightclub in a mine. DJs spin modern dance music—don't expect salsa and merengue—while revelers admire the toxic waters deep below through glass floors. It's open Saturday night 10 pm–3 am, with a cover charge of MX$150. It's also open Thursday 4 to 10:30 (MX$50), and later on Friday night, although if its booked for a private party then, it won't be open to the public.

It's about as big as a bread box, but somehow this bar manages to accommodate performers—from lone poets or guitarists to jazz trios or multigenerational son jarocho groups. The crowd, a mix of locals and tourists, is attentive and enthusiastic.

The trendiest club in town and a favorite of locals and foreigners, La Santa has two different dance floors, one playing electronic and house music and the other mixing a variety of pop and rock in English and Spanish. There is a stylish swimming pool in the second room, where things can sometimes get a bit out of control. It has some great parties, but can get a bit too crowded.

Lokal is a trendy bar on a side street in the city center offering an open bar area where customers can try a variety of artisanal beers and engage in lively conversation with the barmen and the owner, Ruben. Upstairs is a large terrace where you can sip a cocktail as the sun goes down. Good-quality food and mezcal are also available to whet your appetite. The regular live-music sets at Lokal make it a lively and popular nightspot.

If you love a good beer, Los Muertos Brewing Company is for you. The first craft brewery in Puerto Vallarta offers a relaxed atmosphere and the best beer on tap in town. It's a mix between a typical cantina and a traditional sports bar and they have a selection of rock and pop both in English and Spanish. Young gringos love it, and it's also getting attention from locals who come for the pizzas and stay for the beer.

Although Papaya Playa Project is a hotel, many folks simply patronize its beachfront club, where they can kick off their flip-flops and dance among the trees. Party people, in particular, appreciate the DJs spinning electronic and house music on Saturday night or the monthly full-moon events.

Puerto Vallarta's only rock house is a very energetic club that features live music every night at 11 pm. Roxy is an institution and one of the few places that attracts all kinds of visitors—you'll find nationals and foreigners of all ages on the premises, and they're not afraid to sing and dance. 

The slogan of this classic dance halls says it all: "Whoever doesn't know Los Angeles doesn't know Mexico." When Salón Los Angeles turned 80 in 2017, a who's who of Mexico City turned out to celebrate, from actors and writers to politicians and ambassadors. A flashback to the hot pink splendor of Mexico's mid-century boom years (it opened in 1937), Salón Los Angeles is a fairly quiet place on most nights, where older couples from the surrounding neighborhood come to dance to live bands playing salsa, cumbia, and danzón. But when big acts come through town, the hall, large enough for 600 people, bursts to life. These are the nights to be here, so keep an eye on the line-up on their website. Note that La Guerrero can be dangerous at night, so it's best to come and go by Uber.

Slim's calls itself "the world's smallest bar," and you'll be lucky to get a seat at this kitschy four-seat space that plays honky-tonk music and serves $3 beers and tequila shots. Signed dollar bills line the walls and ceiling, and a buzzing, standing crowd loiters out the door and onto the Boulevard Marina sidewalk each evening, vibing off its energy.

This stylish nightclub can seem a bit small, but it features an enormous dance floor. The light and sound systems are state-of-the-art, which is highly appreciated by the world-famous DJs that come here to mix it up. They play mostly electronic dance music (EDM), but, as the night goes on, you'll also hear some '80s and '90s pop-rock hits. 

You'll find the best and largest frozen margaritas in town at Wet Wendy's. Sit at the bar, and down one of the potent concoctions, or grab a table in the outdoor garden to dine on remarkably good food and dance to the salsa, rock, and jazz bands that play here several nights a week. Service is friendly, so don't be surprised if the bartender asks you if you want "the usual" on your second visit.

Set in the vault of an art deco bank in the heart of Centro, the capital's coolest jazz joint hosts local and international acts. The intimate setting and enthusiastic audiences seem to bring out the best in performers. It's open Wednesday through Saturday, and offers a small menu of international dishes.

This reggae bar serves deep-dish pizza that gets rave reviews, and the Mexican-inspired meals provide something for every palate.

Inside a cavern, Alux has a bar, disco, wine cellar, and restaurant. There's a MX$100 drink minimum.

PV's original martini bar, Apaches is the landing zone for expats reconnoitering after a long day, and a warm-up for night owls. When the outside tables get jam-packed in high season, the overflow heads into the narrow bar and the adjacent, equally narrow bistro. If you're traveling alone, this is the place to make friends of all ages.

Owned and run by musicians, Atemoztli Foro resto-bar overlooks Zicatela Beach from an airy second-floor dance floor in the heart of the Zicatela strip. Each night offers a different musical theme: take your pick from reggae, rock, blues, Mexicana, salsa, or Latin rock performed by the talented house band fronted by Vicente "El Diablo."

As far as posh hotel bars go, it's hard to top the Hilton Los Cabos' Azul, whose terrace overlooks the Sea of Cortez. There's nothing raucous here, just intimate conversation over margaritas and other agave-based spirit cocktails. Mexican antojitos (small appetizers) and raw snacks provide the perfect complement.

Frequented primarily by tourists, this lively open-air bar is on the beach and not far from other nightlife spots. You will get two drinks when you order, and the mood is conducive to meeting other people. There's no cover charge during the week, but on Saturday it's about $7 or $8 and on Sunday it's around $5 and includes a drink.

Small, expensive, and exclusive, Baby'O caters to the local elite. The club has long had the reputation of being Acapulco's classiest, and the well-dressed clientele lounges and dances in a jungle-inspired interior. It can be hard (and pricey) to get in, and even harder to get a table, but this is the place to go if you're looking for a glamorous night in Acapulco.

The Cabo San Lucas branch of the microbrewery in San José del Cabo shares the same menu and selection of beers on tap. Yet the open space atop a seaside hotel lends a decidedly different, relaxed vibe. Perfect after a day at the beach, "BBC" has pub fare and fresh local seafood, as well as the beer samplers and terrific views. Live music is offered most weekends.