La Cotorra

One of the city's first gay bars, La Cotorra is a dark, old-school pub with a barricaded door and a conspiratorial air, appealing to a mature crowd who'd rather hear Wham! or Gloria Gaynor than electronic beats. To find it, take the escalator one level up from the cinema, turn into the parking garage, then left along the perimeter. Afterward, you could head over to the other end for the more youthful Royal Club.

Caracas has by far the most open gay community in what is still a relatively conservative country. When looking for gay-oriented venues, the code phrase to watch for is 'en ambiente.' For additional options, check the websites www.vengay.com and www.rumbacaracas.com (in Spanish).