Cruising in Mexico City
In every man there is the possibility of his being – or, to be more exact, of his becoming once again – another man. The Labyrinth of Solitude, by Octavio Paz – Mexican Poet and Nobel Prize Laureate
While many say that cruising is dead in the United States, Gay Mexican Cruising is alive and thriving. I’m often surprised at how quickly something so hedonistic as cruising can become so political when people begin to write about it. As somebody who is fascinated by cruising I’ve read a few books on the subject and they very quickly become focused on anti sodomy laws in various countries and, well, politics.
Ive heard that Grindr killed cruising, I’ve also heard that marriage equality brought the gay community out of the shadows and eliminated the need for cruising. Gay marriage was legal in Mexico before the United States and Grindr arrived here very shortly after it did in the United States. I’ve heard the AIDS Crisis killed cruising but the AIDS crisis happened to Mexico the same as the United States.
I don’t know why cruising has survived in Mexico City but so many legendary cruising zones in the United States have perished. I like to think about these topics but I haven’t been able to reach many conclusions. Which is why this post is focused solely on profiling 3 of the most active gay male cruising zones in Mexico City. The fact that I find so amazing is that so many gay men of all ages have come to these zones to find sex and who knows what else.
3 Legendary Gay Mexican Cruising Spots in Mexico City
Camino Verde
Camino Verde is a legendary cruising experience located in a field in between Central Cultural Universitaria and a highway. You can see it is the area marked green in the map above.
It sits on top of volcanic rock overgrown with tall grass ad trees and cactus. There are a network of paths through the entire area and it is always filled with college guys and locals of all ages.
Story about gay Cruising and Community in Camino Verde
Getting There: Take the metrobus line 1 all the way to the south side of town and get off at metro CCU (Central Cultural Uiversitaria). From the metro stop you will take a pedestrian bridge that crosses the highway and takes you to the college campus.
As you cross the bridge you will cross over camino verde. If you look closely you will see people cruising. At the end of the bridge there is a circle of benches. Take a seat on one of them and check out the area.
You will notice there is cruising going on and you will see guys coming and going from an entrance to the field/woods behind the benches. If you sit on the benches the experience of camino verde will absorb you. Follow some guys to the secret areas and have fun.
La Cuidadela
La Cuidadela, by day, is a beautiful outdoor park and is a favorite spot for salsa dancers to enjoy themselves and practice their moves. By night, La Cuidadela quickly turns into a cruising spot. There is always a steady stream of men here after sundown and it becomes crowded in the late night hours from 11 PM through the early morning.
Getting There: Follow the directions to ‘la ciudadela’ from google maps. There are two green parks on either side of the Biblioteca de Mexico (Library of Mexico). The main cruising area is the larger park. you can identify it on a map by the ‘Estatua de Morelos’ which is located at its center. The metro stop is Metro Balderas.
WARNING: This is somewhere where I would recommend extreme caution. If you’re blonde, like me, I suggest you wear a hat. Try to blend in as much as you can. There are robberies that happen here sometimes. The environment is to legendary that it’s worth it just to walk through quickly just to say you were there. The longer you stay the more likely you are to get robbed. If you just pass through quickly you run very little risk.
Alameda Central
Alameda Central is the main park in downtown Mexico City. It is the oldest park in the Americas. It has a rich history and it is always crowded with tourists, locals, and families enjoying themselves. One one side of the park (by Metro Hidalgo), there is a discreet meat market of male hustlers waiting to be bought. You can walk up to any of them and most will go to a nearby hotel and ‘give service.’ The hotels cost between $100-$200MX and the service of the young men usually costs between $250-$300MX. All things considered the full tab usually comes out to $25USD.
Unlike La Ciudadela, this park is very safe and if you just want to hang around and enjoy the show, you are more than welcome to do that. The area is patrolled by police who let the sex trade happen without interference.
Here is a link to an article written by a expat living in Mexico City about the hustlers in Alameda Central. Dallas Voice Article
