The Best Gay Saunas in Latin America: From Mexico to Argentina

From Latin America's biggest gayborhood to saunas near Ipanema Beach, here are the places to cruise and chill in Mexico, Brazil and beyond. Latin America is home to many big cities with bustling, testosterone-fuelled gay scenes. In this list, we'll guide you through the biggest and most tourist-friendly saunas—the kind of saunas where the attendees will be more interested in your package than your wallet.

Some of the hottest men on the planet have been spotted in Latin America, which makes exploring the sauna scene all the more appealing.

Sodome Bathhouse - Mexico City 🇲🇽

Mexico City’s Zona Rosa district is home to Sodome, widely considered the best gay sauna in town. This modern, European-style bathhouse is tourist-friendly and it's also popular with locals. Spread over multiple levels, Sodome has a steam room, dry sauna, maze-like dark rooms, foam party room, jacuzzi tubs, a dance floor and a full bar. DJs often play so it can feel, at times, like a gay bar with a sauna attached. Sodome stays open very late to cater to the after-club crowd. If you only visit one sauna in the Mexican capital, Sodome has a guaranteed selection of hotties. It's in a safe part of the city and it's easily accessible via Metro.

Club Spartacus - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 🇲🇽

Puerto Vallarta is a beach town known as a gay vacation mecca, especially for American travelers. It's home to one of Latin America’s most popular gay saunas, Club Spartacus. Located in the Zona Romántica, Latin America's biggest gayborhood, Spartacus is the largest gay sauna in Mexico, spanning four floors. It features multiple steam rooms and dry saunas, a rooftop clothing-optional pool and sundeck, jacuzzi, bar, private cabins, a “cold room,” and even massage services. Essentially, it has “all that a man needs!”

The atmosphere is resort-like – on the rooftop you can sunbathe nude with a view of the city’s hills, drink in hand. This sauna is extremely popular with tourists and gets especially busy on weekends and evenings. Note that Spartacus enforces some rules. For instance, they may breathealyze at the door to keep overly intoxicated people out (so save the heavy margaritas after your sauna trip).

Rio G Spa - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 🇧🇷

Rio de Janeiro’s gay scene is famously exuberant, and the city’s saunas vary from tourist-friendly options near the beach to less accessible saunas downtown. The most traveler-friendly option is Rio G Spa (Men’s Club), conveniently located in Ipanema just two blocks from the gay beach. Rio G Spa is a popular sauna with a clean, modern environment and English-speaking staff. Facilities include private cabins, a dark room, a video lounge, a gym/fitness area, bar service, and a steam and dry sauna. 

After a day of sunbathing on Ipanema’s rainbow-flag section, many guys head here to get down to business – in fact, Rio G Spa explicitly markets itself as a place to “rinse off the sand and get into action”. Massages are available (combining techniques like Swedish, Shiatsu, and sensual body-to-body treatments. It’s open daily from 15:00–22:00 (3pm-10pm), which is perfect timing to visit post-beach and pre-nightclub. 

The crowd is a mix of toned cariocas (Rio locals) fresh off the beach and tourists looking to mingle. Notably, Rio G Spa is known for a strictly non-hustler policy – unlike some other Brazilian saunas, you won’t find money guys here. Instead, it’s a place to meet genuine locals in a safe, friendly setting. Entry costs roughly R$60 (around $12 USD) and includes a locker and towel. If you’re a sauna newbie, this is an excellent starter venue – it even has an actual bar where you can sip a caipirinha and watch the boys from Ipanema go by.

269 Chilli Pepper Single Hotel - São Paulo, Brazil 🇧🇷

São Paulo is a sprawling city with one of the most dynamic gay scenes in the world – and its gay saunas do not disappoint. The city has everything from mega-sauna complexes to more boutique spas. The crown jewel is arguably 269 Chilli Pepper Single Hotel, a unique combination of a hotel and a 24/7 sauna experience.  Located in Largo do Arouche (the historic gay district downtown), Chilli Pepper is the largest men-only sauna/hotel in Latin America. Spread over a massive 2,300 m² space, it has 124 private single rooms, multiple cruising areas, several swimming pools, a gym, a spa area, a sun terrace, and of course steam and dry saunas and dark rooms.

You can check in like a hotel guest (for an overnight stay) or just rent a room for a few hours to do whatever you might do in such a time span – or simply pay a day entry to use the facilities. It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, making it a go-to at any time. If you want to “play hard,” this is the place. Expect a younger crowd late at night and a mixed crowd (including some tourists) during the day. Entry prices here are around R$70-100 (USD $14-$20) depending on time and whether you opt for a room or just a locker; locals often get a discount. The venue has an on-site bar and even a café, so you can literally spend all day. One thing to note: Chilli Pepper also occasionally hosts biweekly special parties, including fetish or theme nights, which can draw big crowds.

Homo Sapiens - Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷

Argentina’s capital has a well-established gay sauna scene, and Homo Sapiens leads the pack as the largest and most popular gay sauna in Buenos Aires. Located on Gascón 956 in the Almagro district, this multi-level venue spans three floors and truly has it all: wet and dry saunas, a spacious steam room, a dark room, private cabins, a video/cinema room, a fully stocked bar with snacks, and even a rooftop terrace for cooling off.

Homo Sapiens is known for hosting themed fetish nights (like leather or underwear parties) and other events. Don’t be surprised to find one night full of guys in harnesses and the next day a more regular towel-clad crowd – the vibe can vary. With your entry (about 6,000 ARS, roughly $15 USD) you’re provided a locker, a towel, and a little kit of toiletries for the showers. They go the extra mile by supplying free condoms and lubricant as well. Cleanliness is generally praised, and facilities like the cinema room have comfortable seating and big screens. Club tip: Homo Sapiens is adjacent to the famous Amerika nightclub – many guys will pop into the sauna either before dancing or in the early morning hours after clubbing, since Amerika closes around 7am. That means weekends from 5am-7am can actually be busy at the sauna! Regular hours are noon to midnight daily.